What’s old is new again but in the case of the Lizzie McGuire reboot/sequel series, one old aspect won’t be moving forward with the new project. It has been announced that creator Terri Minsky is stepping down as showrunner because, you guessed it, “creative differences.”
Here is what a Disney spokesperson had to say about Minsky stepping down:
“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.”
Despite Minsky stepping down, her overall deal with Disney will continue and other projects will be developed under that pact. The new Lizzie McGuire series was to be the first project under that deal.
Minsky’s original Lizzie McGuire, starring Hilary Duff as 13-year-old Lizzie who is trying to fit in and be popular, was a runaway global hit that turned Duff into a teen idol and a triple-platinum-selling music artist. The sitcom, which aired for four seasons, quickly became Disney Channel’s highest-rated series. It spawned a successful feature, The Lizzie McGuire Movie starring Duff, which grossed $55 million at the global box office on a $17 million budget, and music releases.
The reboot/sequel series follows Lizzie, who is now a 30-year-old millennial, navigating life in New York City. Like the original series, it was to include the familiar animated version of a young Lizzie who offers up funny, revealing commentary on what 30-year-old Lizzie is really thinking. Hilary Duff shot two episodes before going off on her honeymoon with new husband Matthew Koma. There may be a slight delay in production to iron out what those creative differences were but it should still be on track to make its debut on Disney+ in the near future. Disney+ offered up a brief glimpse of the series in their What’s Coming in 2020 video which can be viewed below.
