A How I Met Your Mother spinoff is heading to Hulu, and Hilary Duff is set to star as the counterpart to the original series' Ted Mosby, gender-swapping the sequel under the title How I Met Your Father.
Duff will play Sophie, who will recount the story of how she met her son's dad. Set in 2021, the new show will find Duff's character and her wacky pals "in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options," according to Variety.
This Is Us showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger will helm the series, which will be executive produced by the original series' creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.
"I've been incredibly lucky in my career to play some wonderful characters and I'm looking forward to taking on the role of Sophie," Duff said of her new role in a statement.
She continued: "As a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother, I'm honoured and even a little nervous that Carter and Craig would trust me with the sequel of their baby. Isaac and Elizabeth are brilliant, and I can't wait to work alongside them and all of their genius. I realize these are big shoes to fill and I'm excited to slip my 6 ½'s in there!"
HIMYM ran from 2005 to 2014 and starred Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders. Toward the end of the original series, Bays and Thomas pitched the Father spinoff — then led by Greta Gerwig — to CBS, but it didn't pan out.
Bays and Thomas have shared their blessings for the forthcoming series:
Kids, I'm going to tell you an incredible story: It's the story of how two writers got lucky enough to make their dream TV show for nine seasons and now get to pass the torch to an inspired new creative team with their own incredible story to tell, the story of How I Met Your Father. We are honoured by their passion and vision, and look forward to helping them tell a legendary new story. Thanks to all the HIMYM fans out there who waited for it.
Duff also shared her own praise for Berger and Aptaker's new project in a recent Instagram post, seen below.
Duff will play Sophie, who will recount the story of how she met her son's dad. Set in 2021, the new show will find Duff's character and her wacky pals "in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options," according to Variety.
This Is Us showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger will helm the series, which will be executive produced by the original series' creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.
"I've been incredibly lucky in my career to play some wonderful characters and I'm looking forward to taking on the role of Sophie," Duff said of her new role in a statement.
She continued: "As a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother, I'm honoured and even a little nervous that Carter and Craig would trust me with the sequel of their baby. Isaac and Elizabeth are brilliant, and I can't wait to work alongside them and all of their genius. I realize these are big shoes to fill and I'm excited to slip my 6 ½'s in there!"
HIMYM ran from 2005 to 2014 and starred Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders. Toward the end of the original series, Bays and Thomas pitched the Father spinoff — then led by Greta Gerwig — to CBS, but it didn't pan out.
Bays and Thomas have shared their blessings for the forthcoming series:
Kids, I'm going to tell you an incredible story: It's the story of how two writers got lucky enough to make their dream TV show for nine seasons and now get to pass the torch to an inspired new creative team with their own incredible story to tell, the story of How I Met Your Father. We are honoured by their passion and vision, and look forward to helping them tell a legendary new story. Thanks to all the HIMYM fans out there who waited for it.
Duff also shared her own praise for Berger and Aptaker's new project in a recent Instagram post, seen below.