Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan promised theater owners on Thursday that their upcoming comedy Freakier Friday is more than worth the 22-year wait.
Disney used its CinemaCon presentation to tout the body-swapping sequel, which unfurls Aug. 8 in theaters, more than two decades after 2003’s Freaky Friday became a box office and cultural sensation. It also marks Lohan’s big return to theaters.
“You get to see us take on all different personalities as we swap with our teenage counterparts,” said Curtis when taking the stage at CinemaCon with Lohan to huge hoots and hollers from the audience. “We made this movie with a lot of love. We specifically made it to be experienced on the big screen with a big crowd.”
Lohan added, “We will see you this summer!”
The film’s first trailer, released earlier this month, shows Curtis’ character Tess once again swapping bodies with her daughter, Anna, who is played by Lohan. But there’s a twist — there’s a four-way swap when Anna’s daughter (Julia Butters) and soon-to-be stepdaughter (Sophia Hammons) are also caught up in the action.
On Thursday, Curtis and Lohan treated exhibitors to exclusive clips of the film, including a scene where Curtis’ character has to instruct Lohan’s how to behave like a teenager and flirt, in this case with Freaky Friday alum Chad Michael Murray, who reprises his role as Jake (he’s still riding a motorcycle, FYI).
Freaky Friday was based on Mary Rodgers’ 1972 novel, and earned $160 million globally, not adjusted for inflation. It has become synonymous with the body-swap genre, spawning homages such as the Blumhouse horror film Freaky.
Nisha Ganatra directed Freakier Friday from a script by Elyse Hollander.
The official logline reads: “Years after Tess and Anna endured an identity crisis, Anna now has a daughter and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might strike twice.”
Other returning castmembers include Mark Harmon, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky and Rosalind Chao. In addition to Hammons and Butters, new castmembers include Vanessa Bayer, Elaine Hendrix, Manny Jacinto and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
Lohan has revealed that her character’s fictional band, Pink Slip, is coming back to perform new music. Aime Doherty composed the sequel’s score.