The highly anticipated "Friends" reunion is set to air on May 27 and fans are in for a treat.
Original cast members Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry will be joined by 18 celebrity guest hosts, HBO Max announced on Thursday. Included in the lineup are David Beckham, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington, and Cindy Crawford, as well as former "Friends" cast members Tom Selleck (Richard), and Maggie Wheeler (Janice).
The unscripted special was filmed earlier this year at the same Burbank, California, soundstage where the original series, which aired from 1994 to 2004, was filmed. The reunion show's premiere was initially meant to coincide with the launch of HBO Max on May 27 last year, but the date was repeatedly pushed back due to the pandemic.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight last year, the show's co-creator, Marta Kauffman, said a decision was made to pause filming until it was possible to include a live studio audience.
"We all want it to happen. We just have to wait until it is safe," she said. "This is a show that is not scripted, but this is the way the show works — we are going to need a live audience. Even if we socially distance that live audience, it really is a huge part of what 'Friends' is. ... We cannot do it without them. Everyone is all in and we are just waiting for that time when it feels connected to bring in a live audience."
Although the "Friends" reunion special is not an actual episode but more of a "retrospective and interviews with the cast," according to The Wall Street Journal, HBO Max content chief Kevin Reilly promised fans it would maintain the essence of the original series.
"I became aware of 'Friends' when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation," Reilly said, according to Business Insider. "It taps into an era when friends — and audiences — gathered together in real time, and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans."
Fans are rejoicing and Aniston, Cox, Schwimmer, Kudrow, LeBlanc, and Perry are also likely smiling as they cash in their checks. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the stars were expected to each make between $2.25 million and $2.5 million for the show. They were allegedly offered $1 million but turned it down as it was what they were earning during the final two seasons of the sitcom.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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