# Friday (franchise)
**Friday** is an American comedy film franchise consisting of three theatrical films released by [New Line Cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-line-cinema) between 1995 and 2002, set in South Central Los Angeles and centered on Craig Jones, a character played by Ice Cube. The series began with *Friday* (1995), written by Ice Cube and [DJ Pooh](https://www.edgepedia.org/dj-pooh) and directed by [F. Gary Gray](https://www.edgepedia.org/f-gary-gray), and continued with *Next Friday* (2000) and *Friday After Next* (2002), both written by Ice Cube alone. A fourth film, *Last Friday*, entered a new development deal with Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema in April 2025.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59897-FRIDAY?cxt=filmography) • [2](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ice-cube-new-friday-movie-1236358006/) • [3](https://deadline.com/2025/04/ice-cube-friday-sequel-warner-bros-new-line-cinema-1236357666/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Films | *Friday* (April 26, 1995), *Next Friday* (January 12, 2000), *Friday After Next* (November 22, 2002), all distributed by New Line Cinema[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/) • [5](https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/friday) |
| Creators | Written by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh (1995); Ice Cube has solo screenplay credits on both sequels[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59897-FRIDAY?cxt=filmography) • [2](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ice-cube-new-friday-movie-1236358006/) |
| Directors | F. Gary Gray (1995, his feature directorial debut), Steve Carr (2000), Marcus Raboy (2002)[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59897-FRIDAY?cxt=filmography) • [6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise) |
| Highest-grossing entry | *Next Friday*: $57,328,603 lifetime domestic gross from 1,420 max theaters[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/) |
| Original's gross | *Friday* earned $27,467,564 domestically from a maximum of 883 theaters[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/) |
| Cast continuity | Ice Cube and John Witherspoon are the only actors to appear in all three films[6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise) |
| Fourth film | *Last Friday*: Ice Cube signed a deal with Warner Bros. and New Line in April 2025 to write and reprise Craig Jones[3](https://deadline.com/2025/04/ice-cube-friday-sequel-warner-bros-new-line-cinema-1236357666/) |
## Films
**Friday (1995).** New Line Cinema released the 97-minute R-rated comedy on April 26, 1995, according to Warner Bros. and the [American Film Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-film-institute); [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) lists its theatrical opening on April 28, 1995.[5](https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/friday) • [1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59897-FRIDAY?cxt=filmography) • [4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/) It marked the screenwriting debut of rapper-actor Ice Cube, working with DJ Pooh, and the feature directorial debut of music-video director F. Gary Gray.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/friday-review-1995-movie-1205006/) The cast included Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, and [Nia Long](https://www.edgepedia.org/nia-long).[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59897-FRIDAY?cxt=filmography)
**Next Friday (2000).** Directed by Steve Carr and written by Ice Cube, it opened January 12, 2000 in 1,103 theaters and was the first film produced by Cube Vision, Ice Cube's production company.[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/) • [6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise)
**Friday After Next (2002).** Directed by Marcus Raboy and written by Ice Cube, it opened November 22, 2002 in 1,616 theaters, the widest release of the series.[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/) • [6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise)
## Cast and characters
Ice Cube plays Craig Jones, a freshly unemployed young man living at home with his mother ([Anna Maria Horsford](https://www.edgepedia.org/anna-maria-horsford)), his dog-catcher father ([John Witherspoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-witherspoon)), and his taunting sister ([Regina King](https://www.edgepedia.org/regina-king)). In the first film, Craig and his best friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) become indebted to a local drug dealer in South Central Los Angeles; the character was written as a 22-year-old slacker.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/friday-review-1995-movie-1205006/) • [3](https://deadline.com/2025/04/ice-cube-friday-sequel-warner-bros-new-line-cinema-1236357666/)
Ice Cube and John Witherspoon are the only actors to appear in all three films.[6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise)
## Production and creative control
Ice Cube co-wrote the 1995 original with DJ Pooh and holds solo screenplay credits on *Next Friday* and *Friday After Next*.[2](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ice-cube-new-friday-movie-1236358006/) *Next Friday* was the first film produced through Cube Vision, his production company.[6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise)
## By the numbers
Box Office Mojo's franchise table shows a pattern in which the sequel outperformed the original theatrically and the third film fell back:
| Film | Opening (theaters) | Opening gross | Lifetime domestic gross | Max theaters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Friday* (Apr 28, 1995) | 865 | $6,589,341 | $27,467,564 | 883 |
| *Next Friday* (Jan 12, 2000) | 1,103 | $14,465,156 | $57,328,603 | 1,420 |
| *Friday After Next* (Nov 22, 2002) | 1,616 | $13,010,767 | $33,253,609 | 1,621 |
All figures are domestic and all three films were distributed by New Line Cinema.[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/) *Next Friday* more than doubled the original's lifetime gross while playing in fewer than twice as many theaters; *Friday After Next* opened nearly as strongly in far more theaters but finished well below the second film. [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter)'s contemporary account rounded the original's domestic total to $27 million.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/friday-review-1995-movie-1205006/)
## Reception and critical assessment
Contemporary critical reception of *Friday* was mixed. Metacritic's collected record shows 44% of 9 reviews positive, 44% mixed, and 11% negative.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/friday/) Critics framed the film as a lighthearted, comedic counterpart to dramatic portrayals of South Central Los Angeles such as *Boyz N the Hood*; The Hollywood Reporter's 1995 review called it "something of a lighthearted Boyz N the Hood," and one contemporary notice judged it "more intriguing as a social problem than a movie" for general audiences.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/friday-review-1995-movie-1205006/) • [8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/friday/)
Retrospective commentary has emphasized the film's loose "day in the life" structure as central to its lasting appeal and quotable dialogue. Rotten Tomatoes' critics consensus holds that what *Friday* lacks in taut construction or directorial flair it makes up for with vibrant, consistently crass humor and charming, energetic lead performances; the site's archived review credited the oddball character quirks while noting a weakness for toilet humor.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/friday)
## Related media
A short-lived animated series based on the films, *Friday: The Animated Series*, debuted in 2007 on MTV2 and lasted 8 episodes, with [Khary Payton](https://www.edgepedia.org/khary-payton) voicing Craig Jones.[6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise)
## Last Friday: development of a fourth film
On October 1, 2022, on the *Drink Champs* podcast, Ice Cube said Warner Bros., which owns the franchise's distribution rights, had rejected *Last Friday* scripts citing creative differences. He also noted the deaths of cast members John Witherspoon, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., and Anthony "AJ" Johnson before the film was made: "Man, we keep losing people, and y'all keep dicking around, not doing the movie the way it needed to be done."[3](https://deadline.com/2025/04/ice-cube-friday-sequel-warner-bros-new-line-cinema-1236357666/) • [6](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise)
In June 2024, speaking with [Flavor Flav](https://www.edgepedia.org/flavor-flav) on his SiriusXM show *Flavor of the Week*, Ice Cube said the sequel had "finally got some traction" at Warner Bros. under co-chief [Michael De Luca](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-de-luca).[2](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ice-cube-new-friday-movie-1236358006/) In April 2025, New Line president and chief creative officer Richard Brener revealed that a deal had been closed for Ice Cube to write and star in *Last Friday*, the fourth entry and the first in over 20 years.[3](https://deadline.com/2025/04/ice-cube-friday-sequel-warner-bros-new-line-cinema-1236357666/) • [2](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ice-cube-new-friday-movie-1236358006/)
## References
1. [Friday (1995), AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59897-FRIDAY?cxt=filmography)
2. [Ice Cube to Star in and Write New 'Friday' Movie at Warner Bros., Variety (April 2025)](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ice-cube-new-friday-movie-1236358006/)
3. [Ice Cube Sets 'Friday' Sequel At Warner Bros. & New Line Cinema, Deadline (April 2025)](https://deadline.com/2025/04/ice-cube-friday-sequel-warner-bros-new-line-cinema-1236357666/)
4. [Franchise: Friday, Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3477573381/)
5. [Friday, WarnerBros.com](https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/friday)
6. [Friday (franchise), avetruthbooks.com](https://www.avetruthbooks.com/en-friday-franchise)
7. ['Friday' Review: 1995 Movie, The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/friday-review-1995-movie-1205006/)
8. [Friday Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/friday/)
9. [Friday, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/friday)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Film characters and fictional worlds › Comedy film characters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license