The most awaited FRIENDS reunion has been put on hold, much like most of the things in the world due to the spread of Coronavirus and its severity. A FRIENDS reunion special was scheduled to be shot on March 23-24 at the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California which would’ve brought the original cast of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer together. However, looks like the Coronavirus scare has put those plans to a halt for now, and the reunion special won’t be a part of HBO Max launch in May.
Every major event in the world including Olympic 2020, MET 2020 has either been canceled or delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed that the reunion has officially been put on hold due to Coronavirus scare, and the original cast members will not be doing anything virtually as they want the reunion to be a personal experience at the Friends' iconic soundstage, Stage 24. In a statement shared by HBO Max, they said, "We want to share some background information about the production dates for the upcoming unscripted Friends reunion special for HBO Max. 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!"
The special might not be available on the first day of the launch but all the 236 episodes of the series will be on HBO Max which will be launched in May. The statement further added that the cast and producers are excited to go into production and there are many surprises in store. “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," the statement read.
The statement concluded by clarifying that the FRIENDS reunion special is not a new, original episode of the series, and the cast Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will be appearing as themselves, and not as their characters on the show. ALSO READ: Matt LeBlanc Joey Tribbiani Gives An Update On FRIENDS Reunion-Special, Has It Already Been Filmed?
Image Source: Instagram/jenniferaniston