Ice Cube’s upcoming sequel to the classic 1995 sleeper hit comedy doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence, considering the franchise in question, Friday, has had two critical misfires. Originally created by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh, there were 3 movies in the stoner buddy-comedy franchise released between 1995 and 2002, and each Friday movie had a slightly different cast. Following the exploits of an unemployed Craig Jones (Ice Cube) as he finds himself in the midst of various issues that always occur on a Friday, Ice Cube’s Friday movies defined a generation and became a cult classic over time.
Considered one of the best R-rated comedies of the 1990s, Friday found success after its release in 1995, obtaining a large cult following that inspired memes and pop culture references, as well as launching a media franchise. Friday is considered an important part of hood film history as it counteracted the typical violent portrayals, and it was also a breakout role for Chris Tucker, gaining him greater recognition. Now, 23 years since the last Friday movie was released, a fourth film has been confirmed to be in development, however, the franchise’s history leaves the upcoming sequel on rocky ground.
After The Last Two Friday Movies, I’m Not Sure A Fourth Movie Is A Good Idea
The Friday Sequels Didn’t Live Up To The First Film
With rumors circulating for many years due to Ice Cube’s ongoing mission to continue the franchise, it has been confirmed a fourth Friday movie is now in development and Ice Cube will be returning. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, New Line president and CCO Richard Brener said that “We are making another Friday. We just closed a deal with Ice Cube to write and star. It’s going to be called Last Friday.” The new тιтle follows the trend of previous Friday movies and is an exciting prospect considering it has been two decades since the last film.
|
Friday Franchise |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Movie |
Tomatometer |
Popcornmeter |
|
Friday (1995) |
77% |
91% |
|
Next Friday (2000) |
22% |
76% |
|
Friday After Next (2002) |
26% |
75% |
However, after the last two Friday movies, I’m not sure a fourth film is a good idea. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Friday towers over its sequels with a 77% Tomatometer, as both Next Friday and Friday After Next fell into the 20% region. Even the Popcornmeter reflects the same trend, showcasing that it’s not just critics that felt the Friday sequels didn’t live up to the first film. Therefore, a fourth Friday movie may not be a good idea, as it seems nothing could live up to Friday’s legacy, especially as there are so many factors for its failure.
How Friday 4 Can Return To The Original Magic After 2 Poor Sequels
Friday 4’s Issues Make Me Question If Last Friday Will Be Any Good
Friday 4 will have a lot of trouble trying to capture the magic of the original movie after two poor sequels, especially considering the fourth film has a lot to wrestle with in other areas. Prominent members of the Friday cast have died, Chris Tucker’s hilarious Smokey character never made a reappearance after the first film, and the general changes in society during the franchise’s 20-year hiatus all hint at Friday 4 being a bad idea. As a result, Last Friday will need to do something particularly notable to resurrect the franchise and overcome its long list of issues.
It is possible that Chris Tucker’s reappearance as Smokey would be enough to bring audiences in for Friday 4. Having been absent from the franchise since the first film, fans missed Smokey and his comedic energy in Friday’s sequels, despite Mike Epps’ Day-Day being a decent replacement character. However, in 2021, Ice Cube said on X (formerly Twitter) that Tucker declined Friday sequels due to “religious reasons,” elaborating that “He didn’t want to cuss or smoke weed on camera anymore.” Therefore, it looks unlikely that Tucker will reappear as Smokey again unless his character went through a significant change.
Some have suggested that an in-universe funeral would be a great way to honor John Witherspoon and bring everyone together for a final Friday movie…
Furthermore, Willie Jones (Craig’s dad) will be sorely missed in the Friday franchise following actor John Witherspoon’s death. Some have suggested that an in-universe funeral would be a great way to honor John Witherspoon and bring everyone together for a final Friday movie, befitting the Last Friday тιтle. It would be great to see if Friday 4 could try and capture that “lazy afternoon in the neighborhood” feel that everyone loved in the original, and Ice Cube’s Friday movie trending on Netflix’s streaming charts shows there’s still an audience available. Therefore, we can only hope that Last Friday delivers.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, X
