Freaky Friday Secrets: Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan’s 2003 Blockbuster
Jordan Collins here and yes, I know you probably think you have a grip on Freaky Friday, but I guess I can simplify this for you. In 2003, the remake of Freaky Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan became a cultural phenomenon, grossing over $160 million worldwide and cementing its status as a family classic thanks to a magical fortune cookie twist. Now that a sequel is finally in the works, it is high time you brush up on the untold details behind the original film’s unexpected success and on set drama.
When casting began, producers reached out to Jodie Foster, the star of the 1976 adaptation, hoping she might step into the mother’s shoes once more. Foster politely declined, worried her appearance would be distracting, as reported by The Telegraph. Then Annette Bening was tapped for the role of Tess Coleman but dropped out a mere six days before cameras rolled. Suddenly, Jamie Lee Curtis, who had assumed her leading lady days were behind her, was offered the part. Curtis admitted to The Telegraph that she initially felt ready to bow out of Hollywood’s spotlight, describing her hair as grey, her schedule lighter, and her confidence shaky — until she met director Mark Waters.
Waters, fresh off casting Lindsay Lohan for Mean Girls, convinced Curtis that taking on the role meant reinventing her career. Curtis obliged, dyeing her hair back to brunette and even learning guitar chord progressions to bring authenticity to the storyline. That decision paid off: Freaky Friday became a runaway box office hit, spawning a devoted fan base that has been clamoring for a follow-up ever since.
On the younger front, Lindsay Lohan was coming off Disney Channel fame and a breakout turn in The Parent Trap. As she told IGN, she felt “thrown off” by instant stardom and even took time off to attend public high school. Yet the Freaky Friday script resonated with her natural teenage insecurities and comedic flair, so much so that she leaped at the opportunity despite her earlier hesitation to top The Parent Trap’s success.
Fast forward to May 2023, when E! News confirmed that both Curtis and Lohan are in talks to reprise their iconic mother-daughter duo for the aptly titled Freakier Friday sequel. The original director, Waters, is back behind the camera and the writing duties fall to Elyse Hollander. Returning faces include Chad Michael Murray, who played the love-stricken Jake, along with Mark Harmon as the stepfather Ryan and Christina Vidal Mitchell as Maddie. Haley Hudson and Stephen Tobolowsky are set to return as best friends Peg and Mr. Bates, while Lucille Soong and Rosalind Chao reprise roles as the restaurant owners linked to that fateful fortune cookie.
The film shoot wrapped last summer, and Curtis gave E! News a tantalizing update at the September 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, saying, “We just had a great shoot on Friday. You guys are going to be very happy.” Does that mean we will finally see those on-set sparks between Curtis and Lohan ignite again? Keep your eyes peeled, because sequel news could be arriving any minute.
Between initial casting curveballs, career-reviving transformations and behind-the-scenes romances, Freaky Friday’s original incarnation was full of surprises. Now that the sequel’s arrival is imminent, fans would do well to remember how a simple fortune cookie became Hollywood’s most delightful plot device. Hopefully this primer wasn’t too complicated. Stay tuned for more updates as the story unfolds.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, The Telegraph, IGN
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
