A “How I Met Your Mother” sequel series titled “How I Met Your Father” has been ordered at Hulu with Hilary Duff attached to star.
In the near future, Sophie (Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the year 2021 where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are 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 an individual with knowledge of the project, it remains unclear how/if the new show will tie into the original.
The new series hails from “This Is Us” co-showrunners and “Love, Victor” co-creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who serve as writers and executive producers on the news series. “How I Met Your Mother” creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are also onboard as executive producers. Duff will produce in addition to starring, with Adam Londy serving as co-executive producer. 20th Television will produce the new series as it did with the original. Aptaker and Berger are currently under an overall deal at the studio.
“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,” said Duff. “As a huge fan of ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ I’m honored 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. Just fangirling over here getting to join the Hulu Originals and 20th families. I realize these are big shoes to fill and I’m excited to slip my 6 ½’s in there!”
“How I Met Your Mother” aired on CBS for nine seasons and over 200 episodes from 2005-2014. The series starred Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, and Alyson Hannigan. Bob Saget provided the voice of the narrator, an older version of Radnor’s character Ted Mosby.
“We are beyond excited to be bringing ‘How I Met Your Father’ to Hulu,” said Aptaker and Berger. “Carter and Craig’s iconic original series revolutionized the half-hour comedy, and we are so honored to be carrying the torch forward for the next generation – and with Hilary Duff no less! We can’t wait for audiences to meet Sophie and her crew, and watch them come into their own and find love in modern-day New York City. And we hope nobody thinks it’s weird that Bob Saget will be playing old Hilary Duff’s voice.”
This is not the first attempt to create a followup to “HIMYM.” CBS ordered a pilot for “How I Met Your Dad” 2013, which starred Greta Gerwig with Meg Ryan attached as the narrator. The project was ultimately not picked up to 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,’” Bays and Thomas said. “We are honored 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.)”
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety