It is official: 13 Going on 30 is officially getting rebooted. But before even talking about the new reboot, we must talk about the original and what made it special. The 2004 romcom movie that starred Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo was not just a cute early 2000s romcom. When the movie came out, it quickly became one of most popular, iconic, and defining romcoms of the early 2000s. It gave us iconic fashion, romance, and probably the most iconic scene in a romcom: the “Thriller” dance scene. But underneath all the fashion and Y2K aesthetics of the film, the story at its core is that growing up too fast, having success, and everything you can think of means nothing when you lose yourself in the process.
The film follows 13-year-old Jenna Rink, who on her birthday makes a wish to be “thirty, flirty, and thriving” after being humiliated at a middle school party she attended. She then wakes up as her 30-year-old self and sees how glamorous her life is: working for a fashion magazine, having an amazing social life, and an amazing apartment. Later, her fantasy comes crashing down, as she learns her adult self sacrificed her values, authenticity, her true self, as well as her childhood best friend Matt to get the life she dreamed of. The magic is not about her transforming into her 30-year-old self, but rather seeing and realizing who she becomes when she loses herself in the process of wanting to have the life she wishes.
The idea of the reboot happening feels rather … complicated, right? Here is everything you need to know about the reboot as it is officially happening.
Netflix will be releasing the film and has given the film the greenlight on the new version. It will star Emily Bader as Jenna Rink and Logan Lerman as Jenna’s bestie and love interest, Matt. Gardner is involved in the production as an executive producer, which honestly does give me some reassurance. Brett Haley is set to direct the project. With a script set to give a fresh take on the story for a new generation, I wanted to let you guys know this is not a TikTok newsroom rumor, it’s official.
On one hand, from the industry’s POV it makes sense, as Hollywood is currently in their era of nostalgia and wanting to give a fresh take to older films. The studios recognize that these movies have a fan base of Millennials who grew up with the original. So adding a fresh twist for Gen Z to relate to, especially with romcoms, is a good thing. It is a smart idea commercially, but it also does not mean it is creatively necessary, right?
If the reboot is going to work, they have to live up to the original idea and create a story around Jenna that can feel relatable now in 2026. Replicating the iconic moments from the original may make audiences feel it is a copy and not its own thing. Relating to wanting fame or being an influencer is a way I can see the film possibly going story-wise.
But here is the risk and it’s pretty big: there is going to be a lot of pressure and expectations for this film to live up to the original. If the film does not give audiences the same feeling they get from the original, or it is worse, then what is the point of making the reboot? I think creatively it will be interesting to see how the story goes, but if it lives up to the original, the world may never know-until its release.
As a film major, I do not think, should this film happen? is the right question to ask. Rather, we should all wonder what will make this reboot different from the original and how it will honor the iconic 13 Going on 30 in a modern spin. I know there is going to be a lot of comparison between the movies, and however the film does will answer the question if it should’ve happened. Even creatively, I think there could be more original ideas than creating this reboot. I am interested to see what “thirty, flirty, and thriving” will mean in today’s world in the new film.
Either way, one thing is true: if they touch the “Thriller” dance, they better start coming up with their own version of that dance. How about “Lush Life” by Zara Larson? That dance scene better hit.