The 13 Going On 30 Reboot Has Found Its Cast

Early 2000s nostalgia continues its uncontested reign over the entertainment industry, keeping us solidly in the era of the reboot.

Netflix is officially reviving the romantic comedy 13 Going on 30 for a sequel film.

It joins a host of rebooted early 2000s films arriving 20 years after their premieres, like Freaky Friday 2, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Elle, and the upcoming The Princess Diaries 3.

Hollywood may be stuck in a loop of pressing rewind then repeat — but as a millennial myself, I’m not entirely complaining.

Production for the Netflix film officially kicked off in LA for last month, but the plot of the sequel is being kept tightly under wraps.

While the original film is carried by a relatively lean cast — Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer and Andy Serkis are iconic in their roles — the sequel is absolutely packing in the talent.

Emily Bader (People We Meet on Vacation, My Lady Jane) and Logan Lerman (Hunters, Only Murders in the Building) have nabbed the currently unnamed leads.

I’m absolutely thrilled to see Bader cast in another romcom.

People We Meet on Vacation may have had a few flaws as an adaptation, but she made it easy to look past them with her effortlessly charming performance.

And after My Lady Jane’s tragic cancellation, I’ll take her on my screen as often as I can.

While we’re on the subject of Emily Henry adaptations, hopefully Logan Lerman’s casting soothes those still upset that their favorite Beach Read fan cast won’t be filling the role of Gus.

Bader and Lerman may be headlining, but they’re joined by a robust cast.

That includes Jessica Alba, Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Taylor Ortega (Ghosts), Tim Meadows (Mean Girls), and Dan Bucatinsky (The Comeback).

Netflix has also assembled quite a buzzy list of actors to round out its supporting cast, including Taylor Zakhar Perez (Red White & Royal Blue), Owen Thiele (Adults), Naim Pedrad (Aladdin), Supriya Ganesh (The Pitt) and Myra Molloy (Girls Like Girls).

I’m especially excited to see more Supriya Ganesh on my screen after her departure from The Pitt as Dr. Samira Mohan was announced.

Word is, though details are scarce, that the film’s original stars Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer are also set to return.

Romcom veteran Brett Haley, director of People We Meet on Vacation, is set to direct a script written by Hannah Marks (Mark, Mary & Some Other People), with revisions by Flora Greeson (The Princess Diaries 3).

With all reboots and revivals, I’m caught in a battle between the knowledge that it will be a large uphill battle to capture the magic of the original, but simultaneously excited to get to spend time with the characters and in the worlds of the stories that defined my generation.

The cultural touchstone that is 13 Going on 30 happened to be the first PG-13 movie I ever watched.

Appropriate, no?

But with my love for all things early 2000s (except the low-rise jeans, I haven’t gotten around to missing those yet), excitement wins out.

I understand the impetus to try to reignite the spark of the early 2000s romcom.

As millennials age, there’s an increasing desire to tap into their nostalgia, while also making these stories accessible to the new generations that have fallen in love with the early 2000s canon via streaming.

And while I’m grateful there has been a recent uptick in quality romantic comedies after a lengthy, decade-long drought, the new era of films has yet to fully recapture the magic of the golden age.

Let’s hope that the 13 Going On 30 sequel brings another iconic dance scene and enough nods to the original.

My fingers are crossed that this absolutely stacked cast can also help set it apart as something new, fresh, and able to stand on its own.

So romcom fanatics, what do you think about this reboot?

Are you excited for the cast?

We want to hear all your thoughts in the comments!