Freaky Friday sequel star had ‘concerns’ over Asian stereotypes in 2003 original

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Manny Jacinto has shared that he had ‘concerns’ over the Asian stereotypes in Freaky Friday before jumping on board for the sequel.

The body-swap Disney flick – a reboot of the 1976 movie of the same name – was first released in 2003, starring Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis and Chad Michael Murray.

It followed bickering mother Tess (Jamie) and her teenage daughter, Anna (Lindsay), as they transform into each other after eating magic fortune cookies at a Chinese restaurant, given to them by the owner Pei-Pei’s (Rosalind Chao) mom, played by Lucille Soong.

In the upcoming sequel, which is directed by Nisha Ganatra and will be released on August 8, the body-swapping takes on another level entirely when other members of their family get involved.

Shedding light on what we can expect, Manny – who took on the role of Anna’s fiancé, Eric – shared that he initially had reservations about signing up, due to the way other Asian characters had been portrayed in the first film.

‘When I considered hopping on board, I remember watching the first Freaky Friday and being like, this did not age very well, regarding the diverse characters,’ the Good Place star said in a new interview.

"Star Wars: The Acolyte" UK Premiere - Arrivals — Manny Jacinto will be a huge part of Freakier Friday (Picture: Getty)

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by W. Disney/Everett/Shutterstock (425784a) Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan 'FREAKY FRIDAY' FILM - 2003 — Tess and Anna swapped bodies after being given a magic fortune cookie (Picture: Disney)

‘Knowing Nisha and speaking to other people within our circles, I knew we had a captain who was very much aware of those archetypes, or those issues presented in the first one. I felt very well taken care of.’

Nisha explained that she also felt ‘torn’ about the representation when watching the 00s movie, and immediately set about improving things in the follow up.

Rosalind Chao in 'Freaky Friday'. Disney+ — Rosalind Chao played Pei-Pei in the original, and will be returning for the sequel (Picture: Disney)

‘I remember watching it and feeling torn, mostly about the Asian representation, and also the soundtrack that was being used,’ she continued to Entertainment Weekly.

‘It was something I brought up right away when I had my first meetings with the producers. I had a moment of the presentation that was like, “problematic Asian representation!”’

The filmmaker insisted that they ‘owed audiences to make it right on this one’, and invited Rosalind and Lucille back for the sequel in a completely different manner.

‘[The] little moments that don’t betray this movie, but were satisfying for people who found hurtful moments in the last one,’ she added. ‘It was a different time and wasn’t done intentionally [in the 2003 film], but it’s a real thing.

‘It’s something I, being Asian, was super conscious of.’

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ron Batzdorff/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock (5879398b) Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan Freaky Friday - 2003 Director: Mark Waters Walt Disney Pictures USA Scene Still Comedy — The first film was released in 2003 and became a huge hit (Picture: Disney)

(L-R) Jamie Lee Curtis as Tess Coleman and Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman in Disney's live-action FREAKIER FRIDAY. Photo by Glen Wilson ?? 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. — The Freakier Friday sequel is set to be released later this year (Picture: Disney)

Lindsay and Jamie are among those reprising their roles for Freakier Friday, alongside Rosalind and Lucille.

Chad, Mark Harmon, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson and Stephen Tobolowsky will also be returning to the fold.

Manny is among the newcomers, with Vanessa Bayer, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan joining in the body-swapping fun.

Freakier Friday is released in cinemas on August 8.

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