Lawrence Lamont, the filmmaker behind One of Them Days, has been tapped to direct Last Friday, bringing Ice Cube’s long-running comedy franchise back to the big screen for the first time in 25 years. Cube, who co-created the series, is writing the new movie, producing it, and returning to star.
The news also caught the attention of Cube’s son, actor O’Shea Jackson Jr., who took to X with a message suggesting nobody had bothered to contact him about the project. “I haven’t received any emails or calls from my agent about this project…. I swear…. to God……I will call mom,” he wrote.
Jackson Jr. didn’t announce that he was joining the cast, and his post doesn’t confirm any involvement in the film. Still, the prospect of another Friday movie apparently has him wondering why his phone hasn’t been ringing. Jackson Jr. played his father in Straight Outta Compton, so the family connection is already part of his filmography, even if this latest project remains a mystery for him. At least he has a sense of humor about it.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news of Lamont’s hiring. Alongside Cube, the film will be produced by Bob Teitel and CubeVision’s Michael Gruber, with Jeff Kwatinetz serving as executive producer. The production is planned for Southern California, where New Line has received $11.4 million through California’s film production incentive program. The project is expected to shoot for 40 days, with 43 cast members and 150 crew members anticipated.
The original Friday arrived in 1995, pairing Cube as Craig Jones with Chris Tucker as Smokey, a small-time drug dealer whose day with Craig spirals into trouble. Directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Cube with DJ Pooh, the movie followed the two friends through a day in South Central Los Angeles filled with problems involving work, relationships, family, and dangerous local characters. Its modest neighborhood comedy setup helped it become a cult favorite.
Cube returned for Next Friday in 2000 and Friday After Next in 2002, writing both sequels himself and starring in all three films. Tucker, however, appeared only in the original. The franchise also expanded into animation with Friday: The Animated Series, which briefly aired on MTV2 during the 2000s.
Lamont’s appointment brings a filmmaker with experience in music videos and contemporary comedy to the franchise. Before making his feature directorial debut, he directed videos for longtime collaborator Big Sean, including “I Don’t F*** With You,” “Twenty88,” and “On Up.” He also worked with artists including J. Cole, Jhené Aiko, Snoop Dogg, and Nas. His video work earned an MTV Video Music Award nomination for “I Don’t F*** With You,” and he won an MTV Video Music Award for “Light.”
His feature debut, One of Them Days, starred Keke Palmer and SZA as two friends trying to get through a chaotic day in Los Angeles. Made for a reported $14 million, the film grossed more than $51 million worldwide and later topped Netflix’s charts for four consecutive weeks. Lamont received the African American Film Critics Association’s Breakthrough Director Award and earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for outstanding directing in a motion picture.
That film’s buddy-comedy focus offers a clear connection to Friday, even though the characters and circumstances are different. The next challenge is bringing Craig’s world back to theaters after a quarter-century without a new live-action entry. As for whether Jackson Jr. will be part of it, his agent apparently has some explaining to do first.
