The late-90s and early 2000s were a great time for Disney Channel fans. During that time, the House of Mouse created a number of hit shows — including Boy Meets World, That’s So Raven, Phineas and Ferb, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Wizards of Waverly Place, Lizzie McGuire, and more. Many of those shows hold a special place in the hearts of millennial Disney fans.
Lizzie McGuire was so beloved that, in 2019, Disney announced that it would be rebooting the show for its new streaming service, Disney+. The new Lizzie McGuire was supposed to feature a 30-year-old Lizzie, navigating life in Brooklyn, New York as she works a demanding job under a fashion designer and dates the person she wants to believe is her dream man. Sadly, even though a script was written, and a table read was done, it was simply not meant to be, and Disney scrapped the show.
Hilary Duff — who played the titular character — recently sat down for an interview with Women’s Health and spoke about why she thinks Disney canceled the show, despite fan enthusiasm for it. According to Women’s Health:
The project tanked when Hilary and the network differed on their vision for adult Lizzie. “She had to be 30 years old doing 30-year-old things,” Hilary says she insisted, pushing for a more mature Lizzie. “She didn’t need to be doing bong rips and having one-night stands all the time, but it had to be authentic. I think they got spooked.”
Lizzie McGuire fans were not the only ones disappointed when Disney canceled its plans for the reboot. Duff took to Instagram to share the following message:
“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. 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 and 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 her. I’m very sad, but I promise everyone tried their best and the stars just didn’t align. Hey now, this is what 2020s are made of.
Hilary Duff was not the only original cast member to sign onto the Disney+ reboot. Hallie Todd and Robert Carradine signed back on to play Lizzie’s parents, Jo and Sam. Jake Thomas also came back on board to play Lizzie’s trouble-making brother, Matt. Adam Lamberg — who played Lizzie’s best friend Gordo — also planned to come back before the cancellation.
Would you have loved to see the Lizzie McGuire reboot come to Disney+?