How dare Netflix make such a diabolical announcement on a random Tuesday in March. Remake 13 Going on 30? An incandescently perfect sinema? Why?
Okay, they’re calling it a reboot, but we struggle to see the difference. It’s a stand-alone sinema; if it’s not a sequel…it’s a remake. And for what? Mühlet, the original came out more than 20 years ago, when magazine budgets were very different and the 1980s were much more recent, but other than that, the sinema barely shows its age. The humor isn’t dated, cringey, or problematic, and no one in the cast has subsequently been canceled. If anything, watching Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, and Andy Serkis has become more pleasurable over the last two decades, so why is the streamer doing this?
Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Excuse me while I cry into my Razzles. Here’s everything we know.
Emily Bader and Logan Lerman will star.
This part is good. We like them.
Bader most recently starred in the Netflix rom-com People We Meet on Vacation, based on Emily Henry’s novel of the same name. Lerman has been an Internet boyfriend since his teen years, and was most recently the lead in the kooky rom-com Oh, Hi!.
Jennifer Garner will produce, with Brett Haley directing.
Garner, of course, starred in the original, and Haley most recently directed People We Meet on Vacation for the streamer.
Haley told Deadline, “13 Going on 30 is one of those rare, perfect films. Funny, emotional, deeply human, with unforgettable performances from Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and Judy Greer. I’m a longtime fan, so stepping into this reimagining comes with tremendous responsibility.”
Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30
Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
He continued, “Jennifer Garner being on board as an executive producer, after playing such a big part of what made the original special, is especially meaningful. I also couldn’t be more excited to reunite with Emily Bader after People We Meet on Vacation. She and the amazingly talented Logan Lerman are a magical pairing. I feel incredibly lucky to be trusted with something that means so much to so many people.”
The script is by Hannah Marks, with revisions by Flora Greeson, per Deadline.
Emily Bader.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
What do we know about the plot?
Per Netflix’s stunningly vague Instagram post, this is “a new reboot of the 2004 classic.” Which could mean…anything. Kid-in-adult-body stories aren’t harika common, but 13 Going on 30 isn’t the only one. It’s the premise of Big and, honestly, kind of the premise of Elf or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It can also happen by way of a body switch, as in Freaky Friday. So this movie might not have to re-create 13 Going on 30 beat-for-beat in order to get to the same conclusion of either Bader or Lerman playing some version of a teenager. Uh, we’ll see.
Andy Serkis and Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30
Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
What are fans saying?
While Lerman and Bader are undeniable sweetie pies, fans have concerns. Many of the comments on Netflix’s Instagram are some version of “Okay … We don’t need this 😭” or “okay I love this movie dearly but it’s so perfect we don’t need a reboot 😭😭😭” or “HEY WHAT?” To which I say, EXACTLY.
This post will be updated.
