‘Freakier Friday' First Reactions Call Disney Sequel a ‘True Delight' With Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis Delivering ‘Hilarity and Emotion' in a ‘Great Feel-Good Film'
TV host Jeff Conway took to X to share his praise. He gushed that the film was 'double the fun' with 'twice the heart' as the original 'Freaky Friday.'
More from Variety
Jamie Lee Curtis on Reuniting With Lindsay Lohan for 'Freakier Friday,' Her 'The Bear' Emmy Nom and Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' Cancellation: 'It's Awful'
Barbra Streisand, Jamie Lee Curtis and Bianca Del Rio Help Project Angel Food Raise Nearly $722,000 During KTLA Telethon
Rachel Griffiths Says 'Older Women Are Having a Moment,' Gushes Over 'The Last Showgirl' and Jamie Lee Curtis 'Dancing on That F--ing Table': 'I Was in Awe of That Girl!'
'These 22 years later, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis haven't missed a beat! Their on-screen chemistry is truly something special,' he wrote. 'A true delight that the entire family will enjoy.'
Variety's senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay wrote on X that the film was 'an absolute riot,' adding that she 'laughed' out loud and 'cried' during the tender family moments.
'It's such a great feel-good film,' she wrote. 'Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis deliver hilarity and emotion in this funtastic sequel. I never knew I needed this film! Oh and Manny Jacinto, I love him.'
Entertainment journalist Brandon Davis echoed the praise, writing on X that he was 'howling' with laughter during Tuesday night's premiere screening.
'Jamie Lee Curtis is having the time of her life and it's a blast to watch,' Davis wrote. 'It's silly and sometimes confusing but hilarious throughout, even touching at times. Absolutely some of the most fun I've had watching a movie this year.'
'Freakier Friday' takes place years after the original. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As she attempts to navigate the struggles of merging her two families, Anna finds herself, her mom Tess, her daughter and her stepdaughter in a four-way body swap. What starts as pure chaos soon helps them find some understanding amid the complicated family transition.
Original stars Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis return as the leading mother-daughter duo. Other cast members include Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
While speaking to Variety at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, Curtis said she has learned a lot from Lohan since returning for the Disney sequel.
'She has taught me so much,' Curtis said. 'She has her team, where her two people would be standing on either side of a camera holding a big light. It's Lindsay lighting — that would have been good branding — they hold lights so that we look better. So, I've learned a lot from her already. We had a good time. We love each other.'
The original 2003 'Freaky Friday,' based on Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel, follows widowed mother Tess and her teenage daughter Anna. During an impasse in their relationship, they find a magic fortune cookie that causes them to swap bodies, resulting in a deeper familiarity between them.
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michelle Obama wishes a happy 64th birthday to ‘the coolest guy I know'
Michelle Obama wished a happy birthday to the 'coolest' man she knows. Fortunately for Barack Obama, the former first lady was referring to him. 'Happy birthday to my love, my best friend, my everything! @BarackObama, even after all these years, you're still the coolest guy I know,' she wrote on Instagram Monday night. The 44th president turned 64 on Monday, and thanked his wife and her 57 million Instagram users for their birthday wishes. 'Love you, Miche! And thanks everybody for all the birthday wishes,' the two-term commander-in-chief responded. His 61-year-old wife posted the same message on her Instagram Story, though that post was accompanied by audio of Stevie Wonder singing his 1980 song 'Happy Birthday.' She recently shut down rumors that she and her husband of nearly 33 years were having marital problems because gossips don't see a lot of photos of them together these days. 'It's like, 'OK, so we don't Instagram every minute of our lives. We are 60,' she told NPR's 'Wild Card' podcast. 'We're 60, y'all. You just are not gonna know what we're doing every minute of the day.' _____


Fox News
6 minutes ago
- Fox News
Sean Hannity unveils latest podcast guest
Fox News host Sean Hannity showcases the latest episode of his podcast with special guest Forrest Galante on Fox Nation.


Forbes
6 minutes ago
- Forbes
‘Fantastic Four' Final Weekend Box Office Worse Than First Estimated
The Fantastic Four: First Steps' final box office numbers for its second frame ended up being even lower than its already disastrous projected take. On Sunday, the likes of Deadline, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter all projected that the film would earn $40 million domestically in its second Friday to Sunday frame, a 66% drop from its first weekend of $115.6 million in business from July 25-27. As it turns out, even those estimates were a bit too generous. Box office trackers The Numbers and Box Office Mojo both reported the final weekend numbers on Monday for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the film ended up earning $38.6 million from Aug. 1-3, which is a 67% drop in business. To date, The Numbers and Box Office Mojo reported, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has earned $197.1 million domestically and $170.2 million internationally for a worldwide tally of $367.4 million. Directed by Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Fantastic Four: First Steps had a production budget of $200 million-plus, according to Variety, but its marketing spend has not been divulged. 'Superman' Appears To Be On Its Way To Winning The 2025 Superhero Box Office Crown Given The Fantastic Four's significant drop in business in its second weekend, it appears that Warner Bros.' Superman from director James Gunn is well on its way to being the top superhero movie of 2025. The first release from Warner Bros.' DC Studios — where Gunn and Peter Safran serve as its co-CEOs — Superman earned $125 million domestically in its opening weekend from July 11-13. Luckily for Gunn and Safran, Superman's business only dropped by 53% in the film's second weekend in theaters as it pulled in a healthy $58.4 million from July 18-21. Per Variety, Superman had a production budget of $225 million and $100 million was spent on marketing. As of Monday, per The Numbers and Box Office Mojo, Superman has earned $316 million domestically and nearly $235 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $551 million. Starring David Corenswet in the title role, Superman's box office gross to date far exceeds the global grosses of the first and second superhero movies released in 2025. Both released by Disney Marvel, Captain America: Brave New World finished with a global tally of $413.6 million ($200.5 million domestically and $213.1 million internationally). Thunderbolts*, meanwhile, has earned $382.4 million globally ($190.2 million domestically and $192.1 million internationally) to date. The film is close to being done with its theatrical run, however, having only played in 20 venues over the weekend.