The star of the beloved Disney Channel series, who had been set to lead an upcoming reboot for Disney+, said on Wednesday that plans to bring back the show are suspended.
“I know the efforts and conversations have been everywhere trying to make a reboot work but, sadly & despite everyone’s best efforts, it isn’t going to happen,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
While a specific reason was not given, Duff said her hopes had been that any reboot of the series would be “honest and authentic to who Lizzie would be today.”
“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,” she said.
Back in February, Duff made a public plea for the series to be moved to Disney-owned Hulu from Disney+, hoping it would allow the show more creative freedom to portray an older version of the character.
“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,” she wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “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.”
“Lizzie McGuire” aired from 2001-2004 on The Disney Channel. A film based on the series was released in 2003.
“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,” Duff added on Wednesday. “To see the fans’ loyalty and love for her, to this day, means so much to me.”