Ice Cube fans, rejoice! After years of anticipation and setbacks, it seems like the long-awaited fourth installment of the iconic Friday movie series is finally gaining momentum. In a recent interview with Flavor Flav on SiriusXM’s Flavor of the Week, Ice Cube shared exciting updates about the future of the franchise, revealing that the project is moving forward with newfound support from Warner Bros.
“We’re working on it,” Cube confirmed enthusiastically. “We finally got some traction with Warner Bros. They have new leadership, my man Mike De Luca, who used to be at New Line when I first started, when I first did the first Friday and Player’s Club, and All About the Benjamins, you know, Mike De Luca was there.”
The significance of Mike De Luca’s involvement cannot be overstated. Cube emphasized how De Luca’s previous ties with New Line Cinema, where the original Friday and subsequent sequels were developed, have reignited the project’s prospects. “So now he’s running Warner Bros., and he’s like, you know him and my man Michael Gruber [are] like, ‘What the f— ‘s going on with Friday, man? Let’s get this s— back online!’”
Despite the promising developments, Cube expressed a bittersweet sentiment due to the loss of several key cast members over the years. “I was a little hot because they’d took so long because, you know, John Witherspoon passed away, Tiny passed away, A.J. Johnson passed away,” Cube reflected. John Witherspoon, who portrayed Ice Cube’s father Willie in all three prior movies, passed away in 2019; Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr., who played Deebo in the original Friday and Next Friday, passed away in 2020; and Anthony “A.J.” Johnson, known for his role as Ezal, passed away in 2021.
“They wanna do it, but the key is, it’s gotta be done right, Flav, or we shouldn’t f— with it,” Cube emphasized. “So they finally came to their senses. So hopefully we can get in the process of getting that movie made.”
The Friday franchise holds a special place in Ice Cube’s career, marking his transition from a celebrated rapper to a prominent actor and filmmaker. He co-wrote the screenplay for the original film alongside DJ Pooh and continued to shape its sequels, Next Friday in 2000 and Friday After Next in 2002. The series not only showcased Cube’s talent for storytelling but also launched careers, notably boosting Chris Tucker’s stardom despite his absence from subsequent sequels.
In 2017, Cube expressed his hopes of reuniting with Chris Tucker for the final chapter of the series. “We’re still trying to get Chris to do it,” Cube disclosed. “I can’t make Chris do it, but fans can hit him up.”
As discussions around Friday 4 progress, fans can’t help but wonder about the direction the new film will take. Will it honor the legacy of the original trilogy while introducing fresh elements? How will it pay tribute to the late John Witherspoon, Tommy Lister Jr., and A.J. Johnson, whose characters were integral parts of the series?
The journey to revive Friday has been a rollercoaster of anticipation and setbacks, but with the support of Warner Bros.’ new leadership and the unwavering commitment of Ice Cube, it seems like the pieces are finally falling into place. As we await further updates, one thing is clear: Ice Cube and his team are determined to make Friday 4 a worthy addition to the beloved franchise.
Stay tuned as the story unfolds, and let’s hope that this time, Friday comes back bigger and better than ever before.