Twenty-two years after they first switched bodies — and won the hearts of a generation — Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are back together again, proving that some movie magic never fades.

On a sun-drenched soundstage at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, the two stars recently reunited for a PEOPLE cover shoot just one day after wrapping production on Freakier Friday, the long-anticipated sequel to their 2003 hit Freaky Friday. But this reunion wasn’t just about movie nostalgia. It was about friendship, family, and the rare kind of bond that outlasts Hollywood.

“This is the right time in my life to be back here,” Lohan, 39, said with a smile. “I have a family now. I can share this with them.”

Curtis, now 66 and riding high on her recent Oscar and Emmy wins, nodded. “It feels like home,” she added.

A Full-Circle Moment

For both stars, this moment felt surreal — not just because of the sequel, but because of where life had taken them since they first filmed Freaky Friday. Lohan, once a teen Disney star navigating fame at full speed, is now a mother to a 2-year-old son, Luai, whom she’s raising with husband Bader Shammas between the U.S. and Dubai. Curtis, a Hollywood icon since the ’70s and daughter of screen legends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, has found new creative freedom in recent years, embracing roles that show off her signature mix of grit and humor.

As Lohan looked around the cavernous stage, she paused. “It just hit me — this is where we did our makeup test for the first movie,” she said. Curtis replied with a knowing smile: “Life is so full circle sometimes.”

A Bond Built to Last

The deep affection between Curtis and Lohan is unmistakable. And it’s not just for the cameras.

“Jamie was with me at a time in my life when I was going through a lot publicly,” Lohan shared. “She was privately really there for me. I can trust her.”

Curtis echoed the sentiment: “We’re not just co-stars. We’re part of each other’s lives.”

When asked what took so long for the sequel to come together, Curtis was candid: “Everyone always asked, ‘When’s the sequel coming?’ I always said, ‘Lindsay has to be old enough to have a teenager.’”

Once Lohan became a mom, the pieces fell into place. The two reconnected, baby in tow, and the conversations got serious. Before long, Freakier Friday was in motion.

From On-Screen Switch to Off-Screen Sync

The first Freaky Friday hit theaters in 2003, starring Lohan as rebellious teen Anna Coleman and Curtis as her overworked mother, Tess. The film’s body-swapping hijinks struck a chord with audiences and quickly became a Disney classic. Behind the scenes, the chemistry was real.

Lohan, just 17 at the time, famously greeted Curtis on their first day of filming with, “Hi, Mom.”

Today, that maternal connection hasn’t faded. “We’re both comfortable in our own skin,” Curtis said. “We’ve both been through hard things. That kind of honesty doesn’t go away.”

Curtis, who has been sober for more than two decades, also credits their bond to something deeper than industry ties. “In all of the great ways that being older — and letting go of vanity — allows, I’ve been able to just let it rip in my work these past few years,” she said. “But I also know who I can trust. And Lindsay is one of those people.”

Lohan, who has experienced her own highly public ups and downs, agreed. “Safe is a very important word to me,” she said. “I have to feel safe around people. And Jamie is one of those people.”

A New Generation of Freaky

In Freakier Friday, the story picks up years later — with Lohan’s character now a mom herself, navigating life with a teenage daughter played by rising star Julia Butters (of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). The torch is passed, but the themes — understanding, empathy, and a little magical mayhem — remain timeless.

“There’s something about this universe that lets us revisit who we are at different stages in life,” Lohan reflected. “When we filmed the first one, I was 15. Now I get to do it all over again, but as a mom.”

Curtis, who had a 15-year-old daughter herself back in 2003, finds it all a bit surreal. “Now Lindsay’s the mom on screen. It’s wild how life imitates art,” she said.

The Secret to Their Magic?

In an era where celebrity friendships often feel fleeting or forced, Curtis and Lohan’s relationship is the real deal. Through career highs, personal challenges, and evolving lives, they’ve stuck by each other.

“We connected, and we really stayed connected,” Curtis said simply. “That is special and rare for me.”

So what’s next? Could there be a Freakiest Friday down the road?

“Lindsay Lohan, 20 years from now, Freakiest Friday — you in?” Curtis teased.

Lohan didn’t hesitate. “I’m in.”

Hollywood With Heart

While the world gears up for the release of Freakier Friday on August 8, fans can rest assured: this sequel isn’t just about revisiting a beloved story. It’s about celebrating growth, redemption, and a friendship that’s only gotten stronger with time.

And as Lohan and Curtis prove, sometimes the best stories take a little time — and a lot of heart — to tell.