Following the confirmation of the long-awaited Friends reunion on HBO Max, fans immediately rejoiced about being able to see their six titular leads after a long time. However, they would have to wait much longer than it was originally planned because the upcoming special’s scheduled filming in March was temporarily delayed due to the pandemic.
In a recent interview with AP which you can check out below, David Schwimmer has finally opened up about the highly-anticipated unscripted Friends reunion, revealing that they’re planning to shoot the special in August. His revelation echoes the statement made by WarnerMedia Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt back in May, who confirmed that production might finally start at the end of the summer.
“We’re hoping to shoot it, I think the hope right now is to shoot it in August if, of course, it’s safe to do so,” Schwimmer said. “Part of the plan was always to have a live-audience component of the show. By the way, it’s unscripted, we’re not playing our characters. It’s basically an interview with all six of us reuniting for literally the first time in probably ten years. So we’ll see, I hope it happens in August, if not it’ll be when it’s safe to do so.”
.@DavidSchwimmer says “Friends” reunion will happen either in August or “when it’s safe.” pic.twitter.com/QItA8h1QsP
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) July 6, 2020
RELATED: Friends Cast Invites Six Fans to HBO Max’s Reunion Special
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Friends had lasted over ten seasons from 1994-2004 which followed the story of six friends who lived in New York City. Even though 25 years had passed since its debut, the 62-time Emmy Award-nominated series stood the test of time and is still garnered as one of the best TV series of all time and had also become a pop culture phenomenon known to all ages.
The long-awaited reunion special would be featuring Jennifer Aniston Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc, who have portrayed the roles of Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Ross, Chandler and Joey. Each of the beloved cast members will reportedly earned $3 million – $4 million for the special.
The unscripted Friends reunion special will be directed by Ben Winston, who will also serve as an executive producer along with the original producers Kevin Bright, Kauffman and Crane. The six core stars will also executive produce alongside Emma Conway and James Longman.
RELATED: HBO Max Launch Date and First Slate of Max Originals Revealed!
Last July, it was reported that WarnerMedia had successfully won back the exclusive streaming rights for all 10 seasons of Friends for price of $425 million. According to a previous report, it was Warner Media Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt, who was responsible for pushing to develop a Friends reunion special.
Originally set to become a part of the streaming service’s launch on May 27, the special will be filmed on the iconic show’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank.
