Lawrence Lamont has been selected to helm Last Friday, a new comedy film from New Line Cinema marking the first installment of the franchise in over two decades. Ice Cube, who co-created the original series, will serve as writer, producer, and lead actor, with Bob Teitel and CubeVision’s Michael Gruber also producing alongside executive producer Jeff Kwatinetz.
The original Friday debuted in 1995, directed by F. Gary Gray and co-written by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh. The film starred Cube as Craig Jones and Chris Tucker as Smokey, following the pair through a day filled with various complications in South Central Los Angeles. The project became a cultural phenomenon and generated two sequels: Next Friday in 2000 and Friday After Next in 2002, both written by Cube who appeared in all three films. Tucker only appeared in the first installment. An animated adaptation, Friday: The Animated Series, aired briefly on MTV2 during the 2000s.
Lamont’s selection follows the commercial success of his directorial debut, One of Them Days, released earlier this year. That film, starring Keke Palmer and SZA with a budget of $14 million, earned over $51 million globally and subsequently became a major streaming hit, topping Netflix’s rankings for four consecutive weeks. His work on the project earned him the AAFCA Breakthrough Director Award and an NAACP Image Award nomination for outstanding directing in a motion picture. Prior to his feature film work, Lamont built his career directing music videos for artists including Big Sean, J. Cole, Jhené Aiko, Snoop Dogg, and Nas, earning MTV Video Music Award nominations and wins.
The production is slated to film in Southern California and qualifies for the state’s production incentive program, with New Line receiving $11.4 million in support. The project is planned for 40 filming days with 43 cast members and 150 crew members.
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