We have been robbed of what could have been the best TV show ever. We all loved the Lizzie McGuire show when we were younger (and now occasionally when we're hungover or sick in bed...), and it turns out that we were so close to the revival we yearned for!
A writer from the canceled Lizzie McGuire revival serious took to TikTok to share some details from the show, which had apparently already filmed two episodes before it was canceled?!
The original Lizzie McGuire ran from 2001 to 2004, and The Lizzie McGuire Movie came out in 2003, and took place in Rome, Italy. Both of them starred Hilary Duff as our iconic blonde.
Then in 2019, it was announced... a revival series was in the works!
Original cast members Adam Lamberg, Hallie Todd, Robert Carradine, and Jake Thomas were all confirmed to be returning, as well as the show's creator, Terri Minksy.
But in January 2020, after two episodes were filmed, Terri stepped away from her role as showrunner due to creative differences and the overall vision for Lizzie. Filming was put on hold (sob).
Duff then urged Disney+ to move the series to Hulu so that it could approach more mature storylines.
In a statement on her Instagram account, she wrote, "Was incredibly excited to launch Lizzie on D+ and my passion remains! 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 limited 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 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."
Then, in March 2020, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the new script had cheating and intimacy as central plot points, which Disney+ was not happy with.
Production remained paused until December 2020, when Duff confirmed the revival series was canceled, and hearts broke across the world.
Again, she took to Instagram to personally share the news with her fans and wrote, "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 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 Lizzle 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 no, this is what 2020s made of.”
And that was that... until now!
Now, one of the writers of the canceled show, Jonathan Hurwitz, has taken to TikTok to reveal details about the show's storyline.
He revealed that Lizzie would've been working in New York City as an interior designer, which makes sense given how fun and colorful her bedroom always was. She was dating a hot chef, who is then revealed to have been cheating on her with her best friend (please tell me it's not Miranda!).
Lizzie then returns home to California, and this part is actually filmed in the original house. Cartoon Lizzie has been waiting there for her, which is too cute.
She meets up with Gordo and discovers he is engaged, and his fiancée is pregnant. Supposedly, this means they weren't meant to be endgame, but I feel like some reveals were on the way...
Then, she receives a message from Ethan and goes to meet him. The next episode starts with her waking up in Ethan's bed in one of his t-shirts (I'm screaming!). She pulls out a 'To Do' list and ticks off Ethan's name twice—cheeky girl!
Hurwitz believes that the last part was the nail in the show's coffin.
But this sounds incredible! Please can Netflix or HBO take it over? I need to know what happens next!
Duff is expecting baby number four, so it might be a while until she's ready to film, but I have a feeling this isn't the last we've heard of Lizzie McGuire.
