A cult classic comedy franchise starring Ice Cube has multiple installments trending on streaming three decades after the premiere of the first movie. Ice Cube is best known as a rap icon, having been a key member of the gangsta rap group N.W.A., which was formed in 1987. In the early 1990s, he began a career as an actor, making his feature debut in the 1991 John Singleton classic Boyz n the Hood, following that up with performances in Walter Hill’s Trespᴀss and Charles Burnett’s The Glᴀss Shield.

However, over the years, Ice Cube began to embrace more of a comic persona onscreen, which led him to star in multiple franchises in the comedy genre over the years. This includes the Barbershop franchise, which now includes three movies, a spinoff, and a television remake. He also starred in the 2005 road trip comedy Are We There Yet? and its 2007 sequel Are We Done Yet?, following that by playing a supporting role in the 21 Jump Street cast and starring opposite Kevin Hart in Ride Along. Both movies spawned one sequel apiece.

Two Friday Movies Are Charting On Netflix

Friday 4 Is Still In Development Hell

Two of the Friday movies are charting on Netflix. The franchise kicked off in 1995 when Ice Cube debuted the role of Craig Jones opposite Chris Tucker as Smokey in the original movie, which followed the lives of the two friends over the course of one eventful day. The Friday cast also included Nia Long, Regina King, Bernie Mac, and John Witherspoon. The movie has so far spawned two sequels, with a fourth installment that was greenlit in 2017 but has remained in development hell since then. Below, see a breakdown of the cult favorite franchise’s critical and commercial performance:

Now, almost exactly thirty years after the debut of the first movie, two installments in the Friday franchise are charting on Netflix in the United States. At the time of writing, Friday is No. 6 on the streaming platform’s daily Top 10 chart of the most-watched movies in the region, while Next Friday has landed at No. 10. They are by far the oldest тιтles on the chart, which includes recent theatrical releases such as Trap and Kraven the Hunter as well as newly released Netflix originals including The Electric State and Plankton: The Movie.

Among the current Top 10 – which also includes Despicable Me 4, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Midnight in the Switchgrᴀss, and Venom: The Last Dance – the two Friday movies are the only тιтles that were not recently added to the platform.

What This Means For Friday

Friday 4 Could Gain Steam

The success of the Friday movies could be a good sign for the future of the Ice Cube comedy franchise. It helps to prove that the movies are still connecting with audiences three decades on, which could encourage producers to move forward quicker on the fourth installment. While the latest update from the star was positive, no major word has emerged from the project has come since 2022. Not only could this streaming success kickstart development, Netflix could potentially seize the opportunity to participate in a legacy sequel just like their 2024 Eddie Murphy sequel Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

Source: Netflix