Entertainment
Jamie Lee Curtis Landed ‘Freaky Friday’ Role ‘2 Days Before Shooting’ (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW
- Jamie Lee Curtis told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that she was a last-minute addition to 2003’s Freaky Friday
- “Someone else was in the movie and dropped out,” the star said
- Curtis starred opposite Lindsay Lohan as a mother-daughter pair who swap bodies
Jamie Lee Curtis was a last-minute addition to one of her most beloved films.
“I found out I was going to be in Freaky Friday two days before they started shooting, because someone else was in the movie and dropped out,” the actress, 66, told PEOPLE exclusively at the Amazon Upfront in New York City on May 12.
Cast as Tess Coleman, an overprotective mother and hardworking psychologist who swaps bodies with her teenage daughter, played by Lindsay Lohan, in the 2003 film, Curtis further explained, “I had a 10-year-old and a five-year-old at home, and I found out on that Monday I was going to be doing a movie where I played a 15-year-old and a 45-year-old.”
“I don’t remember any of it because I was now juggling like a circus performer,” continued the star — who shares two daughters with husband Christopher Guest: Ruby and Annie.
“So my memory at the time was to simply be in the moment of the job, and then the movie came out and people loved it,” Curtis added.
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Ron Batzdorff/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
Curtis and Lohan, 38, starred in Freaky Friday as a mother and daughter who switch bodies through the use of Chinese fortune cookies.
Freaky Friday (2003) marked the third film adaptation of the 1972 novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers.
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The first was the 1976 version starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster in the lead roles, and the second was a Wonderful World of Disney exclusive film that featured Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffmann.
The Disney Channel later released another version of the film, which adapted the musical of the same name. It premiered in August 2018 and saw Heidi Blickenstaff and Cozi Zuehlsdorff in the lead roles.
Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
Freakier Friday, a soon-to-be-released sequel to Curtis and Lohan’s popular Disney film, will see the pair reprise their family roles as they swap bodies with two others — 22 years after their first time doing so.
“The story picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice,” a synopsis for the project teases.
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Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky and Rosalind Chao are among the returning actors from the 2003 version.
Vanessa Bayer, Julia Butters, Manny Jacinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Sophia Hammons, meanwhile, have joined in new roles, and Lohan’s The Parent Trap costar Elaine Hendrix also makes a cameo.
Freakier Friday is in theaters on Aug. 8.
Entertainment
Chris O’Donnell Marks 30 Years Since ‘Batman Forever’ Premiere with Val Kilmer

NEED TO KNOW
- Chris O’Donnell made a rare Instagram post to celebrate 30 years since the premiere of Batman Forever on Wednesday, June 11
- “Time flies,” the 54-year-old actor wrote in part alongside a photo of himself with costars Val Kilmer, Nicole Kidman and Jim Carrey, as well as director Joel Schmacher
- O’Donnell will next appear in the lead role in the upcoming ABC television series 9-1-1: Nashville, as Capt. Don Sharpe
Chris O’Donnell is shining the Bat-Signal!
In a rare post to his Instagram grid on Wednesday, June 11, the 54-year-old actor shared a throwback snapshot from the premiere of 1995’s Batman Forever, in honor of the superhero movie’s milestone 30th anniversary.
Aside from O’Donnell, the photo also included late director Joel Schumacher, plus O’Donnell’s costars Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman and the Bruce Wayne/Batman to his Dick Grayson/Robin: the late Val Kilmer, who died in April at age 65.
“Cannot believe it’s been 30 years since premiere of Batman Forever, wow, time flies,” wrote O’Donnell in the caption.
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While O’Donnell later reprised his role as Batman’s trusty sidekick in 1997’s Batman & Robin, Kilmer did not return; instead, George Clooney suited up as the Caped Crusader in that film.
As for whom he might choose to play Robin in a future iteration, “I know it’s not going to be me,” O’Donnell told PEOPLE as Batman Forever turned 20 back in 2015.
And “it was fun to be a part of” the movies while it lasted, he added at the time.
“I put my time in, I had a great time doing it, I think the first go-round was fantastic,” said O’Donnell, who will next lead the upcoming ABC series 9-1-1: Nashville as Capt. Don Sharpe.
Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty
Kilmer succeeded Michael Keaton as Batman for the third of Warner Bros.’ live-action movies about the DC superhero, which began with Tim Burton‘s 1989 entry Batman and 1992 follow-up Batman Returns. Director Schumacher, who died in 2020 at age 80, later took the reins for Batman Forever.
In addition to O’Donnell, Batman Forever also featured Carrey, 63, as the villain Edward Nygma/Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Kidman, 57, as Dr. Chase Meridian and Drew Barrymore and Debi Mazar as Dent’s assistants Sugar and Spice.
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Following Kilmer’s death earlier this year, Carrey said in a statement, “I’m remembering Val Kilmer today with great admiration for him as a man and as a generational talent who left us an enviable legacy of indelible acting performances.”
Added the actor, “His greatest artistic achievements were rivaled only by the grace and courage with which he endured his life’s most challenging moments. Wishing his family so much love.”
Entertainment
Ava Phillippe cringes over comparisons between her boyfriend and dad Ryan

Ava Phillippe playfully reacted to a fan comparing her and her boyfriend, Dakota Brubaker, to her famous parents, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe.
The budding actress, 25, took to TikTok Wednesday to respond to a comment that read, “Close enough. Welcome back Reese and Ryan.”
A hilarious video showed Ava with her mouth wide open, repeatedly mouthing “no” and shaking her head in disgust as Brubaker came into view wearing a black turtleneck and glasses — similar to Ryan’s character, Sebastian Valmont, in the 1999 thriller “Cruel Intentions.”
“You guys,” Ava wrote in the caption. “whaaaaattt.”
However, she had fun with the comparison, pairing the video with The Verve’s 1997 track “Bittersweet Symphony,” which notably played at the end of the Roger Kumble-directed film starring her parents.
“Now I can’t unsee it,” one person commented.
“I thought the same,” another chimed in, as a third added, “I’m sorry but this is hilarious.”
Ava confirmed her romance with Brubaker with a sweet PDA photo shared via Instagram in December 2024.
The snap showed the couple cozied up in a photo booth as the musician kissed her on the cheek.
Meanwhile, now-exes Ryan, 50, and Witherspoon, 49, met in 1997 at the “Legally Blonde” star’s 21st birthday party before acting alongside each other in “Cruel Intentions.”
They tied the knot in June 1999, welcoming Ava in September 1999 and son Deacon Phillippe, now 21, in 2003.
The former couple called it quits in 2008.
The actors have seemingly maintained an amicable co-parenting relationship.
The “Morning Show” star is also the mother to 12-year-old son Tennessee, whom she shares with her second ex-husband, Jim Toth.
As for Ryan, he shares 13-year-old daughter Kai with Alexis Knapp.
Entertainment
Kate Beckinsale Sues Canary Black Producers for Allegedly Exposing Her to ‘Dangerous and Unsafe Conditions’ on Set

NEED TO KNOW
- Kate Beckinsale starred in the Amazon thriller, Canary Black, in October 2024, which began production in 2022
- The actress alleges in a new complaint that the film’s producers exposed her to “dangerous and unsafe conditions”
- Beckinsale initially filed a complaint as Jane Doe in December 2024, before amending the complaint and going public with her name in May 2025
Kate Beckinsale is suing the Canary Black producers after allegedly being exposed to “dangerous and unsafe conditions,” according to a complaint obtained by PEOPLE.
The 51-year-old actress starred in the crime film in 2024, which was released on Oct. 3. Over seven months later, the actress is accusing the film’s production company, Anton Entertainment Media Services, Inc., and its employees, including producer John Zois, of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and battery. Puck was the first to report the news.
Beckinsale initially filed against the producers in December 2024 as “Jane Doe.” However, she issued an amended complaint on Wednesday, May 21, including communications with the defendants and more details of her on-set injury.
Prime Video/Amazon MGM Studios
Beckinsale first suffered a complex meniscus tear in her left knee while filming in December 2022. She then needed surgery, which subsequently paused the production for months.
Before she returned to set, she claims her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jason Snibbe, said she should not be asked to perform stunts that involved running, jumping, harness suspension, squatting or kicking, per the complaint. However, Dr. Snibbe’s requests were allegedly ignored.
Beckinsale’s complaint claims that she suffered further aggravation of the knee injury as her doctor’s orders were repeatedly ignored and she was allegedly coerced into performing “unsafe action sequences.”
In the newly amended complaint, Beckinsale allegedly suffered a “significant trauma” to her knee after she was exposed to “dangerous and unsafe conditions” on the Canary Black set.
“Ms. Beckinsale and her team repeatedly raised red flags regarding unsafe conditions on and off set to Defendants, including long, dangerous set days, often lasting fifteen hours, inadequate equipment and medical personnel to help manage the high physical workload and recover from the exertion off set, and failure to adequately inform Ms. Beckinsale of what stunts she was expected to perform until often the moment she had to perform it,” the complaint read.
The actress also alleges that although she raised her concerns repeatedly, the producers put her ” in harm’s way” after they “continued to recklessly and intentionally forge ahead with unsafe filming conditions, forgoing safety to maintain profit margins.”
Prime Video
Along with several reach-outs from Beckinsale’s team about their concerns with the set, her agent, Shani Rosenzweig, allegedly emailed Zois, saying, “No one is actually taking real action to put a plan in place to fix this situation so it never happens again… [Ms. Beckinsale] keeps showing up to set for her call time and everyone around her has been made aware it’s going to be a 15 hour [or more] day except for her.”
Rosenzweig then demanded immediate action to address the unsafe conditions. “If you’re trying to kill a person, you’re doing a great job,” she wrote to Zois, after asking him to explain his plans to remedy the situation. The complaint alleges Zois responded and agreed to shorten the actress’ “unsustainable” work days, saying, “I don’t know what else to say other than you’re right.”
Despite Zois’ response, Beckinsale’s attorneys alleged she still worked 15-hour days, was tasked to “perform dangerous action sequences, without pre-clearing or pre-training,” and the “set conditions continued to be dangerous.”
As a result of the alleged negligence and “conscious and reckless decisions, Ms. Beckinsale suffered further injury, including aggravation and exacerbation of her existing injuries, which was entirely avoidable,” per the complaint.
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PEOPLE reached out to Beckinsale and Zois’ representatives for further information on Wednesday.
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