Ice Cube is still fighting with Warner Bros. to regain control of his Friday franchise. The cult classic has been in limbo for over two decades, with Cube and the film studio struggling to come to terms with how they want to conclude the series. The fourth installment was scheduled to be the last, but between constant script revisions and the passing of the majority of its cast, it seems like the movie will never see the light of day at this point.
Ice Cube recently opened up about the process to get Friday done and the struggles he’s been dealing with fighting with Warner Bros. to gain access to his own movie. The movie producer has been at odds with the WB for many years. While doing a recent interview with Mike Tyson, Cube opened up about why he refused to buy the film back from WB and believes they should just step out the way and let him finish things on his own terms.
“I ain’t putting sh** up for it. F*** no. They need to give it to me, and they’re gonna make money…I’m not [going] to pay for my own stuff, that’s stupid.”
Elsewhere in the interview, he opened up about feeling that he could possibly regain control of the film in time and how it might just be a matter of being patient. “We’d love to have it back. I think it’s gonna be close to a time when we can get it back. So we’ll either wait for that time, or we’ll keep trying to convince them that they need to let us control the movie. It’s my movie, but they have distribution control.”
Fans have been eagerly awaiting the film and have been eating up any tidbits they get in the meantime. DC Young Fly got fans excited when he announced that Chris Tucker might return for a final film if he agrees to play his son. Ice Cube also teased a jail house setting for the final movie, where he and Mike Epps have to fight to escape after being arrested on drug charges.
Whatever the plan is, Cube seems determined to see it through however he can. “They need to do the right thing, get it to us, let us turn it into more money and make the fans happy, and people will have a good time with the series. We can do a lot with it.”
If Warner Bros does ‘the right thing’ and gives Ice Cube the rights to the franchise, the company would make a ton of money. Friday franchise is extremely profitable with the original movie earning $121.5 million on a $24.5 million budget. The second installment of Next Friday made $60 million on an $11 million budget. Friday After Next, made $33 million on a $10 million budget.
Although many characters from the previous films are no longer alive, fans would love to see the final installment done correctly. Many believe the last movie should pay homage to the actors who are no longer here, and bring back the OGs like Chris Tucker. Throughout the years, Ice Cube has also been criticized for underpaying the actors. It would be interesting to see if WB or Cube could come up with the budget to pay someone like Chris Tucker to return.
Ice Cube isn’t going out without a fight. Only time will tell, if we ever get another Friday movie.