Filming of the Friends Reunion Special for HBO Max has been postponed for at least two months amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer were all set to return to the original soundstage, where the show started out about 25 years ago, to film the unscripted special on March 23 and March 24, but production has now been pushed back until at least May. A source told EW that the cast reunion remained on target to debut on HBO Max at launch.
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The reunion special was officially given the green light in February of this year, just a few months after reports of its development had surfaced in November.
In the formal announcement, Kevin Reilly, the chief content officer of HBO Max and president of TBS, TNT, and truTV, said: “Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together — we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library.
“I became aware of Friends when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation. It taps into an era when friends – and audiences – gathered together in real-time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans.”
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The Friends Reunion Special joins a growing list of movie and TV productions affected by COVID-19, including Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series, which has suspended production for at least two weeks, Netflix’s The Witcher Season 2, which has also paused filming for two weeks in London, and FX’s Fargo Season 4, which has been put on hiatus, and as a result, the show’s April 19 premiere date has also been pushed.
As we continue to update you on the industry shifts and delays, remember to please take a look at our list of recommendations to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Friends Reunion Special Production Delayed, Still Slated for May Release