HBO Max's Friends reunion has been delayed to March 2021, according to star Matthew Perry. The upcoming special was a key selling point for the relatively new streaming service. It was designed to bring all of the beloved comedy's stars back together for an unscripted program on the show's original set. The Friends reunion was supposed to be available when HBO Max launched earlier this year, providing the perfect companion to the rest of the series' episodes. Those are available on the platform after a long stint on Netflix.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus had other plans for the Friends special. Filming was supposed to take place in March 2020, but was initially delayed to May. Soon after, HBO Max admitted the reunion wouldn't be available day one, with star David Schwimmer later saying filming might be able to take place in August. However, by that time, the special had been delayed indefinitely due to the ever changing nature of the pandemic. Luckily, Jennifer Aniston reassured fans soon after the Friends reunion will be worth the wait.
Now, Perry has provided a new update on the special. On Twitter, he revealed filming on the Friends reunion has been rescheduled for March 2021. This latest delay means a full year will have passed between when the special was supposed to shoot and when it actually does.
Though the long delay is likely a disappointment for Friends fans, it points to how careful WarnerMedia is being about keeping those working on the reunion safe. Perry doesn't seem to think the wait is a bad thing. Hopefully, as Aniston promised, the special winds up being worth the numerous delays. It helps the public is relatively used to waiting for new TV shows and movies at this point. The Friends reunion is far from the only project postponed several times this year.
Of course, with that in mind, there's no guarantee the special will be able to film safely in March. Though it seems a long way off at this point, the pandemic is still ongoing, and it's impossible to know how things will look four months from now. The delay speaks to the recent strategy of postponing movies and TV shows by several months at a time vs smaller chunks, as it gives projects a slightly better chance of making a new date. Additionally, the cast remains committed and excited about the Friends reunion, which should assuage any concerns fans have.
Source: Matthew Perry