Cancelled 'Lizzie McGuire' Reboot Plot Details Revealed
The Big Picture
- The Lizzie McGuire reboot, which would have featured a more mature version of the character, was ultimately cancelled despite the efforts of the cast and crew.
- The planned storyline for the second episode of the reboot revealed that Lizzie's childhood best friend and love interest, Gordo, had moved on with his life and was engaged with a baby on the way.
- Disney deemed the content inappropriate for their streaming platform, leading to the cancellation of the show and disappointing fans who appreciated Lizzie McGuire's ability to address real-life issues.
Over three years since Disney made the heartbreaking — and highly contentious — decision to ditch their plans for a more adult-oriented Lizzie McGuire reboot, details are now beginning to emerge, courtesy of the show's writer Jonathan Hurwitz, who's taken to TikTok to spill some details on the reboot's aborted course. Hilary Duff's breakthrough role made her into a teen idol, with the star delighted at the chance to reprise her iconic part in a more mature and, in fact, extremely rare evolution of a character that, lamentably, went unfulfilled.
“Sadly [and] despite everyone’s best efforts, it isn’t going to happen,” Duff said in December 2020. “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.”
Hurwitz revealed that the plan for the second episode of the reboot would see Lizzie reunited with her middle school best friend — and eventual romantic interest, with the pair finally hooking up at the end of The Lizzie McGuire Movie — Gordo (Adam Lamberg), but it wouldn't go down the way fans expected. You see, the pair wouldn't be together. More realistically, they'd have kept in touch, loosely, over the years but Gordo would have moved on with his life, revealing that he was engaged, quite happily, and about to become a new father. The episode would end with Lizzie texting her old crush, Ethan Craft (Clayton Snyder), which causes animated Lizzie to faint in shock. The next episode, which never made it to production, would've seen the pair waking up in bed together.
Why Didn't the 'Lizzie McGuire' Reboot Go Ahead?
The premise of the show revolved around Lizzie, now in her 30s, working as an interior designer in New York City and sharing her space with a gay roommate. The plot thickens when Lizzie finds out that her attractive chef boyfriend has been unfaithful to her with her best friend. This revelation sends a heartbroken Lizzie back to California, where her animated counterpart awaits her, just like the old days.
That episode was filmed, along with episode two, and it was at this point that Disney pulled the plug, deeming it inappropriate for their streaming platform. Duff and series creator Terri Minsky campaigned to have the show relocated to Hulu, but Disney cut ties, tragically. The decision made was unfortunate, given that, even as a show for kids, Lizzie McGuire discussed issues that may have otherwise gone ignored in a Disney world where boys and girls never grew up.
Although we'll never see what Lizzie became, you can see where she came from on Disney+ now.
Lizzie McGuire
Release Date January 12, 2001 Cast Hilary Duff , Lalaine , jake thomas , Hallie Todd , Robert Carradine Main Genre ComedyncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kuarG2aKcZqWTnMKqvsRmqZ6an6TBbrzLqKtmnJWprqq40mg%3D