It's safe to say that the film industry has been in a bit of a sequel slump for some time now and while I'm typically unphased, occasionally there's an announcement that makes me think, "Who asked for this?". One of the more recent cases was the announcement of Freakier Friday – the upcoming sequel to the teen classic, Freaky Friday, and a beacon of my tween years.
While I was willing to hold my reservations until the film's official release, the newest promo poster design has made me a little... sad. Whether it's the tepid recreation of the original poster or the half-baked forced nostalgia, I can't help but be a little disappointed in the Freakier Friday poster. It's safe to say that currently, my hopes are not high.
As you'd expect, the Freakier Friday poster is essentially a modern recreation of the original 2003 Freaky Friday design. While the original played heavily on stylistic distinctions, the new design's oversaturated look doesn't carry the same visual punchiness. With exaggerated costumes and props, the original poster illuminates the generational gap through costume design and styling, while in comparison, the new design feels costumey without purpose, lacking the campy theatrical contrast of the 2003 design.
Admittedly I may be a little biased but from the poster alone, Freakier Friday feels like a sequel for the sake of it, rather than a thoughtful expansion of the original film. The design fails to capture the contrast of the original which gives the film its unique charm and while I'm a little concerned about the sequel, I'll remain on the fence for now. For more film poster news take a look at the Fantastic Four AI poster design controversy or check out the best movie posters of the month.
