Hey Now: Here’s What We Missed With Potential New Lizzie McGuire Reboot
Learning that Disney+ canceled the cult-classic Lizzie McGuire reboot in 2020 is not what dreams are made of. Fans were put on an emotional rollercoaster when they found out the Y2K series would get a revival that would resemble where the adult audience is at in their lives, but they would soon shelve it due to “adult themes.”
At the time, Hilary Duff, who portrays the titular character, took to Instagram to share the news. In an Instagram post, Duff discussed that it would be “a disservice to everyone by limiting the realities of a 30-year-old’s journey to live under the ceiling of a PG rating.”
Jonathan Hurwitz, one of the reboot’s writers, took to TikTok to talk about plotlines and the joke that potentially killed the series.
For one, Hurwitz reiterated that Lizzie is a 30-year-old living in New York as an interior designer. Sadly, she finds out that her current chef boyfriend has been cheating on her with her best friend. She moves back into her childhood home and tries to navigate this new phase of life. Waiting patiently for her is animated Lizzie, who mirrors the internal voice we all have in our heads.
mourning the loss of the lizzie mcguire reboot that was cancelled— jessica (@enchantedjess13) January 18, 2024
While this could be a setup for her to fall in love with her childhood best friends, a la Carly and Freddie, Hurwitz confirms that Gordo and Lizzie will remain just friends. He also reveals that Gordo is a happily engaged father-to-be.
Undoubtedly, this doesn’t mean other childhood crushes are off the table. In fact, Lizzie meets up with her childhood crush, Ethan Craft. Hurwitz describes “Lizzie wakes up in Ethan’s bed, in his water polo t-shirt. Animated Lizzie pops up, and she has this little checklist, like a to-do list, and Ethan is on the list, and she checks it off…I think she says something like, ‘I checked that box—dramatic pause—twice.’”
To clarify, they did not shoot the episode, nor did they plan on shooting any sensual scenes. Still, the network was not on board with the idea, which was a factor in the reboot’s dismissal.
After the cancellation, the actress appeared on Watch What Happens Live and was still optimistic about the series. “Disney+ was very new, and I think they were figuring out their… and we were figuring out our… and I am optimistic,” she stated.
With a Wizards of Waverly Place sequel finally hitting the platform and an ICarly revival that was gone too soon yet garnered massive engagement, the idea of hanging with Lizzie and animated Lizzie may not be too far-fetched, we hope.
The original Lizzie McGuire is available for streaming only on Disney+.
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