Here's Everything We Know About The Fate Of Our Beloved 'Lizzie McGuire'
Just like its plucky central character, Disney's Lizzie McGuire reboot is figuring it out on the way. Fans have been looking forward to the revival series ever since Hilary Duff announced it in August 2019, but in the following months, production has hit some major obstacles. Now, it's unclear if the series will ever make it to air, but Duff has a plan to keep Lizzie alive by jumping networks. So, will the Lizzie McGuire reboot move to Hulu, or will it somehow find a way to work on Disney+, or is it doomed for good? Luckily, it sounds like there is still some hope for the highly anticipated reboot to become a reality.
Everything seemed to be going great for the Lizzie McGuire reboot at the end of 2019. Production was underway in New York City with Duff reprising her role as a now-30 Lizzie, and Adam Lamberg returning as her best friend Gordo. The series was teased to be a more grown-up take on the iconic teen series, following Lizzie into adulthood: With high school now a distant memory, Lizzie had a job in New York and even a fiancé. But apparently, the show became too "adult" for Disney+'s taste. In January 2020, showrunner Terri Minsky exited the series, citing creative differences with the studio, and production was put on an indefinite hiatus.
With fans unsure of what was going on with the show, Duff posted a note clarifying the Lizzie McGuire situation on Feb. 28, confirming suspicions that Minsky and Duff wanted to push the show beyond the PG rating Disney+ was comfortable with. In the note, Duff also plainly stated her hope that Disney would allow the show to move to Hulu, like it had done in similar situations recently. Disney+ moved its High Fidelity reboot to Hulu, reportedly because that series took on more mature themes than expected, and just days before Duff posted her note, the Love, Simon spinoff series Love, Victor jumped from Disney+ to Hulu when Disney no longer deemed it "family-friendly."
Given how similar Lizzie McGuire's situation seems to both High Fidelity and Love, Victor, there may be a chance for the series to continue at Hulu. Duff certainly sounds hopeful that she will get to present her character as a fully realized adult.
"I’d be doing a disservice to everyone by limiting the realities of a 30-year-old’s journey to live under the ceiling of a PG rating," Duff wrote. "It’s important to me that just as her experiences as a preteen/teenager navigating life were authentic, her next chapters are equally as real and relatable. It would be a dream if Disney would let us move the show to Hulu, if they were interested, and I could bring this beloved character to life again."
Disney has yet to respond to Duff's note, so Lizzie McGuire is seemingly still stuck in development limbo at Disney+ for the time being. But at least it sounds like fans still have some hope to hold onto.
