Freaky Friday 2 has been all but confirmed at this point. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis have been talking about the sequel non-stop and rumors have been buzzing about Disney giving the 2003 adaptation a greenlight for one more film. Based on a novel that came out in 1972, this was the third most and successful incarnation of said novel. Freaky Friday made over $150 million worldwide on a $25 million budget. You can easily see why Disney is eager to fire up a sequel.
The premise of the film is rather: Tess Coleman (Curtis) and her daughter (Lohan) switch bodies after receiving mysterious messages on a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant. The 2003 adaptation was a fun film thanks to the charisma of Curtis and Lohan. The story is solid, but nothing too meaningful, yet, Freaky Friday holds up pretty well despite coming out in 21 years ago. However, the sudden development of a sequel is brings up the necessary question: Is Freaky Friday 2 even necessary?
The Original Freaky Friday Was A Good Film, But…
As previously stated, Freaky Friday was a fun film. Curtis and Lohan are great performers as the comedy is spot on and so are the dramatic moments too. The message is: Anna and Tess get a better understanding of one another after they’re forced to live a day in the life of their difficult lives. It’s a sweet message over love and empathy, and even though the premise is rather silly, Mark Waters handles the subject manner with care about brings out the best of it.
That said, Freaky Friday IS the definition of a one-and-done film. There’s a reason that the 1972 and 1995 films never had a sequel. Anna and Tess grow as they’re forced to live each other’s lives. Plus, they swap body with a newfound respect for one another. There weren’t any lingering questions about the Coleman family that still need to be answered. This feels like nothing more than banking off nostalgia as there’s no other purpose to make a sequel than money.
Can A Freaky Friday Sequel Be Good?
I’m a firm believer that with the right filmmaker then anything can be good. If Freaky Friday 2 nabs the perfect filmmaker that can capture the balancing act of comedy and drama then the film could genuinely be funny. Body swapping movies tend to be more funny than not. The key is to not simply rely on the gimmick itself. While there’s fun in seeing two people with different personas and lives being forced into such a weird scenarios, that can run out of steam really quickly if the script doesn’t have a solid story arc.
The question is particularly on whether it will be good. The reason question is what’s the film’s purpose? The gimmick is the body swapping concept. I know it’s been 21 years since the first film, but exactly how will this be different than the original? Anna and Tess will have different lives at this point, but plot points will be the same in a comedic and dramatic sense. There’s really no purpose in revisiting the lives of these characters because the gimmick is only meant to be a one-and-done scenario. Like I previously stated, this feel like a cash cow, unless the new director can put a fresh spin on a well worn concept. Even then, there’s no reason to revisit the life of Anna and Tess Coleman.
Freaky Friday 2 Feels Nothing More Than A Cash Cow
If it hasn’t been obvious throughout the article, then no a sequel is just unnecessary. The premise has been done countless of times since Freaky Friday. Revisiting this film will feel repetitive, even if Curtis and Lohan will bring out a nice performance to their respective roles. There’s potential for this to be good if the new filmmaker can add new wrinkles to a tired concept, but it’s clear that the reasoning behind a sequel isn’t based on a desire to tell a compelling story.
It’s a popular film and Lohan and Curtis are two notable stars who are willing to return to it. Hollywood’s obsession with turning everything into a franchise is doing their business more harm than good, though if they manage to keep this film low budget then it will likely be a financial success. I hope I’m wrong about Freaky Friday 2 and it turns out to be something enjoyable, but from the outside, this seems like a terrible idea.
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