Freaky Friday is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon. It is based on the 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers and marks the third film adaptation of the novel, as well as the third installment overall in the Freaky Friday franchise. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter who inadvertently switch bodies through the magic of Chinese fortune cookies. The supporting cast includes Harold Gould, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon. Freaky Friday was released theatrically by Walt Disney Pictures on August 6, 2003. It was a commercial success, grossing over $160 million worldwide against a production budget of $26 million. The film received largely positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the performances of Lohan and Curtis, the latter being nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. A sequel titled Freakier Friday was released in 2025, with Curtis, Lohan, Murray, and Harmon returning.
Plot Fifteen-year-old musician Anna Coleman lives in Los Angeles with her nine-year-old brother Harry, their widowed psychologist mother Tess, and grandfather Alan. Tess is engaged to Ryan, but Anna has not accepted the engagement, still coping with the death of her father three years earlier. At school, she contends with unsympathetic teachers, bullying from her former best friend, Stacey Hinkhouse, and an infatuation with Jake Austin, whom Tess disapproves of. Anna plays guitar in the band Pink Slip, which is preparing to audition for a spot in the Wango Tango showcase. However, the audition coincides with Tess and Ryan's wedding rehearsal, preventing Anna from attending. During dinner at Pei-Pei's Chinese restaurant, Anna and Tess argue over the audition. Pei-Pei's mother overhears them arguing and gives them fortune cookies, which they open while reading the fortunes aloud simultaneously. An earthquake then occurs, which only Anna and Tess feel. The next morning, they discover that they have switched bodies. Tess attends high school as Anna and experiences firsthand the challenges her daughter faces. Anna's English teacher Elton Bates holds a grudge after Tess rejected him at their prom decades earlier. Tess threatens to report him unless he treats Anna fairly. Meanwhile, Anna, in Tess's body, struggles to manage her mother's patients and the responsibilities of adulthood. They return to the restaurant, where Pei-Pei explains that only an act of selfless love can reverse the switch. While attending Harry's parent–teacher conference, Anna reads a heartfelt essay he wrote about her, prompting her to treat him more kindly. Tess, attempting to reconcile with Stacey, is framed for cheating and sent to detention. Jake helps her complete the test, leading Tess to reevaluate her opinion of him. However, Jake is disappointed when Tess exacts revenge on Stacey by sabotaging her exam. At the same time, Anna is surprised with an impromptu live TV interview about Tess's latest book. Having not read it, she improvises a monologue about aging. Tess and Jake watch the segment, which mortifies the former and amuses the latter. Anna later visits Jake at work, where they connect over music. At the rehearsal dinner, her bandmates get caught attempting to sneak her out for the audition. Ryan allows her to leave, hoping to build trust. Tess and Anna switch roles at the audition, with Anna playing guitar offstage while Tess pretends to perform. After seeing Anna playing guitar, Tess commits to being more supportive. Jake, unaware of the switch, is impressed by the performance and becomes enamored with Anna again. Returning to the rehearsal dinner, Tess tells Anna to ask Ryan to postpone the wedding until they switch back. Instead, Anna delivers a heartfelt toast, acknowledging Ryan's role in her mother's happiness. With this act of selflessness, the two return to their original bodies. Tess and Ryan proceed with the wedding, and Tess allows Anna to date Jake. Pink Slip performs at the reception. When Harry and Alan begin arguing, Pei-Pei's mother gives them fortune cookies, but Pei-Pei tackles them and retrieves the cookies before another switch occurs.
Cast
Production
Development The concept for a remake of Freaky Friday (1976) originated when producer Andrew Gunn met with Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group president Nina Jacobson to discuss potential projects. Gunn proposed either a new adaptation of Freaky Friday or a reboot of Witch Mountain. Though Jacobson was initially hesitant due to a 1995 ABC remake of Freaky Friday, she ultimately agreed. Gunn, The Walt Disney Company executive Kristin Burr, and screenwriter Heather Hach began discussing potential ideas, eventually gaining support after the success of The Princess Diaries (2001), which proved that female-led, family-focused films could be commercially viable. Director Mark Waters joined the project after a meeting with Gunn and Burr, despite initial doubts about the quality of the script. He responded positively to the concept and had personal fondness for the original film. The early draft of the screenplay depicted a psychiatrist mother and a daughter who wrote for her school newspaper and aspired to interview Gwen Stefani at the House of Blues. Waters revised the characters into a straight-laced mother and a rebellious, alt-rock daughter, believing their contrast would make the premise more compelling. Lindsay Lohan's character was originally written as goth, but she felt the persona was too alienating and auditioned in a preppy style. The character was ultimately rewritten as a grunge-influenced teen. Lohan later stated that the character’s revised punk-leaning style and attitude were influenced by pop-punk singer Avril Lavigne, whom she cited as a key reference for Anna Coleman’s look and persona. Amir Derakh served as the film's guitar consultant, coaching Jamie Lee Curtis and rehearsing with the fictional band members. While Lohan trained for a year to learn the guitar, the final film used overdubbed performances by studio musicians.
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