How I Met Your Mother spin-off sequel headed to Hulu with Hilary Duff to star

Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel, Josh Radnor, and Cobie Smulders in How I Met Your Mother
(Image credit: 20th Television)

The long-running CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother has found its way back on the air, and no, we aren’t talking reruns. Hulu has greenlit a straight-to-series order for a spin-off starring Hilary Duff. 

Back in 2014, creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays with a pilot for CBS written by Emily Spivey failed to get picked up. The pilot starred Greta Gerwig and Drew Trevor. 

This new take on a HIMYM spin-off comes from creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who previously tried to get the project picked up but it was put on hold when they were both promoted to co-showrunners of NBC’s This Is Us. Another attempt was made in 2017 with writer Alison Bennet, but 20th Television did not move forward with it. Now, Hulu has stepped in to save the day.

According to Variety, Duff will star as Sophie, who tells her son the story of how she met his father – as Josh Radnor and Bob Saget’s Ted Mosby did in the original series. The story will take place in 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.

Hulu has given the spin-off a 10-episode order with Aptaker and Berger back as creators, writers, and executive producers. Duff will also produce the series, which will use a multi-and single-camera approach like the original series. 

There is currently no release date for the series but for now, you can check out our list of the best shows on Hulu

Stephanie is a comic book historian and pop culture critic for publications including SYFYFANGRRLS, Marvel, The A.V. Club, Nerdist, Den of Geek, and Rotten Tomatoes. Stephanie is also a comic creator with three ongoing webcomics, Parenthood Activate!, But What If Though?, and Living Heroes. She made her Marvel debut with a short story featuring Monica Rambeau in Marvel’s Voices: Legacy. She recently made her DC Comics debut in Wonder Woman Black and Gold #2 and is co-writing the Nubia and the Amazons miniseries.

Read more
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
More than 20 years later, Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to play Buffy the Vampire slayer in a revival series from Marvel director
Neil Patrick Harris in Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials
Dexter fans praise "insane" casting for new series' second season as Doctor Who's Neil Patrick Harris joins Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman and more
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Sarah Michelle Gellar is more open than ever before to a Buffy revival – and the director of one of this year's best horror movies has already staked their claim on it
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Sarah Michelle Gellar breaks silence on Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot: "We will only make this show if we can do it right"
Holes
A classic '00s movie is getting a gender-swapped TV reboot at Disney Plus
Natasha Rothwell in How to Die Alone
The White Lotus star says she is "baffled" after her Hulu comedy series gets canceled after one season because "the show is an undeniable critical, creative and award-winning success"
Latest in Comedy Shows
Ronald Gladden and James Marsden in Jury Duty
This Amazon hidden gem with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes audience score has been renewed for season 2 – and it's already been filmed in secret
Blue Mountain State
15 years on, Reacher star Alan Ritchson reveals that a sequel series to his cult sitcom is in the works
Twisted Metal
First trailer for Twisted Metal season 2 starring Anthony Mackie teases the wildest character from the video game yet
Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid
Cobra Kai showrunners explain why that fan-favorite Karate Kid franchise actor didn’t show up in the final season: "Our hope is that there’s more Karate Kid stories in the future"
Cobra Kai
Ralph Macchio explains how the emotional, nostalgic ending of Cobra Kai is a perfect send-off for the franchise: "It's a big, fat, warm embrace and in a world that isn't always warm and embracing"
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai showrunners talk that emotional finale, explain explosive ending for the Karate Kid franchise’s two biggest villains: "We thought that was the most dramatic way to go out"
Latest in News
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft guild cheats its way to winning Race for World First, gets caught, banned, then reverses its name and does it all over again
A AMD Ryzen 7 8700G being put into it's socket by a reviewer
AMD's new Ryzen 9 X3D processors launch today, here's the stock I've found so far
GTA 3 Mobile screenshot showing claude running away from police near a casino
The fan-made Dreamcast version of GTA 3 is looking way better in the latest look, introducing tech that "would’ve previously been a slideshow"
Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth studio asked Scarlett Johansson to join Instagram, but she refused: "The film will do fine"
Deltarune
Undertale creator Toby Fox's tomfoolery leaves Deltarune testers thinking an intentional nerf was actually a bug after they "independently" discovered it
Pokemon Go player trying to catch a Croagunk
Pokemon Go developer Niantic is being bought for $3.5 billion, CEO says it'll help its games be "'forever games' that will endure for future generations"