The wait is over, at least, per Mike Epps. Finally, after much anticipation, the creators behind the Friday franchise publicly approved the fourth installment of the series last Friday. And while that is big news in its own right, Epps is now issuing an impassioned appeal to restore a key part of the film's legacy: Chris Tucker.
Appearing on The Breakfast Club on Friday (March 4) to drop the exciting update straight from Ice Cube himself was Epps, who played the unforgettable hilarity that was Day Day in the Friday sequels.
"Cube called me the other day and said, 'We just closed the deal,'" Epps said. "So we doing Last Friday."
While Epps acknowledges he hasn't read the script, he believes it will be unique, with new comedic blood and the franchise's legendary OGs. "We gonna bring in the new comics," he continued, name-checking DC Young Fly and other growing stars. "And it's going to be a good ass time."
But while fans would love to see the film make a comeback, Epps knows that one missing piece would elevate it: Chris Tucker. The legendary comic stole the show as Smokey in the 1995 original film but didn't return for the sequels. That's why Epps is sounding the alarm to get Tucker back.
"I'm telling you, we need to get Chris Tucker in that because Chris Tucker is still beloved," he highlighted. "He's still Smokey, he laid it down! He positioned me to do it. Chris, if you're listening, we need ya, baby boy. Come on back!"
For his part, Tucker hasn't ruled out doing his role again entirely, but he has been choosy about what he returns to. In an interview in 2024, he clarified that the context had to be perfect.
"I don't know, it's got to come back right," Tucker said. "And because, like I say, at this point, I'm only doing stuff that I see. If I could do my best and have a lot of fun, I've got to be correct.
It's no secret that there has been a struggle to get Last Friday off the ground. Ice Cube had previously said that he had a script ready but that studio executives weren't game, so he turned down a version that would have featured fan favorites like Deebo, Smokey, and Ezal. Now that the deal is complete, fans speculate whether Tucker will finally accept it.
With Last Friday officially in the works and a new generation of comedy talent in the mix, one thing is sure: the legacy of Friday is alive and well. But would Smokey return to deliver that old-school energy fans have been missing? The decision is up to Chris Tucker now.
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