Hilary Duff is on board for a Lizzie McGuire sequel series for Disney+

[TMC]

https://deadline.com/2019/08/lizzie-...el-1202702120/

Duff is set to reprise her Disney Channel role in a reimagined version of the sitcom, revolving around Lizzie McGuire as a 30-year-old millennial navigating life in New York City. Creator Terry Minsky will return for the revival that, like the original, will feature an animated version of a young Lizzie offering commentary on what the 30-year-old Lizzie is really thinking. Duff is currently a series regular on TV Land's Younger, but Deadline reports that the cable network and Viacom have granted her a waiver to do both shows simultaneously. Lizzie McGuire, which starred Duff as a 13-year-old girl who dreamed of being popular in school, aired for two seasons on Disney Channel from 2001 to 2004. A film based on the series was released in theaters in 2003. UPDATE: Hilary Duff said at Disney's D23 Expo that the Lizzie in the sequel series has "grown up, she’s older, she’s wiser, she has a much bigger shoe budget...She has her dream job, the perfect life right now working as an apprentice to a fancy New York City decorator." Duff added that as Lizzie prepares to turn 30, she has “the perfect man, who owns a fancy restaurant.”

Hilary Duff is "a little intimidated," but thinks "it’s just the right time" to step back into the Lizzie McGuire role

Duff says she's working “really closely” with creator Terri Minsky on the Disney+ sequel series. “Now Lizzie is turning 30,” she tells EW. “She was everybody’s best friend. She was there for such pivotal moments in their preteen life. Entering your 30s is a really big deal. I think – and I think Disney agrees – but I think it’s just the right time for her to step back in and to have her go along with you in your 30s. All of the fun times and all of the big monumental moments that you’re faced with, I just thought that was such opportunity there for her to be grown up and for her to be there for women again.” Duff adds: "I’m not going to lie, I’m a little intimidated. I’m like, ‘Where is she in there?’ She is in there, she is me. When I was 13 shooting the show it was such a big part of me. I really just brought to the table myself and so I just have to tap into that and be really authentic. Our lives are very different. She’s not a mother, I’m already a mother, but I think that’s what’s exciting, to step into someone’s world that looks a little different than yours.”

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Hilary Duff is reportedly frustrated Disney+ wants a family-friendly Lizzie McGuire reboot

The Lizzie McGuire reboot is still on, despite an ominous message Duff posted last night to her Instagram Stories, pointing to Love, Simon sequel series Love, Victor moving from Disney+ to Hulu because of its mature themes. Variety's Joe Otterson reports that Lizzie McGuire creator Terri Minsky and Duff "wanted a reboot wanted to do a more adult version of Lizzie for the revival, while Disney wants a show that would appeal to kids and families, something more akin to the original series. Sources say that Disney was initially onboard with Minsky and Duff’s take from the time they pitched it to filming, during which time executives from Disney were onset and were aware of the type of content that would be featured in the show." But after filming on two episodes, Minsky was fired in January with Disney planning to go in another direction. Otterson reports that Duff found out Minsky was fired from Variety's report on her exit, and not from Disney: "Minsky, her writing staff, the production team and Duff learned that Minsky was being removed as showrunner only after the Variety story was published, despite Variety having reached out to Disney for comment hours prior to publication," reports Otterson. He adds that Duff, who declined comment, is said to be "none too happy" with Minsky's firing. Minsky wouldn't discuss how she learned about her ouster, but she tells Otterson: "I am so proud of the two episodes we did. Hilary has a grasp of Lizzie McGuire at 30 that needs to be seen. It’s a wonderful thing to watch. I would love the show to exist, but ideally I would love it if it could be given that treatment of going to Hulu and doing the show that we were doing. That’s the part where I am completely in the dark. It’s important to me that this show was important to people. I felt like I wanted to do a show that was worthy of that kind of devotion.” Meanwhile, a Disney spokesperson denies Lizzie McGuire is being scrapped. “We paused production on Lizzie McGuire a few weeks ago to allow time for some creative re-development,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. “Our goal is to resume production and to tell an authentic story that connects to the millions who are emotionally invested in the character, and a new generation of viewers too.”

Hilary Duff shades Disney+, pointing to Love, Victor's move to Hulu in implying that Lizzie McGuire reboot was too mature for the streaming service

Duff shared a screenshot on her Instagram Stories of the news of the Love, Simon TV reboot's move to Hulu, writing "sounds familiar..." Love, Victor was moved to Hulu because of its adult themes. Last month, Lizzie McGuire creator Terri Minsky was fired from the the reboot after filming two episodes. As Andy Swift points out, Disney+ may have found Minsky's reboot too adult-oriented for the family-friendly streaming service. When Minsky was ousted, a Disney spokesperson explained that “fans have a sentimental attachment to Lizzie McGuire and high expectations for a new series. After filming two episodes, we concluded that we need to move in a different creative direction and are putting a new lens on the show.”

http://www.agcwebpages.com/BLINDITEMS/2020/FEB.html

322. ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER 02/26 **10**
This back in the day A list tweener is now an A-/B+ list actress who was looking forward to reliving her glory days in a reboot. The thing is though, once people started working with her again, they realized why they hated working with her before and now, things were worse. So, things are probably not going to work out and there won't be a reboot. Hilary Duff/"Lizzie McGuire" (‘Lizzie McGuire’: How the Disney Plus Revival Ground to a Halt (EXCLUSIVE))

Disney+ keeping 30-something Lizzie McGuire family-friendly is like putting her in a nostalgia prison

"What is necessarily wholesome about being a 30-year-old woman living in New York City, as the plot line to the Lizzie McGuire revival mentioned?" Kristen Lopez says of the controversy over Disney+ firing creator Terri Minsky because the revival series was too adult. "An updated Lizzie is a chance for Disney to maintain some honesty in a beloved character, one who could still resonate with the aged-up audience interested in the show. Television has presented that era of womanhood as a time filled with high fashion and endless romance (a la Sex in the City). These shows were also unrealistic, but they at least emphasized that being an adult woman meant having a job, contemplating children, and, yes, being a sexual figure. (Hilary) Duff’s Lizzie McGuire doesn’t have to jump from guy to guy every episode (or from woman to woman for that matter). In fact, there could be just as much exploration about Lizzie’s desire to be alone and her own woman and how that doesn’t jibe with how movies and television have dictated where a woman Lizzie’s age should be in her relationships. But to ignore these issues is to contain women, once again, in a safe Tupperware version of femininity. In this situation, nostalgia becomes a prison by which to hold women to outdated standards of who they should be, not who they are. Or, more likely, who they never were."

Hilary Duff formally asks Disney to move Lizzie McGuire's revival to Hulu: "It would be a dream"

After hinting about her frustrations with the Lizzie McGuire revival earlier this week, Duff posted a statement Friday evening formally asking that the Disney+ revival move to Hulu, where it would be free to explore more mature themes. “Was incredibly excited to launch Lizzie on (Disney+) and my passion remains!” Duff said in a statement posted to Instagram. “However, I feel a huge responsibility to honor the fans’ relationship with Lizzie who, like me, grew up seeing themselves in her. 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. It’s important to me that just as her experience as a preteen/teenager navigating life were authentic, her next chapters are equally as real and relatable. It would be a dream if Disney would let us move the show to Hulu, if they were interested, and I could bring this beloved character to life again.”

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Hilary Duff is Hopeful the Lizzie McGuire Reboot Will Happen

Lizzie McGuire is the first "cool" show I remember watching as a kid. I didn't have an older sister to teach me about fashion or relationships or bras (you know exactly which episode I'm talking about). That's why Lizzie, and by extension Hilary Duff, became an icon to me and so many girls. I looked up to Lizzie as an example of what it means to be a good friend, daughter, sister, and overall person.

Fast forward nearly 20 years later, and I got the chance to chat with Duff as part of her partnership with beverage brand Creative Roots. No, I didn't tell her about my "What Dreams Are Made Of" moment at my bachelorette party or the Isabella costume I almost ordered for Halloween in college. Instead, I asked the question that's on every early '00s kid's mind right now: what's going on with the Disney+ reboot?

Duff is more connected to Lizzie than anyone, and for that reason, she continues to fight for her character after Disney decided to halt production. "I feel like it's our responsibility to honor the fanbase that grew up with her and where they are now," she told POPSUGAR, echoing previous comments she made about giving Lizzie a storyline that's true to a 30-year-old's real life. Although she asked Disney to release the series to another network like Hulu back in February, it sounds like there might still be hope for their partnership.

"Disney has certain things that have to be met for their brand, and I totally understand that, and they totally understand my needs," she explained. "So we're in a really good place of being like, 'Hey, we pressed pause, and we're regrouping.' 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."

Duff said Disney is still "really excited" about the reboot and "dedicated to making it work," but everything remains on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. For now, she's enjoying time at home with her kids — Luca, 8, and Banks, 1. They haven't really shown interest in her Disney roots since she watched The Lizzie McGuire Movie with them last year, but hey, there's always next year?

When Duff isn't chasing her kids around — or learning guitar or tie-dying — she's reconnecting with old castmates. She keeps in touch the most with Jake Thomas, who played her brother Matt, and Holly Hobble, who played her mom, but the real highlight was seeing everyone during their "really fun" Zoom table read in May.

"All of us were just giggling, couldn't stop laughing," she recalled. "And obviously there's the play of a Zoom call so we're all stepping on each other's toes."

"I think all of us feel really appreciative to be a part of something that was so impactful to others," she continued. "And there's a love there that will never go away. So hopefully, we'll get to all experience whatever that new version looks like."

[Sherrie Anson]

well...she has point. Excited about this...

[TMC]

Hilary Duff announces Disney+'s Lizzie McGuire revival is dead

Duff revealed on Instagram today that her Disney Channel sitcom revival, which has been in limbo since creator Terri Minsky departed in January over creative differences, is no longer happening. “I’ve been so honored to have the character of Lizzie in my life,” Duff wrote in an emotional post. “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 everything 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 2020’s made of.” First announced in August 2019, the Lizzie McGuire revival filmed two episodes before Minsky was ousted because the show's adult themes didn't fit with the Disney+ brand. Duff, meanwhile, unsuccessfully lobbied to move it to the much more adult Hulu.

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Hilary Duff admits she's considered leaking the Lizzie McGuire reboot's scrapped episodes, "but I wouldn't"

Duff filmed two episodes of the Lizzie McGuire reboot before Disney+ shut down production and fired creator Terri Minsky over creative differences, mainly over its adult direction. Asked by Cosmopolitan if she considered leaking the episodes, Duff says: "I like the way you think. I would be lying if I didn't say I didn't have those thoughts a few times. But I wouldn't, because in my 34 years I've realized that everything does happen for a reason. There's a time and a place for everything. It just wasn't her moment. I'm constantly asked about it still. All it does is breathe life into the fact that people still want it, and that's really sweet. It's not dead, and it's not alive." Duff did offer some details about the reboot, saying: "My character was moving back home with her parents because she caught her soon-to-be fiancé cheating on her, and she was falling flat on her face at the moment and being like, 'I need to pivot because everything that I thought was wasn't, and I'm turning 30. What the f***?'"

HIMYF Proves The Lizzie McGuire Revival Was A Missed Opportunity

The Hilary Duff-led How I Met Your Father has shown that Disney missed an opportunity with the Lizzie McGuire revival series on its platforms.