Why Miranda Isn’t In The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Despite being integral to the original series, Miranda Sanchez (Lalaine) is conspicuously absent from The Lizzie McGuire Movie. As a series regular in both seasons of the Disney Channel show, Miranda is one of Lizzie McGuire’s (Hilary Duff) two best friends. Miranda, Lizzie, and David “Gordon” Gordo (Adam Lamberg) navigate the challenges of adolescence and the perils of middle school. Miranda is a likable Lizzie McGuire character who is a loyal and supportive friend to Lizzie. When Miranda makes poor choices, she always makes an effort to amend and learn from her mistakes.
When Lizzie McGuire ended after season 2, the story culminates with Lizzie and her fellow middle school graduates going on a class trip to Italy in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Gordo, Kate Saunders (Ashlie Brillault), Ethan Craft (Clayton Snyder), Lizzie’s brother, Matt McGuire (Jake Thomas), and her parents, Jo McGuire (Hallie Todd) and Sam McGuire (Robert Carradine), are among the familiar characters who return for the movie. This leaves Miranda as the most prominent character from the series who is not in the film.
Lalaine Left Lizzie McGuire To Pursue Other Opportunities
She Already Left During Lizzie McGuire Season 2
Before The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Lalaine had already exited the series as she pursued music career opportunities. Like Miranda, Lalaine was an aspiring musician, and she left during Lizzie McGuire season 2 to expand her music experience. Miranda’s absence in several Lizzie McGuire season 2 episodes is addressed with references to her being on vacation with her family. The order of the later season 2 episodes is rearranged to make Miranda’s absence less noticeable.
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Miranda’s extended vacation continues in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. During the middle school graduation, there is another reference to Miranda still being on vacation with her family. According to Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer (via People), beyond Lalaine wanting to further pursue her musical career, Duff and Lalaine had a falling out behind-the-scenes that contributed to the latter’s exit from Lizzie McGuire as well.
Miranda’s Absence Helps The Lizzie McGuire Movie Bring Closure To Two Key Relationships
The Movie Focuses More On Lizzie’s Relationships With Gordo And Kate
With Miranda absent, The Lizzie McGuire Movie focuses more on Lizzie’s relationships with Gordo and Kate. Early in the trip, Gordo and Lizzie enjoy spending time together, and after Lizzie meets Paolo Valisari (Yani Gellman), Gordo covers for Lizzie and helps her sneak away without being caught. Gordo even pretends that he has been the one sneaking out to protect Lizzie from getting thrown off the trip. By the end of the movie, Lizzie and Gordo are able to admit their feelings for each other and kiss on the lips, bringing a sense of closure to their slow-burn adolescent romance.
Miranda likely would have been Lizzie’s roommate and the one covering for her instead of Kate and Gordo.
As for Kate, she and Lizzie are assigned to be roommates, and the two characters are finally able to put aside their differences and find common ground. Kate helps Lizzie, begins to abandon the mean girl facade she used to torment Lizzie throughout the series, and starts embracing her more authentic self. While Miranda’s absence is keenly felt in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, it does help Lizzie find closure with Gordo and Kate. Miranda likely would have been Lizzie’s roommate and the one covering for her instead of Kate and Gordo.
Would Miranda Have Been In The Lizzie McGuire Revival?
There Was A Plan For Her
A Lizzie McGuire reboot was announced in 2019, with Lizzie, Gordo, Matt, and Lizzie’s parents all returning and played by their original actors. The revival was canceled in 2020, but several details about the story have since emerged. On TikTok, Jonathan Hurwitz, who was one of the revival’s writers, shared that “We didn’t want fans of the original to feel like we’d abandoned that Miranda-Lizzie relationship. So we were absolutely planning a storyline for her. We talked a lot about adult Miranda, and her being a musician was part of the discussion, so someone who’s on tour with a band.”
Hurwitz also revealed that Miranda “being queer was also part of the discussion, so you likely would have met the woman she was in a relationship with.” Seeing Miranda for the first time since Lizzie McGuire season 2 is among one of the many tantalizing possibilities that did not come to fruition due to Disney scrapping the revival. The Lizzie McGuire Movie provides closure for Lizzie’s relationships with Gordo and Kate, but the revival could have provided more closure for Lizzie and Miranda’s friendship.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie follows Lizzie McGuire, played by Hilary Duff, as she embarks on a class trip to Rome. There, she is mistaken for an international pop star and dives into an adventure filled with glamour and self-discovery. This film extends the narrative of the beloved Disney Channel series, showcasing Lizzie’s growth as she navigates new experiences and challenges.
- Release Date
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May 2, 2003
- Cast
-
Hilary Duff
, Adam Lamberg
, Hallie Todd
, Robert Carradine
, jake thomas
, Ashlie Brillault
, Clayton Snyder
, Alex Borstein
, Yani Gellman
, Brendan Kelly
, Carly Schroeder
, Daniel Escobar
, Jody Racicot
, Peter Kelamis
, Terra C. MacLeod
, Alessandro Cavalieri - Director
-
Jim Fall
- Writers
-
Susan Estelle Jansen
, Ed Dector
, John J. Strauss
, Terri Minsky
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