13 Going On 30 reboot accused of 'scraping bottom of the barrel' with 'tired' version of Jennifer Garner hit

13 Going on 30, the beloved rom-com starring Jennifer Garner, is officially being rebooted for Netflix.

Emily Bader and Logan Lerman have been cast as the main protagonists and Garner will be contributing to the project as an executive producer, according to Deadline.

The plot remains under lock and key for now, but Bader, 29, and Lerman, 34, will be playing love interests - a relationship that will likely resemble Jenna Rink (Garner) and Matty Flamhaff (Mark Ruffalo).

A Hollywood classic, 13 Going On 30 was released in 2004 and followed a tween girl whose wish of being 30-years-old comes true.

To her disappointment, while she was able to achieve her dreams, her future self lacked the moral compass Rink had hoped to have as an adult. 

News the beloved coming-of-age film would be undergoing the remake treatment elicited groans from various X users - with many exhausted by Hollywood's reboot craze. 

'why do we need a 13 going on 30 REBOOT???? im so tired of Hollywood's decision on banking nostalgia. ughhhhhhh,' one groaned. 

'Logan Lerman as [rom]-com lead? Netflix is scraping the bit of the barrel again,' one wrote.  

'Lord save us from the reboots,' another wrote. 'Not everything needs a reboot, we are TIRED,' another similarly posted. 

'Guaranteed it won't be good. Remakes are almost never better so why do these talentless hacks keep doing it?' one asked. 

'We yearn for original media,' one wrote.  

There was some support, however, with optimism over the lead stars and Garner's involvement.  

'Look under normal circumstanced I would say a reboot is entirely unnecessary. BUT Emily Bader and Logan Lerman are top tier casting so I'm ready (her dance in PWMOV is so Jenna coded),' one supporter said. 

'At least Jennifer Garner being involved gives it some credibility,' one wrote.

13 Going On 30, which was directed by Gary Winick, was centered on a 13-year-old girl who unexpectedly found herself in the body of her 30-year-old self.

In addition to the feature's three stars, the movie's cast included Andy Serkis, Lynn Collins and Jim Gaffigan.

The movie received generally positive reviews from critics, and it currently holds a score of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie was a bona fide hit thanks to Mark and Jennifer's chemistry on screen.

During a recent appearance on Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show podcast, Garner recalled the 'joyful energy' she felt making the film. 

'When we were doing 13 Going On 30 it was like such a lark,' she recalled. 'We didn't know if it'd be good or not. But we're all still so close. It's wild.

'If it was seminal for you to watch, it was incredibly important for me to make. Gosh, being out on the street with Judy running around in heels in a nightie…

'I haven't seen the movie in a long time. I'm scared to watch it again. I remember dancing around on the bed with those young girls. I really remember the playful energy, the joyful energy of making that movie.'

During a 2014 episode of Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live, Ruffalo was asked about the status of his friendship his 13 Going on 30 costar.

At that moment, the actor disclosed that he and Garner didn't maintain much contact after the movie was released in 2004.

'We had a great time together, and I think we would, but then Ben [Affleck] came on the scene and that was the end of that,' Ruffalo quipped.

In 2024 Garner supported Ruffalo at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony - even delivering a speech and recreating their film's Thriller dance routine. 

Bader's acting resume includes roles in Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, My Lady Jane, the Charmed reboot, and this year's movie People We Meet on Vacation.

Lerman starred in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, along with roles in Bullet Train, What Women Want, The Butterfly Effect, and The Patriot. 

His most recent starring role was in the 2025 rom-com Oh, Hi!.