The Real Reason The Lizzie McGuire Reboot Is On Hold
Fans have long awaited the Lizzie McGuire reboot scheduled to debut on Disney+ some time in 2020. Unfortunately, the production has hit a number of bumps in the road, including delays in staffing and requests by both star Hilary Duff and the showrunners to move the show to a more adult platform. "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," Duff wrote on Instagram. She continued, "It would be a dream if Disney would let us move the show to Hulu."
The Lizzie McGuire crew is quick to note that while they enjoyed the show's beginnings in the early 2000s, and have been happy to be a part of the Disney family of kid's programming, they believe both fans and the character have grown up.
As Lizzie McGuire grows up so do her problems
Now, new details have emerged of the topics the show plans to cover, and why these might not be the best fit for the PG setting of Disney+. Duff further explained her thought process on Instagram, on requesting the show move to Hulu, writing, "It's important to me that just as her experiences a preteen/teenager navigating life were authentic, her next chapters are equally as real and relatable." E News! describes this adult setting as "...the title character living in her ideal New York apartment, working a high-powered job and dating her dream guy... until the crisis hits." By crisis, we understand this will involve some sort of cheating — hardly a plot made for a small child.
Fortunately, while this industry debate continues on, fans don't have to wait for their Lizzie fix. While the date of the reboot is in limbo, fans of the show can enjoy the original series from 2001 in the meantime, thanks to the 65 episodes that launched on Disney+ in November 2019 (via ET).