The Los Angeles Rams are heading into the 2026 NFL Draft with a heavy dose of Los Angeles nostalgia.
On Thursday, April 16, the team released a three-and-a-half-minute promotional film called Thursday, a direct homage to the 1995 cult classic Friday. Per NBC Los Angeles, the short arrives less than a week before the NFL Draft begins on April 23 and immediately became one of the most talked-about draft campaigns in the league.
Rather than produce a traditional highlight reel, the Rams leaned into one of the most recognizable pieces of LA pop culture. Thursday stars O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Destin Tucker, the sons of Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, stepping into versions of the roles their fathers made famous in Friday.
Actor Terry Crews appears as Deebo, filling the role originally played by the late Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr., while rapper YG and radio host Big Boy also make appearances.
The Rams filmed the project at the same house used in Friday, located in West Athens, just southeast of Inglewood and not far from SoFi Stadium. The original movie, released in 1995, followed Craig and Smokey through a chaotic day in South Central Los Angeles and went on to become one of the decade's defining comedies.
Despite a modest $3.5 million budget, Friday earned more than $27 million at the box office and grew into a franchise that still shapes pop culture more than 30 years later.
That history is woven throughout Thursday. The Rams recreated several scenes from the movie, including a parody of the famous chain-snatching moment. One exchange references the original film’s recurring “What chain?” joke, only this time it is reworked around the team and the upcoming draft.
The video also uses the iconic Friday theme song and ends with Destin Tucker delivering a line aimed at Rams fans: “Man, this Thursday is going to make our whole season. And you know this, man!”
O’Shea Jackson Jr. follows with another wink to the film’s legacy: “Don’t sleep on Friday, though.”
Several Rams players appear throughout the short, including Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Kevin Dotson. The team also quietly used the film to showcase its refreshed uniforms and logos ahead of the new season.
According to Rams chief marketing officer Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick, the project was designed to connect the NFL Draft with the city itself.
“This project is a celebration of Los Angeles — the city we call home — and its culture, creativity and global influence,” Frederick said in a statement.
She added that Friday is “more than a movie; it’s a cultural touchstone.”
The campaign appears to be working. Within hours of its release, Thursday had already generated more than 1.6 million views on X and tens of thousands of interactions on Instagram.
The NFL Draft runs from April 23 through April 25, and the Rams are planning to extend the celebration beyond the screen. The team will host a three-day Fan Fair at Hollywood Park featuring rides, games, and draft-themed events.
