'Friends' Reunion Postponed Due To Covid-19 Outbreak

Amidst the coronavirus crisis, many shows have postponed and canceled their shoots. Among the list is the Friends reunion. It was due to film within next week but it has now been pushed to May at the earliest. The special is the latest in a long line of film and TV productions that have been delayed due to the ongoing pandemic.

The “Friends” reunion has been in the works for months but was officially announced in February. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer are all set to return for the unscripted reunion, which is set to film on the original “Friends” soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank.

It was meant to help launch HBO Max in May, with the streamer set to be the exclusive streaming home of all 10 seasons of the beloved comedy series.

WB reportedly paid over $400 million for the rights to the series. Nielsen had previously reported that the show was one of the most-watched on Netflix, though Netflix does not provide any viewership data.

Ben Winston will direct the special and executive produce alongside “Friends” executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane. Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television and Fulwell 73 Productions are behind the program. Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer are also executive producing the special, with Emma Conway and James Longman on board as co-executive producers.