Cast of popular US TV sitcom Friends to reunite for 25th anniversary special
- Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will star in an unscripted special on HBO Max
- The show last aired 15 years ago, but its popularity has not waned and it is among the most-watched shows on Netflix
.png?itok=arIb17P0)
It’s finally happening!
The cast of the hit US sitcom Friends is reuniting for a 25th anniversary special, much to the delight of fans.
A celebration of the beloved show which ended its run in 2004, stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will return to the comedy’s original soundstage on the Warner Bros. Studio lot for an exclusive unscripted special on streaming platform HBO Max.
Variety said each actor is expected to receive US$2.5 million for taking part in the special, which will be available when HBO Max launches in May.
“Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together – we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library,” Kevin Reilly, chief content officer at HBO Max, said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
Netflix loses Friends to HBO Max streaming service set for launch in 2020
“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.”
The show’s stars posted on their Instagram accounts a Rolling Stone magazine cover featuring the cast from the sitcom’s early days, with the caption “It’s happening.....”
Aniston’s post attracted nearly 4.8 million likes in three hours.
There have been a flurry of media reports about a potential reunion since Aniston hinted last year that something might be underway.
Aniston spoke to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres about a possible new Friends project saying, “We would love for there to be something, but we don’t know what that something is. So we’re just trying. We’re working on something.”
Friends 25th anniversary: the Rachel Green collection from Ralph Lauren
Though the last episode aired 15 years ago, the show’s popularity has not waned, with market researchers saying it is among the most-watched shows on Netflix.
The sitcom, however, was reclaimed last year by WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, which will offer all 10 seasons of the show.
Friends, seen on US television from 1994 to 2004, won dozens of awards and garnered global celebrity for Aniston and her co-stars.
Additional reporting by Reuters
