HBO Chief Casey Bloys has confirmed that the highly anticipated Friends reunion will happen this spring. Friends told the story of six friends, Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross, and Joey, juggling everyday life in New York City. The series ran for ten seasons on NBC between 1994 and 2004 and became a cultural phenomenon in the process, thanks to its evergreen characters and countless iconic moments like Monica wearing a turkey. So when the series moved to HBO Max and the streaming service was planning on doing an unscripted reunion episode to go alongside the ten seasons when HBO Max launched in May of last year, there was obvious excitement surrounding the project.
The reunion was set to see the cast members unite (on-screen) for the first time since 2004, and would also see them in the old apartment set they filmed on for years. Unfortunately, like many productions, the Friends reunion special has seen its fair share of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. It did not film in March or May of 2020 and therefore was not available for HBO Max’s launch. It was later delayed indefinitely because of the uncertainty surrounding the global situation. However, fans of the series were given a boost when Matthew Perry shared that the reunion will take place in March 2021, and Lisa Kudrow revealed last month that she’s already filmed material for the reunion. Now, the HBO chief has brought more good news.
In an interview with EW, HBO chief Casey Bloys was asked to clarify Kudrow’s comments that she had “already shot some things remotely for the Friends reunion.” After asking for clarification that the cast will appear together in person, Bloys stated that they might be “doing some bits here and there” in regards to remote filming. However, he confirmed that the idea is for them to be together, and the reunion “will be this spring.”
I don't know exactly. I would imagine maybe they're doing some bits here and there. But yes, the idea is that they would be together. The COVID situation has been complicated — not just for this, but for television production across the board. So we're kind of dealing with that as it comes, but it will be this spring.
Bloys' comments will no doubt be music to every Friends fan's ears, as by the time the reunion films in the spring, they will have waited over a year for this special. The news also fits with Perry’s previous timing of March, and it’s good to receive clarification that the remote footage that Kudrow, and likely the other cast members have filmed, is content to go alongside the actual in-person reunion. Although the wait has likely been frustrating for both HBO Max and the fans, the current timeframe for the special may prove to be even better. Various behind the scenes stories have recently come out regarding Jean Claude Van Damme’s apparent misbehavior on the Friends set and Perry convincing Julia Roberts to guest star on the show, so there is perhaps more for the cast to discuss. It also comes after Wonder Woman 1984’s success for HBO Max, and with Zack Snyder’s Justice League releasing on March 18, the Friends reunion will likely add to the momentum.
Last year, amidst the uncertainty, Jennifer Aniston encouraged fans by stating the Friends special will be worth the wait and the extra time will allow them to make the special “more exciting and more fun.” Hopefully that will be the case, and HBO will be certainly hoping it delivers as they have invested a lot of money in not only bringing Friends to HBO Max, but also getting the actors back together for this reunion. Time will tell what the special brings, but thankfully the wait won't be too long, as the Friends reunion will happen this spring.
Source: EW