In an exciting turn for fans of the Friday film franchise, legendary cartoonist and writer Aaron McGruder has joined the writers’ room for the long-rumored final installment of the series, tentatively titled Last Friday.
Actor and comedian Mike Epps, who has featured in the franchise’s previous entries, revealed the news during his recent interview with Big Boy.
“I just was with Ice Cube, DJ Pooh, and Aaron McGruder, sitting in the room writing this movie,” Epps said of the addition of McGruder, creator of the cult-savvy comic strip and subsequent animated series The Boondocks. “We’re writing it right now, and it’s gonna be crazy.”
Aaron McGruder arrives at the ESPYS Awards Pre Party held at the Roosevelt Hotel on July 10, 2007 in Hollywood, California.
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Epps further noted that the occasion was the first time that all of the writers of the film were in a room together to trade ideas about the script. “This is the first time we all got together,” the Indiana native said while providing the latest update regarding Last Friday.
McGruder’s arrival is significant: his groundbreaking work began with The Boondocks comic strip—debuting in the student newspaper of the University of Maryland and later syndicated nationwide—then evolved into a sharp, socially conscious animated series for Adult Swim.
Known for its biting commentary on race, politics, and culture, The Boondocks earned a dedicated and critically appreciative fan base. McGruder’s unique voice and fearless satire have long earned him a reputation for mixing humour with provocative reflection.
Aaron McGruder during The Academy of Television Foundation’s College Television Awards at The Culver Studios in Culver City, CA, United States.
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At the same time, the Friday series’ lead—Ice Cube—has been waging a protracted battle in the background.
Although the original film premiered in 1995 and spawned sequels Next Friday (2000) and Friday After Next (2002), Cube has repeatedly lamented that he cannot bring the new movie to fruition because the studio currently holding the rights, Warner Bros. (via New Line Cinema), continues to stall.
“I don’t know. Warner Bros is weird right now… They don’t know what they’re doing. We’d love to have it back,” Cube said in a 2022 podcast appearance, adding bluntly: “I ain’t putting sh*t up for it. F**k no. They need to give it to me.”
Ice Cube visits SiriusXM Studios on July 10, 2023 in New York City.
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He also revealed that two scripts for Last Friday had been submitted and rejected, further fueling speculation that the project was mired in development limbo. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the film is moving forward under the production of Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema.
With Aaron McGruder now at the table alongside Cube, DJ Pooh and Mike Epps, the new draft for the film appears to be gaining fresh momentum. Epps also took a moment to honour Cube’s legacy.
“Shouts out to Ice Cube, the Don Mega,” the comic said while saluting his longtime co-star.
Mike Epps attends the screening of Paramount+’s “On The Come Up” at Snoop Dogg’s Compound on September 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California.
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“I always give Ice Cube his props, man, because not only did he walk me in the business, but he walked a lot of young brothers and sisters in the business.”
In short: a landmark cultural creator is stepping into a landmark franchise at a crucial juncture — and if this latest writers’ room has its way, fans of both The Boondocks and Friday might finally get the chapter they’ve awaited.
Watch Mike Epps speak on Aaron McGruder joining the Last Friday writer’s room below.
