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Walt Disney Pictures will bring Disney Channel's 'tween' sensation "Lizzie McGuire" to the silver screen with its 14-year-old, fast-rising star Hilary Duff in the movie's lead role, it was announced at today's meeting with the Television Critics Association by Rich Ross, General Manager & Executive Vice President, Programming and Production, Disney Channel.

The feature film, to be written by "Lizzie McGuire"' creator Terri Minsky and produced by Stan Rogow, who is also the executive producer of the television series along with Susan Jansen, is scheduled to commence production in summer 2002 for a spring 2003 release in movie theatres nationwide.

"In just one year's time, we've launched and evolved a popular TV series that will now be turned into a movie from Walt Disney Pictures, quite a coup for the ABC Cable Networks Group and a testament to the popularity of our tween appealing Disney Channel programming," commented Ross. He continued, "We're so pleased to be in business with such a remarkably talented young actress and creative behind-the-scenes talent who know how to portray what's relevant to kids, tweens and teens."

A ratings bonanza, Disney Channel's "Lizzie McGuire" premiered in January 2001 and joined ABC's One Saturday Morning line-up in September 2001. Notably, for November 2001 alone, a total of 24.9 million persons 2 and 16.3 million homes tuned in to "Lizzie McGuire" on either or both Disney Channel or ABC's One Saturday Morning. Also for November, 10.6 million kids (age 2-11), 7.8 million kids (age 6-11) and more than 7.7 million tweens (age 9-14) tuned in to "Lizzie McGuire" on either or both Disney Channel or ABC's One Saturday Morning. It is a top series on basic cable with both the fast growing tween demographic and kids (age 6-11). Among its milestones is an October airing that made Disney Channel history, finishing as the highest tween rated series telecast (8.8 rating/1.6 million) in the 18-year history of the network (Source: Disney Channel Research from Nielsen Media Research.)

The series serves up the comic foibles of 13-year-old Lizzie McGuire as she tries oh-so-hard to survive seventh grade with her dignity -- and maybe a little popularity -- intact.

Among the typical Lizzie predicaments are the struggle to exchange the unicorn-decorated sweater her mom made her wear to school; disgustedly realizing that rhythmic gymnastics may be the one thing she's better at than everyone else; coping with her mom's last minute decision to accompany an overnight class field trip; or taking heat for a rumor she accidentally started. Intermittently, an animated version of Lizzie pops up on-screen. She can't help but give a running commentary for real-life Lizzie's conversations, confrontations and crushes. Oh, if the real Lizzie could only be so sharp-tongued and savvy. Instead, she has to be the front girl to experience the highs and horrors of being 13.

Created by Terri Minsky (creator/writer of "The Geena Davis Show," consultant on "Sex and the City"), the series is executive-produced by Stan Rogow ("Shannon's Deal," "State of Grace") and Susan Jansen ("Boy Meets World"). "Lizzie McGuire" is from Stan Rogow Productions in association with Disney Channel. It airs on Disney Channel, under the popular ZoogDisney programming banner, Friday through Sunday (7:30-8:00 p.m., ET/PT) and weekends (1:30-2:00 p.m., ET/PT). As part of Disney's One Saturday Morning, it airs Saturdays (10:00-10:30 a.m., ET/PT) on the ABC Television Network.

SOURCE: Walt Disney Pictures