The Lizzie McGuire Movie almost got a sequel, but salary negotiations halted it
Few Disney Channel shows in the early 2000s were more popular than Lizzie McGuire. The series debuted in 2001 and introduced the world to young actress Hilary Duff. Duff became a teen icon and a merchandising empire was formed – and eventually a big movie based on the series hit theaters in 2003. The Lizzie McGuire Movie became one of the most popular films of the year and many fans clamored for a sequel. However, the long-awaited second film never came. Those in Duff’s inner circle once spoke about why the sequel film project was abandoned.
“The Lizzie McGuire Movie” was a fan favorite
The Lizzie McGuire Movie was released in 2003. He continued the story told in the series and served as a conclusion to the characters that young viewers loved so much. The Lizzie McGuire Movie starred the same actors from the series, including Duff as Lizzie, Adam Lamberg as Gordo, Jake Thomas as Lizzie’s brother Matt, and Hallie Todd as Lizzie’s mother.
The film follows Lizzie as she prepares to graduate from junior high school. During her graduation trip to Rome, Lizzie meets a handsome Italian pop star named Paolo, who mistakes Lizzie for his singing partner Isabella. Lizzie becomes trapped in a world of excitement and intrigue. But she has to fight hard to stay true to herself and her beliefs.
As the final of Lizzie McGuire series, the film neatly closed Lizzie’s story and offered viewers a chance to say goodbye to the beloved character. Of course, it wasn’t long before fans were clamoring for a sequel.
What happened to end production on a second ‘Lizzie McGuire’ movie?
At one point, Duff was open to starting work on a sequel The Lizzie McGuire Movie. The production didn’t get a chance to move forward, however, and Duff left the franchise to explore other avenues. In June 2003, Duff’s mother, Susan Duff, told Entertainment Weekly that salary negotiations were stalling the sequel.
“Disney thought they could force us to accept any offer they wanted to make, but they couldn’t,” Duff said. “We walked away from a sequel. They left a franchise.” Susan Duff, who has overseen her daughter’s career from the start, had strong words for Disney. “We didn’t feel the love. They didn’t give Hilary the respect she deserved,” Duff said.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Disney had promised to give Duff a $500,000 bonus if The Lizzie McGuire Movie reached $50 million in box office — in addition to a $4 million total bid for the sequel, versus 4 percent of the studio’s gross for the film. However, when Susan Duff demanded immediate payment of the bonus, Disney withdrew the film deal, effectively ending negotiations for a sequel.
The Disney+ reboot of Lizzie McGuire has been cancelled
Hilary Duff then experienced many successes in her career Lizzie McGuire. She released albums and continued to work as an actress. However, she never lost her love for the character Lizzie. So when the opportunity arose to reprise her role in a Disney+ reboot, the actress jumped at it. In August 2019, Duff announced her plans to star in a brand new series for the Disney+ streaming platform. Plenty of former co-stars were to follow.
Unfortunately, fans were disappointed when the 2020 reboot was officially canceled. Original showrunner Terri Minsky was fired after only two episodes were shot. Minsky and the Disney producers could not agree on the general direction the series should take. Duff took to social media to issue a statement after the series was cancelled.
“I know there has been effort and talks everywhere to make a reboot work, but unfortunately and despite all efforts it will not happen,” she wrote on Instagram. “I want every Lizzie reboot to be honest and authentic to who Lizzie would be today.” Thankfully, fans still have the original series and The Lizzie McGuire Movie to look at again and again.
TIED TOGETHER: “Lizzie McGuire”: How the other McGuire actors reacted to the cancellation of the revival series
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-lizzie-mcguire-movie-nearly-had-a-sequel-but-salary-negotiations-stopped-it.html/ The Lizzie McGuire Movie almost got a sequel, but salary negotiations halted it
