Comedy series How I Met Your Mother ran for nine seasons, from 2005 until 2014. Now, seven years after the finale was broadcast, the premise is to be flipped, with Hilary Duff taking on the lead role in How I Met Your Father.
The 10-episode series was first announced in April, with Duff as Sophie in a romcom series set in future New York, recalling what it was like to date in 2021.
Original series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are attached to the Hulu project and the pilot is to be directed by Pam Fryman, who directed 196 of the 208 How I Met Your Mother episodes. Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger (This Is Us and Love, Simon) are showrunners.
“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 told Variety. "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. Just fangirling over here getting to join the Hulu Originals and 20th families. I realise these are big shoes to fill and I’m excited to slip my 6 ½’s in there.”
The original series stars Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby, Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky, Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen, Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson and Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin.
The full 'How I Met Your Father' cast
Yesterday, the extended How I Met Your Father cast was announced, clearing up who would make up Sophie's friendship group.
Tom Ainsley will star as Charlie, Chris Lowell as Jesse, Suraj Sharma as Sid, Francia Raisa as Valentina and Tien Tran as Ellen. Like Duff, all five are slated to appear in the full series run of 10 episodes.
Valentina (Raisa, known for her role in Grown-ish) will play Sophie's "impulsive and adventurous" roommate, according to Deadline, a stylist who the protagonist "relies on to cheer her up when she gets down." She will introduce the group to her new British model boyfriend Charlie (Ainsley, who stars in 2015 series The Royals) when she returns from London Fashion Week.
"I am on cloud nine," Raisa wrote of landing the role of Valentina on Instagram. "In tears and beyond excited to be working alongside this amazing talented cast. Let’s make this show legen-wait for it … dary!"
Lowell, known for roles in Promising Young Woman, Veronica Mars and Private Practice, will play aspiring musician and current Uber driver, Jesse.
Sharma (Homeland and Life of Pi) will take on the role of Jesse's best friend and roommate, Sid, who runs a bar – which will presumably serve as the replacement for MacLaren's Pub, where the How I Met Your Mother gang used to hangout.
Tran (Space Force, Easy) is to play Ellen, the adopted sister of Jesse, who returns to New York City after the breakdown of her relationship with her wife.
