Actress/singer Jamie Lynn Spears would only be interested in reviving her hit series Zoey 101 if she had the "freedom" to tackle "more mature" storylines onscreen.
The star has been in early talks to reprise the titular character from her popular Nickelodeon show, which ran for four seasons until 2008 - the same year Spears became a teenage mum.
Discussions about a reboot are still ongoing, but the now-29 year old admits the potential return of Zoey 101 could no longer be made to air on the same children's network, because both she and her fans are all adults - and viewers will expect more relevant content.
"Everything and anything is on the table, whether that's a movie or a series," she tells The Hollywood Reporter about a potential Zoey 101 comeback.
"In all of the discussions I've had with Nickelodeon - which are in baby stages, by the way - the main thing is figuring out the right home for the reboot. We couldn't do it justice by putting it back on Nickelodeon because our fanbase has grown into young adults like me, 29 years old or around the same age.
"We want to tell stories about where the characters are now. We want to connect with the fans and touch on topics that are impacting millennials, so it would have to be aged up and be more mature."
Spears' comments echo similar statements made by Hilary Duff about her planned Lizzie McGuire revival, which has stalled at the Disney+ streaming service due to creative differences over the direction of the lead character's storyline.
"Hilary and I literally grew up playing these characters," Spears explains. "I couldn't play Zoey today without some type of connection to who I am now. She grew up and so did I. You need that freedom to explore where the character would be. I'm sure Hilary had the same kind of thoughts that I have.
"When I saw those reports about the Lizzie McGuire reboot, that was validation for where my mind was at. We're definitely doing the right thing by taking our time and not taking the quick route."
Spears, who is now a married mother-of-two, imagines the grown-up Zoey working in the fashion field as "a boss of some type", while dealing with a "tangled love story" with her onscreen love interest, Chase, played by Sean Flynn.
"I really can't wait to get the ball rolling - once quarantine is over, of course," she adds of getting back to work after the coronavirus pandemic.
