Disney+'s Lizzie McGuire reboot is officially dead, with star Hilary Duff confirming the sad news on social media. Duff rose to fame playing teenage Lizzie on the Disney Channel series from 2001 to 2004, and last year, news broke that she would return to the role in a reboot at Disney+. Fans were thrilled at the news, particularly since several original stars were slated to return as well. Duff would be joined by her former onscreen family members Jake Thomas, Hallie Todd, and Robert Carradine, as well as Adam Lamberg as Lizzie's friend/love interest Gordo. Production began in late 2019, and Lizzie McGuire was even included in Disney+'s 2020 sizzle reel.
However, progress on Lizzie McGuire slowed, then stalled not far into this year. Terri Minsky, who created the original series and would once again serve as showrunner, stepped away in January over creative differences. Not long after, both Minsky and Duff stated their beliefs that Lizzie McGuire should become a Hulu production instead of a Disney+ one. The main reason for this was because the two wanted to explore a more mature Lizzie, seeing as she would now be in her 30s. There was hope that a solution would be reached, but now that apparently is no longer the case.
Duff took to social media earlier on Wednesday to share the news that Lizzie McGuire is no longer moving forward. She began by stating just how much Lizzie the character means to her before explaining that, "despite everyone's best efforts, it isn't going to happen." Duff then went on to seemingly confirm that a hesitancy to delve into a more mature Lizzie is what stalled the reboot, writing, "I want any reboot of Lizzie to be honest and authentic to who Lizzie would be today. It's what the character deserves. We can all take a moment to mourn the amazing woman she would have been and the adventures we would have taken with her." Her full post (which includes a fun refence to The Lizzie McGuire Movie) can be seen down below.
Disney+'s preference for family-friendly fare has been on full display this year, as more mature projects like High Fidelity and Love, Victor moved to Hulu. It seemed like Hulu would be the perfect home for Lizzie McGuire's reboot, but evidently it just didn't work out. If Disney really did decide to drop the reboot over a desire to portray Lizzie as a fully fledged adult, then this is a hugely disappointing blow. Fans who grew up with Lizzie were looking forward to seeing her as a grown woman dealing with everyday trials and tribulations. Now, they will just have to imagine.
There could be other factors at play within Lizzie McGuire's abrupt dissolution, such as the ongoing pandemic or contract disputes. However, the previous updates in the reboot's development, as well as Duff's own comments, seem to place the blame firmly on those creative issues. Perhaps going forward, Disney+ can truly think through their projects before ordering them and getting fans' hopes up. This feels like something that should have been worked out before filming began. It's a frustrating development for Duff, Minsky, and all the Lizzie McGuire fans of the world, though at least there's now a definitive answer as to the reboot's status.
Source: Hilary Duff/Instagram