Jamie Lee Curtis isn’t holding back when it comes to defending the newly released Freakier Friday, the sequel to Disney’s 2003 body-swap comedy Freaky Friday. Reprising her role as Tess Coleman alongside Lindsay Lohan, who returns as Anna Coleman, Curtis responded directly to criticism from Time magazine film critic Stephanie Zacharek.
In her review, Zacharek wrote, “No one, as far as we know, actually asked Disney for a sequel to 2003’s buoyant, surprisingly unsyrupy generation-gap comedy ‘Freaky Friday.’ Ugly costumes, humiliating scenarios, and zero added value—this is a sequel with the sole purpose of cashing in on the fondness people have for the original movie and nothing more.”
She also compared Freakier Friday unfavorably to other recent sequels, claiming it lacked a “fresh take” on its source material.
Curtis wasn’t having it. Taking to the comments section of Time’s Instagram post, the Oscar-winning actress wrote, “SEEMS a TAD HARSH. SOME people LOVE it. Me being one.”
Her defense comes as the film proves to be a box office success. Since its release on Friday, Freakier Friday has grossed $12.7 million on opening day, with projections estimating a three-day total of $27–$30 million.
Set decades after the events of the original, the sequel follows Anna, now a mother to her own daughter (Julia Butters) and soon-to-be stepdaughter (Sophia Hammons). In the midst of blending her two families, a magical mishap causes a chaotic four-way body swap between Anna, her mother Tess, her daughter, and her stepdaughter.
With strong performances, nostalgia for the original, and a family-friendly twist, Freakier Friday is now playing in theatres worldwide.
