Nationwide — Ice Dice has formally struck a deal to carry again the beloved “Friday” franchise, greater than twenty years after the final installment. The rapper, actor, and filmmaker will write, direct, and star in Final Friday, the long-awaited fourth movie within the iconic comedy collection. The settlement with Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema marks a significant breakthrough after years of stalled negotiations and artistic disagreements.
In line with Variety, New Line Cinema’s president and CCO, Richard Brener, confirmed the information in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, describing the revival as a big win for each the studio and Ice Dice. Followers of the franchise have been eagerly awaiting updates, and Dice has dropped a number of hints through the years. Simply final June, throughout an look on Taste Flav’s Taste of the Week on SiriusXM, Dice shared that the altering management at Warner Bros. may lastly assist transfer the venture ahead.
Again in 2022, Ice Dice opened up about his frustrations with the studio throughout an episode of Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin’ podcast. He revealed that Warner Bros. had been unwilling to relinquish distribution rights or give him full artistic management over the franchise. “It’s my film, however they’ve distribution management,” he stated on the time, voicing his concern that the studio was standing in the best way of progress.
That persistence has lastly paid off. Dice is not going to solely return to the display screen however may even helm the venture as director, giving him the artistic freedom he’s lengthy pushed for. His function in shaping the franchise — from co-writing the unique Friday with DJ Pooh to writing the sequels Subsequent Friday (2000) and Friday After Subsequent (2002) — has been instrumental in its cultural legacy.
The Friday collection, which started in 1995, has turn into a cornerstone of Black comedy in American cinema, identified for its humor, memorable characters, and sharp commentary on on a regular basis life. After Warner Bros. absorbed New Line Cinema, growth on a fourth movie stagnated, however this renewed partnership between Dice and longtime collaborator Mike De Luca has breathed new life into the venture.
Whereas followers are thrilled concerning the return of Final Friday, many particulars stay underneath wraps. There isn’t any official launch date or forged listing but, and it’s nonetheless unclear whether or not unique stars like Chris Tucker or Mike Epps will reprise their roles. For now, pleasure is constructing as Ice Dice gears as much as carry the story full circle and reintroduce the franchise to a brand new era.
