In August 2019, Hilary Duff took the stage at the D23 Expo in California and announced that Lizzie McGuire was coming back. The show was slated for a 2020 arrival on the Disney+ streaming service. Fans everywhere shared their enthusiasm, and so did the cast.
Trouble started brewing in January 2020; then came a series of surprising Instagram posts and news stories. As this new way of life rolls on, no one is too sure of the show’s fate, but here’s what every fan should know.
What If?
In a different world, the show could have actually premiered by now, but the sad facts are, things changed. And even if they hadn’t, the cast and crew might not have even finished enough episodes to get the show ready.
Social Media Craze
For those who are late to the party or just don’t remember, social media was lit up with the Lizzie McGuire news back in the fall. The image of Hilary holding her new script is just one example of everything that was shared as things first got rolling.
Why is this important? Well, social media gave fans a window into the production process that they never would have had twenty, ten, or even five years ago. It is crucial to realize that would-be viewers are even more upset about the show’s uncertain fate after seeing so many pictures of a happy cast.
Two Episodes
After the preliminary table reads and get-togethers, the cast and crew got down to business. Hilary continued to share a ton of details on social media, including the show’s first day of filming. The star’s “Happy First Lizzie Day” post came on October 29, 2019. In her goldenrod overcoat and funky rain boots, Hilary looks like a grown-up Lizzie. The Washington Square Park shoot in New York City was part of one of two episodes. Fans saw that filming took place, but that’s all they got before creative differences started to bloom: two episodes.
Disney+ Teaser
Hilary’s striking black and gold ensemble is exactly what she is wearing in her two-second snippet of the Disney+ 2020 trailer. Amid flashes of Pixar and live-action remakes, Duff walks up to a car window, peers in, and says, “Hi, it’s me” to the driver. Everyone saw this, but they must not forget that the teaser came out only about a week before the trouble in Lizzie town.
Long Silence For A Reason
Even though some of the cast possibly overshared show details on Instagram, there are reasons that none of them could speak out for awhile on the reboot’s future. The primary one would be the non-disclosure agreement. Jake Thomas, who played Matt in the original Lizzie McGuire, made a funny but sad TikTok explaining how people keep asking him about the reboot, but he has a signed NDA. Even if everyone knows Lizzie’s business, she still has to keep some things confidential.
February Surprise
Hilary aimed a pointed request at Disney in her Instagram story; she urged for Disney+ to move the reboot to Hulu à la Love, Victor. She then elaborated on her feelings with an honest iPhone note, which she screenshot and shared for her 15 million followers. There’s no need to belabor the contents of the note, but looking back on it, viewers should realize that someone dropped the ball. Disney and Hilary Duff clearly were in agreement on some things when they started filming the show. The biggest thing to know here is that fans will never know exactly what the final straw was for Duff and Disney executives when it comes to appropriateness, adulthood, etc.
It’s Gonna Be Okay
In July 2020, some fans missed a new development in the reboot. Jake Thomas (Matt McGuire) returned to Christy Carlson Romano’s (Even Stevens, Kim Possible) YouTube channel. They connected for an episode of “Christy’s Throwback Reacts,” where Christy has her guest react to their throwback television show or movie. Jake and Christy revisited some scenes from Lizzie McGuire, and Christy brought up the reboot drama. Thomas told Romano that he didn’t know, but he also said, “I think everything’s gonna work out.” The actor crossed his fingers right along with Christy in hopes that the show will turn out.
Needs A Showrunner
No matter how well Duff and Disney get along, the series still needs a showrunner. The first showrunner was Terri Minsky, creator of the original Lizzie McGuire. Minsky’s departure leaves an unclear road for the reboot. Someone has to run the show, but there are no indicators as to who that could be. Minsky was very much on board with Hilary’s desire to age up the new story, and Duff will probably want the new addition to feel the same way Minsky wants it to feel.
Table Read
There was a Lizzie McGuire virtual table read not too long ago. The thing to piece together with this is key: if things were doomed for the reboot at that point, the cast and crew probably wouldn’t have been so happy to gather on screen for all of Instagram to see.
The table read of “Between a Rock and a Bra Place” was lighthearted and joyful, and there was no mention of the reboot drama. Participants encouraged viewers to donate to charities of choice, like No Kid Hungry, Baby2Baby, Frontline Responders, and several food banks.
Weekly Meetings
This news was also a little more subtle. Hilary talked to PopSugar about what has been going on, and she said, “There’s been a lot of like creative meetings, obviously virtually. I think we’re on the right path, and I want it to happen more than anyone and they obviously feel the same way… So hopefully, we’ll get to all experience whatever that new version looks like.” This news is still kind of vague, but it at least lets fans know that the Lizzie McGuire reboot isn’t totally dead.
