It’s true – The Lizzie McGuire Movie just turned 20 on May 2. Yes, that means it’s been a full two decades since the Disney Channel heroine flew to Rome, became a pop superstar, and released “What Dreams Are Made Of,” which has been stuck in our heads ever since.
While the plot may not be as iron-clad as it seemed in the early 2000s, it’s still just as fun to watch. From Hilary Duff’s truly iconic performance to the gorgeous Roman setting, not to mention that seriously groundbreaking soundtrack.
Since the Disney+ series revival (which was led by Duff) was canceled in 2020, it’s been quite some time since Lizzie and her friends have graced our screens (except for those classic reruns, of course). But thanks to the movie’s 20th anniversary, we’re certainly excited to relive all things Lizzie McGuire in this behind-the-scenes roundup.
Behind-The-Scenes Facts About "The Lizzie McGuire Movie"
It was the first Disney series to turn into a feature film.
That's right – Lizzie McGuire was the first Disney series to hit the box office, and the movie did incredibly well. While there have been plenty of other Disney Channel shows turned into movies (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Wizards of Waverly Place, etc.), TLMM became the first to be seen on the big screen, setting the stage for future works like Hannah Montana: The Movie. This huge risk paid off, and TLMM grossed more than $17 million on its opening weekend, only falling second to X2: X-Men United in sales. Since then, the film has made over $55.5 million, and to date is one of Hilary Duff’s most successful films.The soundtrack is even more popular than you think.
The movie was a clear hit, but the soundtrack is still as iconic as the day it came out and is certified platinum with over 2 million copies sold. (And remember, this is still the time when CDs were mainstream, so that’s a pretty big number). I mean, how can you not love hits like “What Dreams Are Made Of” and “Why Not?”
Turns out – there were real reasons behind missing characters.
If you recall anything about TLMM, you probably remember the notable absence of Lizzie staples Claire, Larry, and Lizzie’s BFF Miranda (played by Lalaine). While the film explains that Miranda is on vacation with her family in Mexico City, IRL the actress turned down the film offer in order to pursue her music career.
Hilary Duff actually didn’t sing for Isabella.
Okay, so it’s a pretty known fact that Hilary played Lizzie’s Italian look-alike Isabella in the film, but she actually didn’t sing for both of them. In fact, Hilary’s sister, Haylie, helped out with the singing for Isabella in “What Dreams Are Made Of.” Oh and fun fact, there is a third voice featured in “What Dreams Are Made Of,” too. That voice belongs to Angie Jaree, the singer of the Lizzie McGuire TV theme song. Talk about a Lizzie trifecta!
We were supposed to get a sequel.
Considering the movie’s success, it’s no shocker that Disney was interested in a TLMM 2.0. Unfortunately, though, the network and Duff couldn’t agree during contract negotiations, with both sides publicly expressing their frustration. In a 2003 Entertainment Weekly interview, Susan Duff (an OG mom-ager), accused Disney of trying to “bully” them into accepting a lowball offer, resulting in an end to their negotiations.
The show kept airing after the movie.
Now this is pretty well known amongst Lizzie fans, but the show actually continued to air post-movie despite the conflicting timeline. TLMM is supposed to end the series, with Lizzie and Gordo kissing and the teens heading off to high school. However, the show’s second season (which was filmed before the movie's production and still featured the eighth grade characters) continued airing until February 2004, eight months after the movie’s premiere.
And who knows, maybe that adult-Lizzie revival isn’t dead for good, and we’ll get even more Lizzie in our future. After all, “this is what dreams are made of!”
For all of our Lizzie McGuire fans, you can stream the movie anytime on Disney+.
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Header Image Courtesy of Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment
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