Nearly 20 years after the last installment, Ice Cube and Nia Long are reuniting for a third film in the “Are We There Yet?” franchise. But not everyone is excited about the revival, with some fans taking to social media to voice their skepticism and accuse Ice Cube of trying to recapture past success.
According to Deadline, Ice Cube and Nia Long have partnered with Skydance Sports almost 20 years after the last “Are We There Yet?” film to create a third movie titled “Are They Gone Yet?”
Don’t forget, the first movie, which also starred Aleisha Allen, Philip Daniel Bolden, Tracy Morgan, and others, grossed nearly $100 million at the box office in 2005. Two years later, they teamed up for the sequel, “Are We Done Yet?,” which grossed nearly $60 million.
While the plot for the third film is still unclear, Deadline reports that in the new movie, Ice Cube and Long’s characters will face their “biggest challenge yet… grandkids.”
Ice Cube Opens Up About Filming A New ‘Are We There Yet?’ Movie With Long Two Decades Later
Speaking to Deadline about the new film, Ice Cube expressed his excitement to get back in front of the camera and bring his iconic Nicholas “Nick” J. Persons character back to life.
“We built something special with this franchise. Audiences grew up with Nick Persons, and now Nick’s got grandkids. Time flies,” he said. “Partnering with Skydance to bring this story to a new generation is exactly the kind of move CubeVision was built for, and I am excited for the new partnership.”
The success of the first two films spawned a TBS sitcom of the same name starring Terry Crews, Essence Atkins, Coy Stewart, and Teala Dunn. The series aired for 100 episodes between 2010 and 2013.
Fans Aren’t Here For The New ‘AWTY?’ Movie As They Slam Ice Cube For Apparently Living In The Past
The news of a third “AWTY?” really is no surprise, as streaming platforms and production companies have partnered together over the last several years to revive some of the world’s most beloved shows and movies.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Full House,” and “Freaky Friday” are just a few examples. But unlike those revivals, Ice Cube’s latest project hasn’t exactly been met with widespread enthusiasm.
On Reddit, one user said the rapper “seems like he’s trying to relive his glory days,” pointing out that he’s also working on a third “Ride Along” film and sequels to “Friday” and “22 Jump Street.”
Another commenter joked, “We’re bringing literally anything back,” while a third user questioned the need for a third film, citing the sequel’s underwhelming plot. “Some things don’t need to be recreated two or three times,” they said.
Long Discussed Working With Cube In 2007
In 2007, Long spoke with Black Film about returning to work with Ice Cube for a second “Are We There Yet?” movie. She shared how grateful she was to be joining forces with the multi-hyphenate at the time, saying, “He has truly evolved into an entrepreneur. He’s an artist, but he’s also doing a fantastic job building an empire for himself and diversifying his portfolio as a actor and an artist.”
How Did Long Enjoy Playing Her Character, Suzanne Kingston-Persons, In The Second Film?
Elsewhere during the interview, the esteemed actress discussed what it was like to play Suzanne Kingston-Persons, a loving newlywed who would do anything for her children and her husband.
“It’s good! It’s good because it’s familiar. There’s a sense of safety and kind of knowingness in terms of what you are getting yourself into, which is always comforting. ‘Are We Done Yet?’ was so much fun to work on because I was just a happy mom,” she said at the time.
Long continued, “I was optimistic, very nurturing with no attitude. It’s interesting what that does to your attitude when you have to play that every day. I found myself very happy all the time.”
Another reason Long enjoyed playing Kingston-Persons is that she resonated closely with the fictional character. “I’m pretty easy going person. I can be intense, and I definitely like my ‘me’ time, but I’m pretty happy,” she said.
