Lizzie McGuireisn’t coming back after all. Star Hilary Duff announced via Instagram that following creative differences with Disney and the departure of the series' showrunner Terri Minsky, the planned Disney+ revival ofLizzie McGuirehas been unceremoniously canceled.
“I’ve been so honored to have the character of Lizzie in my life. She has made such a lasting impact on many, including myself,” Duff wrote on Instagram. “I know the efforts and conversations have been everywheretrying to make a reboot workbut, 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.”
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Reportedly,the problems for therevivalbegan back in January 2020. Production on the newLizzie McGuireseries had started in November of 2019, with Duff playing a 30-year-old Lizzie returning to her hometown of Los Angeles from Brooklyn. In addition to Duff returning as McGuire, original cast members Hallie Todd, Robert Carradine, and Jake Thomas were cast in the revival. It was also confirmed that Lizzie’s primary gimmick, her fourth-wall-breaking animated persona, was on track for inclusion in the revival.+
Thenew series went on hiatusin January of 2020 after completing two episodes so Duff could go on her honeymoon. Shortly before she got back, Minsky was removed asLizzie McGuire’s showrunner. Reportedly, the dismissal was due to a clash between what Disney was looking for and what Minsky and Duff had made. Their newLizzie McGuirewas aimed squarely at young adults, and Disney had wanted another show for kids.
Since then, Duff has quietly been campaigning for Disney to move theLizzie McGuirereboot from Disney+ to Hulu, in a similar arc to what happened with this year’s teenage dramaLove, Victor. With her post this week on Instagram, however, it seems that the revival is nowofficially dead in the water.
This does carry forward an unfortunate trend whereLizzie McGuiregets screwed over by its network, though.McGuirehad an outsized impact on pop culture, so it’s easy to forget that it only ever had two seasons and a movie in its original run. The show had been a big hit for Disney, spawning lucrative lines of merchandise and a Game Boy Color game, but it had also led to Duff receiving multiple offers for projects at other studios. The plan had been to transitionMcGuireinto a high school setting, but Duff’s popularity resulted ina pay dispute with Disneythat sank the series.
Duff’s next project is a new children’s book,My Little Brave Girl,with illustrations by Kelsey Garrity-Riley. It’s scheduled to be published via Random House in late March of 2021.
