Mark Harmon is making a surprising return to the big screen, but not as his iconic NCIS character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Instead, he’s stepping back into the role of Ryan Coleman from the beloved 2003 family comedy Freaky Friday. After years of speculation, Disney has officially announced a sequel to the hit movie, much to the delight of fans.
Scheduled for a 2025 release, the sequel will reunite original stars Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, who will reprise their roles as mother-daughter duo Anna and Tess Coleman. Disney recently shared a behind-the-scenes photo of the pair, sparking excitement among fans who have long awaited their return. The original Freaky Friday film, which grossed over $160 million worldwide, remains one of Lohan’s biggest box office successes.
The new film will be directed by Nisha Ganatra and promises the return of familiar faces, including Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao. Additionally, the sequel will introduce new cast members such as Manny Jacinto, Julia Butters, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Sophia Hammons.
Fans are already buzzing with anticipation. Under Disney’s Instagram announcement, excited comments flooded in, with one fan exclaiming, “My 2025 has just been made!” and others expressing their love for the original film, saying, “Freaky Friday is one of my absolute favorites. I laugh SO much every time I watch it!”
Mark Harmon, who departed NCIS in 2021 after 19 seasons, had hinted at the possibility of a Freaky Friday sequel during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. He credited Jamie Lee Curtis for reviving interest in the project, saying, “If she’s talking about it, then it will happen.”
In addition to his return to Freaky Friday, Harmon has stayed busy. He continues his work as an executive producer on NCIS and has ventured into writing, releasing his debut historical nonfiction book, Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor. Harmon’s passion for history and its connection to the real-life origins of NCIS shines through in his work. “This is the first story leading to the birth of what became the real NCIS. These agents are really a different breed,” he explained.
While fans won’t see Gibbs back on NCIS for now, they can look forward to Mark Harmon’s return in the highly anticipated Freaky Friday sequel, set to rekindle the magic of the original film.
