He is best known for his work on the science-fiction action genre, including on the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the film adaptation of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (2005), Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024).

Friedman has developed several television pilots, including the TNT series Snowpiercer, based on Bong Joon-ho's film of the same name.

Friedman departed the program in January 2018 due to creative differences with the network, and he was replaced by Graeme Manson.

[3] Friedman later claimed that he felt pressured to leave by TNT due to a "radical difference in vision", with an implicit threat of blacklisting should he fail to comply.

[4][5] Following his departure, pilot director Scott Derrickson refused to return for reshoots in solidarity with Friedman.