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, andeachFridaymovie 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’sFridaymoviesdefined a generation and became a cult classic over time.
Considered one of thebest R-rated comedies of the 1990s,Fridayfound 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.Fridayis 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 lastFridaymovie 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 confirmeda fourthFridaymovie is now in development and Ice Cube will be returning. In a statement toThe 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 title follows the trend of previousFridaymovies and is an exciting prospect considering it has been two decades since the last film.
77%
91%
22%
76%
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75%
However, after the last twoFridaymovies, I’m not sure a fourth film is a good idea. According toRotten Tomatoes,Fridaytowers over its sequels with a 77% Tomatometer, as bothNext FridayandFriday After Nextfell into the 20% region. Even the Popcornmeter reflects the same trend, showcasing thatit’s not just critics that felt theFridaysequels didn’t live up to the first film. Therefore, a fourthFridaymovie may not be a good idea, as it seems nothing could live up toFriday’slegacy, 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 4will 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. Prominentmembers of theFridaycast 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 atFriday 4being a bad idea. As a result,Last Fridaywill need to do something particularly notable to resurrect the franchise and overcome its long list of issues.
It is possible thatChris Tucker’s reappearance as Smokey would be enough to bring audiences in forFriday 4. Having been absent from the franchise since the first film, fans missed Smokey and his comedic energy inFriday’ssequels, despite Mike Epps’ Day-Day being a decent replacement character. However, in 2021, Ice Cube said onX(formerly Twitter) that Tucker declinedFridaysequels 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 finalFridaymovie…
Furthermore, Willie Jones (Craig’s dad) will be sorely missed in theFridayfranchise 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 finalFridaymovie, befitting theLast Fridaytitle. It would be great to see ifFriday 4could try and capture that “lazy afternoon in the neighborhood” feel that everyone loved in the original, andIce Cube’sFridaymovie trending on Netflix’s streaming chartsshows there’s still an audience available. Therefore, we can only hope thatLast Fridaydelivers.
All 3 Friday Movies Performed Well At The Box Office
They All Made More Than Three Times Their Budget
While there are many doubts about whetherLast Fridayis a good idea, one factor that is in the movie’s favor is the franchise’s box office history. As perThe Numbers,everyFridaymovie has been successful at the box office, regardless of the critical reception.Friday, whose production budget was only $3.5 million, went on to gross $27.9 million worldwide following its theatrical release in 1995, including $6.6 million during its opening weekend. The commercial success led to the first sequel,Next Friday, getting a larger budget of $9.5 million and grossing $59.7 globally.
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Next Fridayearned the most out of all the franchise’s installments and had the best opening weekend at $16.9 million.Friday After Next’s box office total only came to $33.5 million, but with a $10 million budget, the third movie was still an undeniable box office success. This was helped by an opening weekend of $13 million, which was a decrease from the opening weekend ofNext Friday, but still more than enough for the sequel to make back more than its budget during its first weekend in theaters.
$3.5 million
$6.6 million
$27.9 million
$9.5 million
$16.9 million
$59.7 million
$10 million
$13 million
$33.5 million
IfLast Fridayhas a smaller budget as well, it could continue the franchise’s history of box office success.EveryFridaymovie so far has made back more than three times its budget, and this feat would be even more impressive at a time when many movies with high budgets are significantly underperforming at the box office.Last Fridayalso has the benefit of being a legacy sequel, which could help its box office performance. It won’t have the same widespread appeal as asuperhero legacy sequel, but still comes with plenty of history and recognizability.
Meme Culture Has Kept Friday Relevant To Modern Generations
This Can Help With Marketing Last Friday
Thanks to meme culture,Last Fridayis not only a legacy sequel, but is a movie that can still be relevant and recognizable to modern generations. There is no shortage of memes featuring Ice Cube’s Craig and Tucker’s Smokey, with the most prominent one showing them saying,“Damn.” Last Fridaycan take advantage of this by emphasizing therecognizable memesin the marketing, which will help the sequel grab the attention of modern generations along with longtime fans of the franchise.
Last Fridaycould become yet another movie to see memes translate to box office success, especially if the memes are utilized effectively during the marketing of the sequel.
Barbie,Oppenheimer, andMinions: The Rise of Gruare all movies that commercially benefited from the influence of related memes.A Minecraft Movie’s opening weekendis just the latest example of memes contributing to high box-office grosses.Last Fridaycould become yet another movie to see memes translate to box office success, especially if the memes are utilized effectively during the marketing of the sequel. There is still a question of whether a fourthFridaymovie should happen, but the meme factor does create a case for how it can successfully happen.
Friday
Cast
Friday is a 1995 comedy film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh. Starring Ice Cube as Craig Jones and Chris Tucker as his friend Smokey, the story unfolds over one day in their South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. Dealing with the mundane and the unexpected, the film provides a humorous yet insightful look into the lives and challenges of the characters, capturing urban life and culture.
