Hilary Duff Shares Her Thoughts On Why Disney Canceled The 'Lizzy McGuire' Reboot

Hilary Duff is famous for her many roles as an actress, but her fans will never forget her for the classic Disney series "Lizzy McGuire." Duff played the role of McGuire herself for the three years the sitcom ran, and it thrust her right into the spotlight.

After many years, the iconic show was set for a reboot that excited many fans. Duff, series creator Terrie Minsky, and most of the iconic original cast had signed on for the revival series. 

However, after several production issues, the project was first put on hold and then eventually canceled. Now Duff has shared her thoughts on why Disney really canceled the show and stated that she thinks the studio got spooked. 

Read on to find out more.

"Lizzie McGuire" debuted on the Disney channel in 2001 and quickly became one of the most popular shows. The show followed the life and high school experiences of the titular character. It was different from other shows with its inclusion of an animated McGuire that would share tidbits of Lizzie’s thoughts and opinions of people and situations.

By the time it concluded in 2004, it had received several entertainment award nominations and gathered a cult following. The show also transformed Duff’s career, elevating her into a child star and making her a household name. Many fans and kids were devastated when the series ended and, for years after, clamored for a sequel or reboot. 

Finally, during Disney’s 2019 D23 Expo convention, the company announced a revival of the show, with Duff, Minsky, and most of the original cast confirmed to return. Social media erupted with happy fans and positive reactions until the cancellation announcement came in December 2020.

During a recent cover interview with Women’s Health Magazine, 34-year-old Duff spoke about the canceled revival and shared her thoughts and feelings on it. She suggested that one motivating factor was that Disney was wary about the show’s likelihood of having mature content. 

In this revival, McGuire would be a thirty-something-year-old woman with experiences much different from the teenage McGuire in the original series. Duff shared that she really wanted to portray McGuire realistically but not necessarily with mature scenes and situations. 

She said, “She had to be 30 years old doing 30-year-old things. 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.”

In January this year, Duff had an interview with Cosmopolitan, during which she shared some details of her and Minsky’s plans for how they would have depicted an older McGuire. She explained that McGuire would move back into her parents’ home after catching her fiance cheating and question and reevaluate her life.

This would then bring back memories of her life as a teenager, as captured by the original Lizzie McGuire show. Duff shared that she and Minsky planned to stay true to the reality of an older McGuire, which according to Duff, worried Disney.

Her statements suggested that the famous studio was quite protective over the character of McGuire and the image fans have of her. The two parties were not willing to compromise, which led to the cancellation of the whole thing. 

The revival of "Lizzie McGuire" was one of the most anticipated Disney projects for the near future, especially with the viral TikTok video original cast member Jake Thomas posted. The popularity of the video proved that the show is still fondly remembered by millions of people worldwide. 

It is unfortunate that the revival got canceled, especially if it is over the issues regarding McGuire’s grown image and the possibility of mature scenes. However, this is not the first example of how Disney has recently shied away from mature scenes. 

More examples include the violent fight scenes in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" that got edited to remove any bloodshed and extreme violence and the spinoff of "Love, Simon," titled "Love, Victor," being moved to the Hulu platform. This clearly shows how much Disney is wary about anything show or film that might taint the perception of its streaming service.