*An Instagram user, @JunkboxAI, has brought a fresh and adorable twist to the beloved “Friday” franchise by recreating its iconic cast members as babies using artificial intelligence-generated video.
The original “Friday” (1995), co-written by Ice Cube, follows the misadventures of unemployed friends tackling a drug dealer and a neighborhood bully in their South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. The comedy classic stars Ice Cube alongside a stellar ensemble including Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr., Regina King, and Bernie Mac, among others.
The creative IG user didn’t stop with the 1995 original. As SandraRose.com reports, @JunkboxAI also reimagined cast members as babies from the sequels “Next Friday” (2000) and “Friday After Next” (2002), delighting fans with AI-generated nostalgia. Check out the Instagram post below. These playful recreations coincide with exciting news for the franchise’s future, as Ice Cube has finally secured a deal to revive the series after more than two decades.
According to Hot97, Ice Cube will write and star in “Last Friday,” the highly anticipated fourth installment, following an agreement with Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. New Line president and CCO Richard Brener confirmed the development in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, calling it a significant victory for Ice Cube, who has tirelessly advocated for the franchise’s return to the big screen.
The road to “Last Friday” has been a long one. Last June, Ice Cube offered an update on Flavor Flav’s SiriusXM show, Flavor of the Week, saying, “They have new leadership: my man Mike De Luca, who used to be at New Line when I first started, when I first did the first Friday and Players Club and All About the Benjamins. Mike De Luca was there.” His optimism was well-founded, as De Luca’s return to New Line paved the way for this breakthrough.
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Ice Cube’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. In 2022, he spoke candidly on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin’ podcast about his frustrations with Warner Bros., saying, “I don’t know. Warner Bros. is weird right now. I don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t know what they’re doing. We’d love to have it back. I think it’s going be close to a time when we 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.”
His determination has now paid off, with Ice Cube not only starring in but also directing “Last Friday,” marking a full-circle moment for the rapper-actor-filmmaker.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Ice Cube Secures Deal to Revive ‘Friday’ Franchise After Over 20 Years
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