Jamie Lee Curtis‘s Freaky Friday Director on Her Legacy and His Hopes for the Sequel

With the recent box office success of the new Disney film Freakier Friday, fans are celebrating the reunion of beloved stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. While many original cast members returned for the sequel, one key figure was noticeably absent: director Mark Waters.

In a recent interview, Waters opened up about the film’s lasting legacy, working with its talented leads, and his feelings about not being invited back to the director’s chair for the sequel.

A Director’s Take on Freakier Friday

Mark Waters, who directed the 2003 original, candidly admitted he was not involved in the new film, despite hoping to be.

“I did raise my hand and say I’d love to be involved somehow, even in a kind of godfather aspect or executive producer. But I was not extended an invitation,” Waters said. He explained that he’s fully supportive of the new film and is currently focused on his own projects, including a new film about Milton S. Hershey.

Waters’s absence from the sequel is a surprising twist, considering how instrumental the first Freaky Friday was to his career. After the success of his 1997 indie debut, his sophomore film in 2001 “completely bombed,” leaving him what he called “in movie jail.” Directing Freaky Friday launched a new phase of his career, leading to other major hits like Mean Girls.

Celebrating a Legacy: The Impact of Freaky Friday and Jamie Lee Curtis

While the original film is often remembered for launching Lindsay Lohan’s teen career, Waters emphasized that its success was also a testament to the incredible performance of Jamie Lee Curtis.

“Looking back at Freaky Friday, I am even more impressed by these performances,” Waters stated. He specifically highlighted Curtis’s talent, adding, “When Jamie Lee Curtis won her Oscar, I remember saying, ‘This is really for Freaky Friday.'”

Although Curtis’s Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once came 20 years after Freaky Friday, Waters’s sentiment speaks to the high regard for her comedic and dramatic range in the body-swap role. Her ability to perfectly embody a frustrated teenage girl trapped in a mother’s body was a central reason for the movie’s enduring appeal.

Behind the Scenes: A Look Back at the Original

Waters shared some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from the original film. He revealed that the script he was first offered was “terrible,” and he had to pitch a new, more dynamic concept for the film’s premise. Instead of a “nerd who works at a school newspaper,” he insisted that the daughter be a rebellious rock musician, a change that Disney embraced and ultimately led to the film we know and love.

He also recounted how the film’s original ending involved an earthquake, but after a successful test screening, he convinced the studio to let him shoot a funnier ending—the now-famous “body slam” scene involving Rosalind Chao’s character.

The director also clarified how he came to work with Lindsay Lohan on Mean Girls the following year. While many assume they were a “package deal,” Waters actually fought for Lohan to play the role of Regina George, not Cady. However, studio executives and Lohan’s own rising star power following Freaky Friday‘s success led them to convince her to take the lead role. It all worked out for the best, launching yet another iconic film for both Waters and Lohan.