Back in January, production on Disney+'s reboot of Lizzie McGuire ended abruptly when the series's creator and revival showrunner, Terri Minsky, was unceremoniously fired. Variety reported that the news spelled disaster for the new show and in a new Instagram post, star Hilary Duff confirmed what many people had thought: grown-up Lizzie was too grown-up for Disney+ and its slate of family-friendly programming.
Duff's lengthy post explained that the show would not accurately portray the life of a 30-year-old if it was constrained by a PG rating. She added that she felt a responsibility to give fans an authentic Lizzie McGuire, since so many viewers grew up with the character, just like Duff did playing her.
She implored Disney to reconsider killing the project and suggested that, if possible and if the service was interested, that a move to Hulu could work. Variety reported that there is precedent for Duff's idea. A Disney+ show that was based on the film Love, Simon, titled Love, Victor, was moved to Hulu for similar reasons. Duff even posted about it in her Instagram Story, writing, "Sounds familiar."
"Was incredibly excited to launch 'Lizzie' on D+ and my passion remains! However, I feel a huge responsibility to honor the fans' relationship with LIZZIE who, like me, grew up seeing themselves in her. 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," she posted today. "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 could 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." She finished her message with a heart emoji.
Along with Duff, original cast members Adam Lamberg, Hallie Todd, Robert Carradine, and Jake Thomas were set to return to the reboot. Earlier this week, a Disney spokesperson told Variety that the show wasn't canceled.
“We paused production on Lizzie McGuire a few weeks ago to allow time for some creative re-development," they said. "Our goal is to resume production and to tell an authentic story that connects to the millions who are emotionally invested in the character, and a new generation of viewers, too."
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