The only good thing about 2020 was the news that a Friends reunion is happening this year. The one-off special was due to shoot at the Warner Bros. soundstage in Burbank, California this month, but the show has now been delayed yet again at HBO Max due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Seems like this year just keeps getting worse!
- All six Friends cast members are due to be part of the reunion. Fans have been dreaming of getting Ross (David Schwimmer), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) back together again for years and the reunion special is finally making that dream a reality. It’s just a shame we still have to wait!
- It’s unclear when the special will actually film. While we do know the reunion has been delayed, it’s unclear when it’s been pushed back to, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Things are still very much up in the air, as HBO Max head of original content Sarah Aubrey explained. “You’re asking me to extrapolate what the conditions in L.A. are going to be in August, and that’s a fool’s errand,” she said in June.
- A virtual Friends reunion just isn’t an option. Given how monumental this special is going to be, HBO Max isn’t keen to have this thing virtually. That means however long it takes is however long it takes. “We haven’t all been in the same room in front of people — I mean, we have privately once many years ago but that’s it. The whole point of this is to be in the same room. That hasn’t changed. And HBO Max is being phenomenally patient and understanding,” Kudrow said.
- Hopefully they’re able to film this soon! Obviously there are bigger issues at hand than filming a Friends reunion, but that doesn’t mean the delay isn’t sad and that fans (including myself) aren’t desperate to see the gang back together again. Hopefully it can happen soon!
