The cast of Friends will be there for HBO Max … at some point.
The WarnerMedia-backed streaming service said Friday that the highly anticipated unscripted Friends reunion special will not be available when the platform launches at a date to be determined in May.
Given that the industrywide production shutdown is remaining in place for the foreseeable future, the six original stars and show creators will not be getting together virtually to record the special. Sources say the cast and HBO Max leadership all want to reunite in person on the former NBC comedy’s iconic Stage 24 at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank.
The HBO Max Friends reunion was supposed to be filmed March 23-24, with stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, as well as series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, all participating. On March 18, the Friends reunion became the latest production to shut down. Largely all TV and film production — save for animation and voice work — has stopped amid the novel coronavirus crisis.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter