It’s been over a year since the launch of Disney+, and the streaming service has already brought a number of its beloved film and TV properties to a new audience. This was originally expected to include a revival of Lizzie McQuire, which would have placed Hilary Duff‘s portrayal of the titular character into adulthood. Production on the series began in late 2019 — and footage even made its way into Disney+’s 2020 sizzle reel — before the series was scrapped due to creative differences between Duff, showrunner Terri Minsky, and Disney. In a recent interview with SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show (via Entertainment Weekly), Duff revealed that while she’ll “never say never” to returning to play Lizzie, she doesn’t think the previously-planned Disney+ revival will happen.
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“I don’t think it’s going to be happening,” Duff revealed.
Duff also spoke about her personal relationship to Lizzie McQuire over the years, revealing that she went from a point where she “couldn’t stand” the character, to developing a newfound appreciation for her.
“Now that I’m my age, I’m like, I love her… This is where it all began for me. And she is me, and I am her,” Duff explained. “And I brought what I could to that, you know, which was very much just who I am inside. And so to tap into that again, even for a moment was really a great experience.”
“The one thing for me was just the way that she could connect with what was going on [with] people that were watching the show,” Duff added. “It was like they’re watching themselves.” That’s a point where she and Disney+ saw eye to eye, but of course, the creative discussions that sank the revival came from the creative team asserting to the streaming service that it only makes sense “to shoot a show where she’s acting like a 30-year-old in a modern world.”
The creative differences in question were reportedly tied to the content rating of the show, with Duff and Minsky wanting to adapt the show to fit Lizzie’s adult age, while Disney hoped for the project to be much more family-friendly.
“I’ve been so honored to have the character of Lizzie in my life,” Duff’s post on social media read shortly after the news initially broke. “She has made such a lasting impact on many, including myself. To see the fans’ loyalty and love for her, to this day, means so much to me. I know the efforts and conversations have been everywhere trying to make a reboot work but, sadly & despite everyone’s best efforts, it isn’t going to happen. 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 with her. I’m very sad, but I promise everyone tried the best and the stars just didn’t align. Hey now, this is what 2020s made of.”
In the meantime, Duff is set to star in another new series under the Disney umbrella, taking on the lead role in How I Met Your Father, Hulu‘s sequel series to How I Met Your Mother.
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