Friday remains a beloved weekday thanks to the box office success of Disney’s sequel “Freakier Friday,” which reunites stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan for the first time since the 2003 “Freaky Friday.” The new film, written by Jordan Weiss and directed by Nisha Ganatra, has been praised for bringing a new take to the story while honoring the original. Fans have been particularly pleased to see so many actors returning for the sequel more than 20 years later. That includes not only the leads but actors like Chad Michael Murray, Stephen Tobolowsky and even Ryan Malgarini, who has since retired from acting but returned to reprise his role as Curtis’ son.
One person who did not return is Mark Waters, who scored a major career breakthrough after directing the 2003 version. Waters has fond memories of making the film, which helped put him on the map. While the director earned raves for his 1997 indie debut “The House of Yes,” Waters says he was “unable to get arrested” after his 2001 sophomore effort, “Head over Heels.” In addition to launching Lohan’s teen career, “Freaky Friday” jump-started Waters as a filmmaker, leading to such hits as “Mean Girls” (also with Lohan) and “Mister Popper’s Penguins.”
Waters is supportive of the new film and had every intention of seeing it opening weekend, but was waylaid by his busy schedule. He’s in the middle of post on his new film, “Hershey,” starring Finn Wittrock as Milton S. Hershey, the founder of the chocolate empire, and Alexandra Daddario as his wife Kitty. Waters took some time to step out of the editing room and reminisce about how he landed the gig, talk about a possible future collaboration with Lohan and consider how “Freaky Friday” remains so beloved after so many years.
Looking back on the success of this film and how much people have embraced the sequel, could you ever have predicted the lasting appeal of “Freaky Friday”?
Absolutely not. I learned you just have to try to make a movie that you like and hope that other people like it too. You work just as hard on the ones that don’t work as the ones that do. We certainly had a lot of fun making it. I remember during the very first test preview we did for this, every big person from Disney came. And we scored a 93 with this audience that stood and applauded at the end. Then Mike Eisner said, “Do you have any ideas, anything you’d like to shoot?” And I said I had a funny idea for a funnier ending. He said, “How much is it going to cost?” My line producer said, “A quarter of a million dollars.” He said, “Yeah, go do it.” So we shot the ending where Rosalind Chao’s character tackles the grandpa.
Originally the grandpa and grandson were going to switch bodies?
It basically ended with an earthquake like earlier in the movie [implying a body switch]. We thought it would be funnier if they didn’t even get to it and you have this ridiculously over-the-top body slam.
Well, the family had been through enough — I think they deserved a break at that point.
Well, for 21 years at least. Until the new one.
Many people talk about how this film was a breakthrough for Lindsay Lohan but in many ways, it was also a big opportunity for you — it seemed to put your career on another level.
For sure. I made “House of Yes” and then I made another movie in between, a movie I don’t even have a poster for because I’ve acted like it’s not mine. It completely bombed. I had a very aggressive producer who essentially kicked me out of the editing room during my director’s cut, so I kind of disavowed the movie. I definitely felt like I was in movie jail at the time.
How did you pitch yourself to Disney for “Freaky Friday”?
I got the meeting and I remember going in and kind of feeling like they had a terrible script. I felt it would be really great to get this job, but I can’t go in and tell them this script is good, because I’d be lying. The script was about a girl who worked at a school newspaper and wanted to get an interview with Gwen Stefani at the House of Blues. And I said, “Why are you doing this? She can’t be some nerd who works with the school paper and the mother’s a nerd who’s a doctor. This is ‘Freaky Friday,’ you have to have the mother and daughter be far apart. She needs to be rock and roll, she should be the lead guitarist in a band playing at the House of Blues and then the mother has to play guitar.” And Disney, to their credit, said, “We like that.” And that’s what we ended up making. The success took us a bit unawares and I probably booked “Mean Girls” off of that. It jump-started things for me in a big way.
I was going to ask how you came to work with Lohan on “Mean Girls” the following year — were you a package deal?
I know Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels and Sherry Lansing watched a rough cut of “Freaky Friday” and they decided they wanted both me and Lindsay. But I convinced everyone that Lindsay should be playing Regina, not Cady. Lindsay’s energy is much more like Regina — I don’t mean that in a negative way, she’s just much more forceful and a really strong personality. I remember reading the Regina scenes with her and she was amazing.
But when we went to cast Cady, we couldn’t find anybody. I actually read an actress from Canada for the part and I told her, “You’re way too old for this part, but I think you’re a movie star, you’re amazing.” It was Rachel McAdams. And when we couldn’t cast Cady, we went back to Rachel for Regina. And her reading a little bit older worked because it brought a certain power and maturity to it.
And Lindsay was fine with switching roles?
She was a little bummed, she thought Regina was more fun. But she ended up embracing it. And Sherry Lansing pointed out that with “Freaky Friday” such a big hit, she had to be the lead of the movie. It all worked out for the best.
Going back and looking at “Freaky Friday,” I am even more impressed by these performances. When Jamie Lee Curtis won her Oscar, I remember saying, “This is really for ‘Freaky Friday.’”
Well, and “A Fish Called Wanda” and “True Lies.” She’s an actress who never got recognized for these terrific performances.
I only became aware recently that people had criticized the Asian representation in the film. Is that anything you wanted to address or acknowledge?
I was fully aware that it was over the top, and not in the way that I was trying to insult or make fun of any group. We’re doing this just to be absurd. Rosalind Chao is a friend and she was in on the joke. But stepping back from it, of course it’s absolutely absurd but not in a way that is mean-spirited. Not from my perspective, nor do I think most people who watch the movie think of as being mean-spirited.
Was there a moment where you became aware of the criticism? Was it at the time?
I remember there was a great reviewer who loved the movie but of course called that shit out. [Said it] was tone deaf and a little bit over the top. But also noted it wasn’t in a way that ruined their enjoyment of the movie.
When you read something like that are you initially defensive or did you accept the criticism from the start?
I definitely didn’t go, “How would you ever come up with that?” I’m like, “They have a point.” I really love good reviewers; you don’t see a lot of them anymore.
With two films back-to-back really launching this new phase of Lindsay’s career, does she send you flowers ever week? Have you looked into another collaboration?
(Laughs) No. Back when she was younger, she definitely was into the lure of celebrity and fame and everything that went along with that. So she didn’t seek out the best projects. She’s got her head on straight in a really great way now at this stage in her life, but back then she was just a kid. She didn’t have anybody around her who was guiding her well at the time. But we’ve always been friendly with each other — we reconnected recently in New York when she was shooting a Netflix film. When we hung out recently, we did say it would be fun to find an excuse to do something together.
Did you ever develop your own sequel to “Freaky Friday”?
I never developed one, no.
I’m thinking about an interview tied to the 20th anniversary where the sequel might have even been announced and you’d say you’d love to be involved as a producer or something.
Yeah, unfortunately, I was not invited to the party. 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.
That surprises me!
I’m very supportive of them making a great new movie. It would have been nice to be involved but now that I’m not, I sort of compartmentalize it for myself. I need to devote my energy to keep making new, original things that are going to be hits and people can remake them in 20 years. So that’s what I’m doing now. You can’t worry about the projects that you don’t do. It certainly would have been fun, and I heard from quite a few cast members while they were shooting, saying, “Where the hell are you, Waters?” I have not forsaken you! I’m sorry.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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