The Lizzie McGuire reboot show was a dream come true until it was canceled. Writer Jonathan Hurwitz recently went viral on TikTok, fulfilling the fans’ fix with an insider POV on Lizzie’s adult life and the fates of the many characters. We got to speak with Jonathan about writing on the reboot with Hilary Duff, being a writer in Hollywood, and more.
“My intention was never to reveal secrets or come from a place of negativity or anger, I just genuinely loved working on the show and really just wanted to share about my experience.”
The original Lizzie McGuire show premiered on Disney Channel from 2001 to 2004, starring Hilary Duff. In the show, Lizzie navigated personal and social issues during her teenage years alongside her best friends Miranda and Gordo. Duff also voiced an animated version of Lizzie to express the character’s inner thoughts. Then in 2003, a feature film called The Lizzie McGuire Movie, was released.
In August of 2019, a revival series was announced with the original showrunner Terri Minsky, Hilary, and other cast members. The reboot would have followed Lizzie and her relationships and career in her 30s. Unfortunately, the revival was canceled by Disney+ in December 2020 after two episodes due to creative differences with Disney. In 2020, Whitt Laxson started a podcast called, Duff Enough. It celebrates the life and career of Hillary Duff and with each episode he focuses on the iconicness that she brought for all the hardcore fans.
Jonathan talked to us about working on a number of different projects for Disney, including writing the first queer storyline in the Andi Mack show. He also wrote for Shook starring Sofia Wylie and Spidey and his Amazing Friends.
To work on Lizzie McGuire was a dream for Jonathan. He said he was a massive fan of the original show when it first premiered when he was 11 years old. When he got the call from Terri to write for the show, Jonathan rewatched the entire series, taking notes on each episode, to bring new ideas into the writer’s room. Jonathan said Hilary had a lot of input on Lizzie’s character, often coming into the writer’s room to work.
On TikTok, Jonathan answered many questions about the show including what storylines were planned. One thing many fans wanted to know was about Miranda’s sexuality, and Jonathan revealed Miranda was queer in the reboot. In another video, Jonathan said that Lizzie would go by the more grown name of “Elizabeth”. If you want more of this insider scoop into the script and characters, follow Jonathan on TikTok.
“I think that TV should reflect what the world actually looks like. You can’t tell a story about a 30-year-old woman in the world without including queer characters, so it felt super important for me for that to be a part of the world.”
Thank you, Jonathan for FaceTiming with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow him on his Instagram at @jonathanhurwitz. Watch the rest of the interview to catch secrets about the reboot. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.
Consider this:
- Take risks in your career. If you are interested in trying something new in a job, don’t be afraid to share that openly with a boss, coworkers, or anyone else who can help you with new opportunities.
Related:
