Viewers might need to wait a little longer for the Lizzie McGuire revival series on Disney+ as more trouble looms over its production, which has resulted in a delay. The plans for the series were announced at D23 last summer with news of Hilary Duff and other original stars reprising their roles. Lizzie McGuire first ran on the Disney Channel in the early 2000s before a feature film was released in 2003. Here's why the Lizzie McGuire revival is being delayed and what it means for the show's future.
The initial series was aimed at young viewers, following Lizzie McGuire (Duff) as she tackled life as a middle school student. At her side were her two best friends, Miranda and Gordo, and of course, her parents and annoying little brother, Matt. Lizzie also had a vocal conscious, which was portrayed by an animated counterpart. The series ended as Lizzie and her friends geared up to graduate from junior high.
The Lizzie McGuire Disney+ revival was set to put Lizzie back in the focus now that she's 30 years old and facing new struggles while living in New York City. After forging new chapters in her career and personal life, Lizzie would be forced to return to Los Angeles for an unknown reason. It's unclear if fans will ever see this new segment of Lizzie's life since the series was put on hold in January. Showrunner Terri Minsky, who was also at the helm during the original run, exited Disney+'s Lizzie McGuire show due to creative differences. Duff is now hinting that the issues could go deeper in that the Lizzie McGuire revival isn't family-friendly enough for Disney's liking.
The Lizzie McGuire Drama Hints At A Bigger Problem Within Disney+
The cast and crew filmed two episodes of the Lizzie McGuire revival before Disney+ put it in limbo. Since then, those involved in the show have remained silent. That was until Duff chimed in to comment on the latest news regarding a fellow planned Disney+ series related to Love, Simon. The series has been retitled to Love, Victor and is planning to move to Hulu after Disney+ deemed it inappropriate for their audience. Some have taken issue with the news, blaming Disney for not wanting to air a show with a gay-centric storyline. Love, Victor has claimed that the series was pulled because of the adult themes surrounding alcohol use, marital problems, and sexuality.
Following the news, Duff posted to social media (via Vulture) and shared a headline about Love, Victor being taken off of Disney+ with a comment that read "sounds familiar." It seems as though the Lizzie McGuire revival fell into the same issue, but instead of moving the series to another network, Disney+ put it on hold altogether. It wouldn't be surprising that the series features more adult themes since Lizzie is no longer a young teen. This sheds light on bigger issues with the streaming since they have been advertising new programming but not delivering when production gets moving.
One might think that Disney would be transparent about their content restrictions, but that doesn't seem to be the case since these issues are arising well into the filming and production process. It makes sense that Disney+ would have content standards, but these elements should be discussed well before the streaming services use the titles in their advertising. It's unclear what will happen to Lizzie McGuire and if they find a new showrunner. It's possible that the series follows Love, Victor and moves to Disney-owned Hulu, but fans will have to wait and see how the drama unfolds.