Disney+ Revival Series LIZZIE MCGUIRE Script Has Leaked, Giving Context to the Streaming Service's Concerns About 'Adult Content'
In the last couple of weeks, we have learned that the Disney to Disney+ series revival of Lizzie McGuire had come to a halt after the original and revival series showrunner Terri Minsky was let go from the series in January. Disney didn’t give any context to the firing or the delay, but when the company moved the series Love, Victor, a spin-off of the feature film and book, Love, Simon, that follows a high schooler’s coming out journey, to the streamer Hulu, citing the series’ “adult content” that didn’t quite vibe with Disney values, Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff spoke up about her own series, and said the situation sounded familiar.
Disney has moved Love, Victor, as well as the series version of the film High Fidelity to Hulu after deciding that each were not family friendly enough. Minsky and Duff made public pleas to the house of mouse asking for a move as well, but Disney+ insists the series is staying put and getting a rework. But that’s exactly what the ladies don’t want to have happen. Duff said recently that she worries limiting the series will mean “limiting the realities of a 30 year old’s [sic] journey to live under the ceiling of a PG rating.”
The Hollywood Reporter was able to read the script for the first episode of the series as it was originally written, and they cite the story includes “the existence of sex with cheating as a central plot point.”
What I think Disney is failing to understand is that the fans of the original series will be the primary target audience on this series, and as they’ve grown up alongside McGuire, they would now be able to handle adult themes, and probably welcome them. I think there’s a unique opportunity here to tell a real evolution of a character from childhood to adulthood, but Disney wants to hold it back for some reason.
Hopefully they will allow the series to go elsewhere so it can flourish with its original creator. I think that would be best for everyone involved. What do you think?