WarnerMedia is poised to launch its long-awaited HBO Max streaming service in May 2020, but it’ll be short one piece of exclusive content. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Friends reunion special has been delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
THR reports that filming was scheduled to take place on March 23 and 24. While we already knew filming on the special had been delayed, this is the first confirmation it won’t be ready in time for the launch of HBO Max.
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true”]
All six main cast members from the iconic sitcom – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer – had signed on to appear alongside series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman for an unscripted reunion special. Unfortunately, like a great many productions across Hollywood, filming abruptly shut down due to the novel coronavirus.
At this point there’s no clear timetable for when filming might resume. THR’s sources say the special won’t be filmed remotely online, and indicate filming will still take place on NBC’s Stage 24 on the Warner Bros. lot once production resumes.
“As was previously reported, production is delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that the special will not be available on the streamer on Day 1 of launch. But it is coming!” HBO Max said in a statement. “The cast and producers are all very excited to go into production, as this will be the first time since the show ended that the whole cast will be together, and on the original sets to reminisce. There are loads of great surprises in store and lots of rare behind-the-scenes footage they are eager to share. We will keep you informed as plans solidify and once we have a firm premiere date.”
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/04/netflix-to-fork-over-100-million-to-keep-friends”]
Word of a possible Friends reunion first surfaced in November 2019, with Warners officially confirming the project in February 2020. Each cast member is reportedly earning between $2.5 and $3 million for appearing in the special.
The good news is that, even without the Friends reunion, HBO Max will have plenty of content to offer subscribers when it launches in May. Launch exclusives will include Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker movie, all 22 seasons of South Park and the first three seasons of Rick and Morty. For the time being, HBO won’t prevent users from sharing passwords with their friends.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Friends Reunion Special Is on Hold Indefinitely