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Manny Jacinto says he had “concerns” about joining Freakier Friday due to offensive Asian representation in 2003’s Freaky Friday
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The original film features two Chinese characters who serve mother-daughter duo Anna (Lindsay Lohan) and Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) a fortune cookie that causes them to switch bodies
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Jacinto stars as Anna’s soon-to-be-husband in the sequel, which arrives in theaters August 8
Manny Jacinto is addressing offensive Asian stereotypes from 2003’s Freaky Friday ahead of starring in the film’s sequel Freakier Friday.
Speaking alongside sequel director Nisha Ganatra, 50, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jacinto, 37, opened up about his “concerns” to join the project due to the past portrayal of two Asian characters in the original film starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis
In the original comedy, mother-daughter duo Anna (Lohan) and Tess (Curtis) are constantly at odds with one another. While the two argue at a Chinese restaurant, owner Pei-Pei (Rosalind Chao) and her mother (Lucille Soong) try to help the relationship by serving them a magic fortune cookie that swaps their souls into the other’s body.
“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,” Jacinto said. “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.”
Disney
Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Rosalind Chao in ‘Freaky Friday’
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Chao and Soong will reprise their roles in the sequel, with helmer Ganatra noting “we owed audiences to make it right on this one.”
Jacinto shared his appreciation for the Deli Boys director, adding “I don’t know if it would have been the same or had the same heart and charm if it was a different director. She keeps it very grounded and real, but also charming and fun. That’s a fine line to play, and she walks it really well.”
Ian West/PA Images via Getty; Ethan Miller/Getty
Manny Jacinto and Lindsay Lohan
The sequel sees Lohan and Curtis reprise their roles as mother-daughter duo Anna and Tess, respectively. Additionally, original cast members Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson and Stephen Tobolowsky will be back in the sequel.
The upcoming movie will also introduce a slew of new characters played by Julia Butters, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Sophia Hammons.
Freakier Friday arrives in theaters August 8.
Read the original article on People
