Lawrence Lamont to Direct Last Friday: Ice Cube's Long-Awaited Sequel

Lawrence Lamont to Direct Last Friday: Ice Cube’s Long-Awaited Sequel

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Lawrence Lamont Signs to Direct Last Friday for New Line Cinema

A quarter-century after Craig Jones and Smokey first bickered their way through South Central Los Angeles, the Friday comedy franchise is officially expanding its cinematic footprint. Lawrence Lamont, fresh off his feature directorial debut with the TriStar Pictures buddy comedy One of Them Days, has been tapped to direct Last Friday for New Line Cinema, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Ice Cube, who co-created the 1995 cult classic alongside DJ Pooh, is writing the script, producing, and starring in the upcoming feature. Bob Teitel and CubeVision’s Michael Gruber are also producing, with Jeff Kwatinetz serving as executive producer. According to Yahoo, development gained substantial momentum over the past two years, with studio executives confirming the green-light phase after months of public teasers from Cube and co-star Mike Epps.

Production Logistics and California Tax Credits

Cameras are scheduled to roll in Southern California under the state’s production incentive program. Dark Horizons noted that New Line received $11.4 million in California production tax credits for the project, which is planned for a 40-day shoot involving 43 cast members and a 150-person crew. This local footprint keeps the production deeply tied to the community that inspired the original narrative.

Lawrence Lamont
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter

Lamont steps into the director’s chair following a career directing high-profile music videos for artists such as Big Sean, J. J. Cole, Jhené Aiko, Snoop Dogg, and Nas. His feature debut, One of Them Days, starred Keke Palmer and SZA, pulling in more than $51 million worldwide on a $14 million budget before claiming the top spot on Netflix for four consecutive weeks, earning Lamont the African American Film Critics Association’s Breakthrough Director Award.

Franchise History and Gentrification Themes

The original Friday debuted in 1995, directed by F. Gary Gray, and was followed by two sequels: Next Friday in 2000 and Friday After Next in 2002. Cube wrote those sequels solo and starred in all three, though Chris Tucker did not return for the subsequent installments. An animated series also aired briefly on MTV2 in the aughts.

While Chris Tucker’s potential return as Smokey remains a point of speculation for fans, Epps and Cube indicated in previous joint appearances that the new narrative will likely tackle modern themes including gentrification. No official release date has been finalized by New Line Cinema as the production moves forward with its 40-day principal photography plan.

Disclaimer: The cultural analyses and financial data presented in this article are based on available public records and industry metrics at the time of publication.

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