Friends Reunion Will Not Be Part of HBO Max’s Launch

Could we BE any more disappointed?! It was announced last month that due to the threat of COVID-19, the Friends reunion special set for HBO Max would be one of the many productions put on hold. At the time, people were still hoping HBO would be able to get the band back together before the new streaming service launched, but sadly, that won’t be the case. According to Variety, the reunion special will happen, but not nearly as soon as fans of the hit series, which aired from 1994-2004, originally thought.

“According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, the continued production shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic means that WarnerMedia has been unable to film the show’s highly-anticipated unscripted reunion special,” Variety explains. “As such, the special will not be available at the launch of the streamer as planned. While some shows have taken to filming remotely using video technology like Zoom, sources say this was not considered for the ‘Friends’ special as it is meant to film on the show’s original soundstage on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank.” You can check out the article in the tweet below:

While this is a bummer for Gunthers everywhere, there is one bit of good news: the entire series will be available to watch as soon as HBO Max launches next month. In addition to all 236 episodes of Friends, the new streaming service will also feature The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Pretty Little Liars. HBO Max has marshaled some top tier creatives for their exclusive content. Arrowverse architect Greg Berlanti and Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning actress and producer Reese Witherspoon. Berlanti is slated to create four movies aimed at young adults. Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine will produce at least two films.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer are expected to return for the delayed special. Also rejoining the project are series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman. The Friends reunion special was set to be a huge draw for HBO Max in the early days of the service. The company paid a pretty penny to get the streaming rights to the landmark show. Recently, LeBlanc appeared on an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show and opened up about the project referring to it as “the six of us together talking about the good old days.” TV Guide notes the actor also said “we got the band back together without the instruments,” confirming the unscripted nature of the one-off special.

Were you looking forward to the Friends reunion special? Let us know in the comments!