Ice Cube is not here for a possible prequel of the ’90s classic comedy. Rumors have been speculating on social media about a prequel starring Vince Staples and Druski. On Monday (March 21), a tweet circulated that read: “A ‘Friday‘ prequel is in the works for HBO max. Comedian druski and rapper Vince Staples are attached the lead roles.” @OhThatMarco, who wrote the tweet, also claimed that Cube’s, O’Shea Jackson Jr., wrote the script. “O’Shea Jackson Jr. the writer of the script says the Movie will go into production sometime this summer,” the tweet read. Cube, who played Craig Jones in the franchise, re-shared the tweet and shared his disapproval. “This is blasphemy,” Cube wrote back.
The original Friday film hit theaters in 1995 and starred Ice Cube, Chris Tucker as Smokey, John Witherspoon as Pops and Tiny Lister as Deebo. Nia Long also made an appearance, as well as Faizon Love as well as other fan favorites. The film was a commercial success, earning $27 million worldwide. But the cult following was larger.
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Two sequels would follow, Next Friday in 2000 and Friday After Next in 2002. After the first film, Tucker did not appear in the films. For years, his absence was the subject of major questions. It wasn’t until Cube revealed why in a tweet.
According to Cube, Tucker was offered $12 million to appear in the sequels. He claims Tucker turned down the roles due to personal conflicts with his religious path.
“We were ready to pay Chris Tucker $10-12m to do Next Friday but he turned us down for religious reasons. He didn’t want to cuss or smoke weed on camera anymore,” Ice Cube tweeted to a fan who asked why Tucker was absent. The Philadelphia Tribune reported such.
A fourth film, which was tentatively titled Last Friday, was set to be in the works. But Witherspoon passed away. Cube was also having trouble getting the film finished but fans are still yearning for more.
Several actors have spoken out about not being paid much for their participation in the movie. Witherspoon alleged he’d only earned $5,000 for the first film, according to an interview he did in 2018.
