Friends Reunion: Matthew Perry Confirms Filming Has Been Rescheduled to 2021
It has been months since we’ve last heard a new update on the long-awaited Friends reunion, and now Matthew Perry took to Twitter to confirm that filming on the HBO Max special has been officially pushed back to March 2021, which is exactly a year later than it was originally intended. Due to the ongoing pandemic, filming for the reunion has been very uncertain because of the project’s need for a live studio audience.
Friends reunion being rescheduled for the beginning of March. Looks like we have a busy year coming up. And that’s the way I like it!
— matthew perry (@MatthewPerry) November 12, 2020
After it was first delayed in March, the streamer and the producers were then hoping for a potential August production start. However, due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the welfare of the cast, crew and audience, the studio has again decided to delay the Friends reunion special to a much later date.
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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.
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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.
