Last year, Disney+ excitingly announced that it would be home to the Lizzie McGuire revival. Fast forward to 2020, and the series’ fate has taken a turn. Hilary Duff wants the one-time Disney+-bound revival to move to Disney’s more adult platform, Hulu, and she has her reasons. Duff explained them on Instagram, writing:
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 experiences 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.
Hilary Duff’s explanation seems to back up what has been reported about the alarmingly stalled Lizzie McGuire revival. In her message, Duff made it clear where she stands on portraying the now 30-year-old Lizzie. Instead of keeping it “PG,” Duff wants to portray the reality of Lizzie being 30 without having to censor it. To do that accurately, Duff is promoting a move to Hulu.
Earlier this week, Hulu became the new destination for the Love, Simon TV show, Love, Victor. Hilary Duff alluded to that also initially Disney+-bound series heading to Hulu in a story on her Instagram with the comment “sounds familiar.” Now, she is making the connection crystal clear: Duff wants the Lizzie McGuire revival to be on Hulu too.
Hilary Duff’s message to fans seems to confirm an earlier report surrounding the Lizzie McGuire revival. Variety reported that Terri Minsky and Hilary Duff wanted to make an adult version of the show, which ran contrary to Disney+’s current desire for a more family-friendly one. Minsky, who created the original series, exited as the revival's showrunner in January. Production has been on hiatus ever since.
Will Disney+ concede and put the Lizzie McGuire revival on Hulu? Or will it be okay with launching a more adult version of the revival on Disney+? My solution still remains. Make a version for adults and families, so everyone can enjoy it! Unless the plan is to go all-in on an adult take that cannot be tweaked to double for families too.
I just do not see why this has to be an either-or situation. Fans have been eagerly hoping for a revival for basically sixteen years. The original Lizzie McGuire went off the air in 2004. Last year, fans' wishes seemed to be realized with the news of the Disney+ revival and Hilary Duff sharing a first look at her comeback in her breakthrough role.
The Lizzie McGuire revival was slated to arrive on Disney+ in 2020. Can it still make that release window if it ends up staying on Disney+ or heading to Hulu? Stay tuned. As a fellow thirty-year-old, I get wanting the revival to mirror where Lizzie would be in real life. I also think there could be a compromise that appeases both parties. Here is Duff’s full Instagram post:
Should the Lizzie McGuire revival be the adult show that Hilary Duff is championing with all that entails? Or should it be family-friendly like the popular original was? In yet another possibility, should two versions be made that can easily be edited to please both audiences? Cast your vote in the poll below!
While you wait for an update on the Lizzie McGuire revival, the streaming platform has a lot of shows set to hit this winter and spring.
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