Drama continues to unfold behind the scenes on the attempted Disney+ revival of Lizzie McGuire, which is supposed to focus on the adult character played by Hilary Duff as she navigates life in her 30s decades after the original series wrapped up. The series was put on hiatus earlier this year after filming had already been complete on two episodes, with Disney reportedly firing showrunner Terri Minsky due to creative differences. Little progress has been made since then, and even Duff herself has cast some shade toward Disney regarding the stalled production after difficulties with the series’ storyline.
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Now it sounds like there’s a chance the Lizzie McGuire reboot could lose Duff altogether if the two sides can’t reconcile with a new showrunner to fill the void, according to a new report from Variety.
“It is possible the show could still move forward if a new showrunner is able to balance the desires of both Duff and Disney, but that appears increasingly unlikely, sources with knowledge of the show indicate. A Disney spokesperson denied that the show is being scrapped in a statement,” states Variety’s report.
While discussions with replacements for Minsky are reportedly ongoing, the position has yet to be filled and Duff appears to be losing her patience — especially after news that the Love, Simon series had been moved off of Disney+ and onto Hulu due to concerns that it’s not “family-friendly.”
Duff recently posted on her Instagram account in response to the Love, Simon news with the caption “sounds familiar,” though she’s yet to issue a public statement regarding Lizzie McGuire.
“We paused production on Lizzie McGuire a few weeks ago to allow time for some creative re-development,” said a Disney spokesperson. “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.”
Minsky also opened up about the experience, saying she would have liked the opportunity to take the series to Hulu as well.
“I am so proud of the two episodes we did,” Minsky told Variety. “Hilary has a grasp of Lizzie McGuire at 30 that needs to be seen. It’s a wonderful thing to watch. I would love the show to exist, but ideally, I would love it if it could be given that treatment of going to Hulu and doing the show that we were doing. That’s the part where I am completely in the dark. It’s important to me that this show was important to people. I felt like I wanted to do a show that was worthy of that kind of devotion.”
It’s possible that Disney+ executives felt moving Love, Simon to Hulu was an acceptable loss because the original film is not closely associated with the brand, where as Lizzie McGuire was popular for a generation of The Disney Channel viewers; as Disney+ continues to capitalize on nostalgia, the return of Hilary Duff remains a valuable addition.
There’s no word yet on what will happen with the Lizzie McGuire reboot, despite Disney spokespeople remaining optimistic.
