Mark Waters, director of the 2003 film “Freaky Friday,” was never formally invited to return for this year’s sequel, despite raising his hand to be involved. Waters, 61, revealed in an interview with Variety that he had expressed interest in a “godfather” or executive producer role but was not extended an invitation by Disney. The director of the 2003 remake, Waters directed Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in the original film. However, the director role ultimately went to Nisha Ganatra when production began on the new sequel, “Freakier Friday,” in 2024. Despite being excluded from the project, Waters expressed support for the cast members who returned for the sequel after over 20 years.
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/08/15/entertainment/freaky-friday-director-reveals-he-wasnt-invited-back-for-sequel