Are we still even getting a Lizzie McGuire reboot? If so it won’t be the one Hilary Duff wanted to give us!
In January we found out Disney+ had fired showrunner Terri Minsky after only two episodes had been filmed. And yes, we noticed that was just weeks after we learned the show would feature an openly gay character…
Disney said in a statement at the time:
“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 series.”
Reading between the lines? Seems like they’re saying the show wasn’t good enough. For showbiz speak that was remarkably unsubtle.
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But was it really the quality that was bothering the company? Or the LGBTQ content??
When word came out this week that LGBT-centric YA show Love, Victor would be moving from Disney+ to Hulu because it wasn’t “family-friendly” enough, Hilary reposted the news to her Instagram Story along with the eye-rolling comment:
“sounds familiar…”
After that apparent jab at the white-gloved hand that feeds, Variety could smell the bad blood in the water. The outlet reached out to everyone involved to get a better idea of what was really going on behind the scenes. Minsky told them:
“I am so proud of the two episodes we did. Hilary has a grasp of Lizzie McGuire at 30 that needs to be seen. It’s a wonderful thing to watch. I would love the show to exist, but ideally I would love it if it could be given that treatment of going to Hulu and doing the show that we were doing. That’s the part where I am completely in the dark. It’s important to me that this show was important to people. I felt like I wanted to do a show that was worthy of that kind of devotion.”
Going to Hulu with the brave version of the show sounds good to us!
Hilary wouldn’t comment, but insiders told Variety she and Minsky were 100% on the same page with what the reboot would entail — a more “adult” version of Lizzie, something they pitched and Disney originally accepted. But Disney later decided they wanted something more like the original show, not something for viewers of the original, who have all grown up just as the star has. According to sources the star is furious with the Mouse over axing her collaborator.
Yeah, we got that from the IG Story, LOLz…
But what exactly wasn’t “family-friendly” about the new show? According to sources, executives were on set and aware of the show’s content. Is it really they were squeamish about adult material, like Lizzie’s sex life?
Or was it actually the backlash they got from conservatives about the gay character? We all know “family-friendly” is often used in Hollywood as code for GAY-FREE CONTENT.
Disney obviously wasn’t about admit to kowtowing to homophobia but they did release a new, softer statement in an attempt to reassure fans they were looking for a new showrunner and NOT cancelling the show:
“We paused production on Lizzie McGuire a few weeks ago to allow time for some creative redevelopment. Our goal is to resume production and to tell an authentic story that connects to the millions who are emotionally invested in the character, and a new generation of viewers too.”
Will Hilary be down with that? Will fans??
Because we have to tell Disney+, while their star may be contractually obligated to appear even if the show is sanitized with GayAway, viewers are not obligated to watch it.
Are YOU still excited for the Lizzie reboot??
[Image via Disney/YouTube.]
The post <i>Lizzie McGuire</i> Creator Breaks Silence About Being Fired After Hilary Duff Throws Shade At Disney! appeared first on Perez Hilton.