The unrelenting blame game taking place between Ice Cube and Warner Bros. has yet to let up. Hanging in the balance is the fourth installment of the “Friday” franchise, “Last Friday,” which, according to the rapper, has been in the works for over a decade.
Fed up with delays that have stalled any real progress of the film, Ice Cube, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson, wants the studio to relinquish to him the rights to the film, along with “All About the Benjamins” and Black cult classic “The Players Club.”
A Wall Street Journal report featuring excerpts from letters shared between Cube’s legal team and the studio reveals “disagreements over creative direction, accusations that neither side is engaging in a sincere manner and finger-pointing over who is causing the delays.”
Cube previously aired out his grievances with the lack of movement in getting the film made. On social media he accused the studio of refusing to make more sequels — the 2000 “Next Friday” and the 2002 “Friday After Next” followed the original 1995 “Friday” film — and hijacking the happiness of the culture. Ice Cube did not address how the absences of John Witherspoon, Tiny Lister, and Bernie Mac — all of whom have died since appearing in the original film — would affect the planned sequel. Witherspoon portrayed the character Willie Jones — the father of Ice Cube’s lead character Craig Jones — in all three films and was slated to have a prominent role in the fourth installment before his death in 2019.
Other claims made by the rapper turned actor include his projects being habitually underfunded, “excessive feedback,” and accusing the studio of being “bad stewards” of the film. All accusations the studio strongly disagrees with.
In fact, Warner Bros. says the blame falls squarely on the former N.W.A. group member. A studio spokesperson told WSJ, “We strongly disagree with any claims of discriminatory treatment, and stand by our ongoing and proven commitment to support diverse voices and storytellers and will continue to do so as we move forward.”
The studio also said it would not being relinquishing rights to any of the three films laid out in Cube’s demands.
“For nearly a decade we have expressed unwavering support for a Friday sequel, even as the years passed between the two scripts he [Cube] was enlisted to write for the Friday franchise due to his own delays,” a studio representative said.
Outside of being a filmmaker the 52-year-old launched his global basketball league, BIG3, in 2017. In recent years he has actively raised funds to revitalize interest in the league, and to gain big parters like Thriller. In May of this year he announced the much anticipated season schedule.
“After a challenging year, we can’t wait to have our players back on the court for the best BIG3 season yet — where the world’s top competitors came together on one court and provide fans with an unmatched entertainment experience. We are excited to bring the BIG3 to two basketball rich cities and we know our players will put on a show,” said BIG3 co-founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz in a statement.
But as far as Warner Bros. sees things, the rapper’s efforts to outside of making “Last Friday” come to fruition have eaten up his focus — an idea he strongly disagrees with. Instead he claims getting his scripts approved has been an impossible uphill battle with execs who question the comedian material.
“We’re right there at the finish line, and they don’t pull the trigger,” he said. “These guys don’t get me, and I don’t get them.”
