The cast of iconic sitcom Friends will soon reunite on the HBO Max streaming service, and here's what we know about the big reunion special. The 1990s spawned many of the best sitcoms to ever grace TV, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Frasier, Mad About You, and of course, Friends. The cornerstone of NBC's must-see-TV Thursday night comedy block for almost a decade, Friends followed the lives of six adult pals in their 20s and 30s as they try to make their way in New York City.
Friends is one of those shows that needs little introduction for most, and for much of its stay on Netflix, was one of the biggest draws in the streaming realm. While some of that was certainly diehard fans loving instant access to all their favorite episodes and story arcs, it can't be underestimated just how many new converts to the Friends fandom were made during the show's streaming tenure. That's of course exactly what Warner Media was counting on when it snagged Friends away from Netflix and put it as a flagship offering on HBO Max.
The Friends reunion show was first confirmed as being in the works back in November 2019, otherwise known as the time before Coronavirus. Without the pandemic, it probably would've arrived by now, but as of this writing, fans are still waiting to see stars Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc back together again. Here's what we know about what to expect.
The Friends Reunion Is Not What You Think
It's likely most fans of Friends are well aware that there's a reunion coming up. However, what many might not have paid full attention to is what exactly that reunion is going to be. While revivals of classic TV shows - whether they be specials, movies, or full seasons - are very common right now, the Friends reunion may disappoint some in that it won't offer devotees of the Central Perk gang a chance to actually catch up with their favorite characters decades later. Instead, the Friends reunion special on HBO Max will simply see the main cast reunite and reminiscence about the show.
While the prospect of seeing the cast back together and talking Friends so long after the final season ended is still likely to draw plenty of interest, those hoping for a true revisiting of the Friends story arcs and characters will surely be disappointed. Sadly, fans shouldn't expect a proper revival or reboot anytime soon, as Friends' creators and cast have said previously that they had no real desire to do that, and didn't think it would work as well as the original did. Considering how some other TV revivals have turned out, they may well be right.
How The Friends Reunion Has Changed
The original plan for the Friends reunion was to gather the cast and creators at the show's original soundstage in Los Angeles, and tape the special in front of a live studio audience, just as had always been done for normal episodes. Unfortunately, the reunion was supposed to be recorded in March 2020, a schedule that of course got derailed by the rapid rise of the Coronavirus pandemic. Since then, several other prospective filming dates have been tentatively agreed to, only to be put off again due to Coronavirus concerns.
In November 2020, Matthew Perry revealed that the Friends reunion was now set to take place in March 2021, but more recently, David Schwimmer confirmed that the special now had an April shoot date. While it's unclear how much of the original plan to film on the old soundstage and include live fans has survived, Schwimmer mentioned trying to find a way to shoot the reunion safely, and that some of it would now happen outside. It'll be a shame if the final product is compromised, but at least it doesn't sound like a disappointing virtual reunion is in the cards.
Friends Reunion Release Date
As of now, Warner Media has yet to announce a release date for the Friends reunion special on HBO Max. If the plan to tape the show finally holds to April 2021 though, there's absolutely no reason fans shouldn't expect to see it materialize to stream by summer 2021 at the latest. Considering the original plan was to release the reunion sometime in summer 2020, one assumes Warner Media wouldn't feel the need to waste any time hemming and hawing over a release schedule, and will probably put it out there at the earliest opportunity.
So basically, if the Friends reunion indeed gets recorded in April 2021, a premiere in May or June on HBO Max seems logical to expect. It'll be yet another boon to HBO Max's stacked 2021 slate, which of course includes the day and date releases of every theatrical movie Warner Bros. plans to release this year, such as Godzilla vs. Kong, The Suicide Squad, and The Matrix 4. The Friends reunion may not hit as big as any of those blockbuster releases, but it will likely draw millions of viewers regardless.
The Returning Cast In The Friends Reunion
The Friends reunion will of course be headlined by cast members Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc, with appearances also expected by co-creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Playing the titular friends, those six actors should obviously be the focus of the reunion special, but at the same time, another great part of Friends was its well of hilarious recurring players and guest stars.
While Coronavirus concerns will likely prevent those additional actors from appearing in person with the main cast, it's not at all hard to imagine some of them recording video messages or making virtual pop-ins during the Friends reunion. They shouldn't, and likely wouldn't, get too much focus away from the six regulars, but fans would surely appreciate input from memorable guest stars like Tom Selleck, Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, or Reese Witherspoon. One doubts Brad Pitt will be part of the festivities though, following his public divorce from Aniston.