A cult classic comedy franchise starringIce Cubehas multiple installments trending on streaming three decades after the premiere of the first movie. Ice Cube is best known as a rap icon, having been a key member of the gangsta rap group N.W.A., which was formed in 1987. In the early 1990s, he began a career as an actor, making his feature debut in the 1991 John Singleton classicBoyz n the Hood, following that up with performances in Walter Hill’sTrespassand Charles Burnett’sThe Glass Shield.
However, over the years,Ice Cube began to embrace more of a comic persona onscreen, which led him to star in multiple franchises in the comedy genre over the years. This includes theBarbershopfranchise, which now includes three movies, a spinoff, and a television remake. He also starred in the 2005 road trip comedyAre We There Yet?and its 2007 sequelAre We Done Yet?, following that by playing a supporting role in the21 Jump Streetcastand starring opposite Kevin Hart inRide Along. Both movies spawned one sequel apiece.
Two Friday Movies Are Charting On Netflix
Friday 4 Is Still In Development Hell
Two of theFridaymovies are charting on Netflix. The franchise kicked off in 1995 when Ice Cube debuted the role of Craig Jones opposite Chris Tucker as Smokey in the original movie, which followed the lives of the two friends over the course of one eventful day. TheFridaycastalso included Nia Long, Regina King, Bernie Mac, and John Witherspoon. The movie has so far spawned two sequels, witha fourth installment that was greenlit in 2017but has remained in development hellsince then. Below, see a breakdown of the cult favorite franchise’s critical and commercial performance:
77%
91%
$3.5 million
$27.4 million
22%
76%
$11 million
$59.8 million
26%
75%
$10 million
$33.5 million
Now, almost exactly thirty years after the debut of the first movie, two installments in theFridayfranchise are charting onNetflixin the United States. At the time of writing,Fridayis No. 6 on the streaming platform’s daily Top 10 chartof the most-watched movies in the region, whileNext Fridayhas landed at No. 10. They are by far the oldest titles on the chart, which includes recent theatrical releases such asTrapandKraven the Hunteras well as newly released Netflix originals includingThe Electric StateandPlankton: The Movie.
Among the current Top 10 - which also includesDespicable Me 4,Sonic the Hedgehog 2,Midnight in the Switchgrass, andVenom: The Last Dance- the twoFridaymovies arethe only titles that were not recently added to the platform.
What This Means For Friday
Friday 4 Could Gain Steam
The success of theFridaymoviescould be a good sign for the future of theIce Cubecomedy franchise. It helps to prove that the movies are still connecting with audiences three decades on, which could encourage producers to move forward quicker on the fourth installment. While the latest update from the star was positive, no major word has emerged from the project has come since 2022. Not only could this streaming success kickstart development,Netflix could potentially seize the opportunity to participate in a legacy sequeljust like their 2024 Eddie Murphy sequelBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
