'Worth waiting for': Warner Media chairman says 'Friends' reunion filming likely by end of summerAuthor : AZIndia News Desk
Ever since it was announced that the original cast of the hit TV sitcom Friends is all going to come together for a reunion special, fans have been eagerly waiting for it. However, the shooting of the show was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus-led production shutdown but is now expected to be completed by the end of the summer.
The one-off event for HBO Max was originally slated to release on WarnerMedi's upcoming streaming service on its May 27 launch. Speaking about the same, Bob Greenblatt, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer chairman said, "At first we thought, shows will be delayed for a month or two at the most, and now it seems like it's going to be far longer than that. We're holding out for being able to get this special done hopefully by the end of the summer if the stars align and hopefully we can get back into production. We do think there's a value to having a big, raucous live audience to experience these six great friends coming back together and we didn't want to just suddenly do it on a web call with, you know, six squares and people shooting from their kitchens and bedrooms."
But, Bob also pointed out the fact that if the lockdown continues indefinitely, the reunion "may go more to a virtual route, if it is delayed too long". He added, "But at the moment, we're trying to look to the future and get this thing done more conventionally, and I think it's worth waiting for. We would have loved to have had it on day one, but at the same time, if we can get it launched in the fall, I think it'll be something that we can have the audience looking forward to as well."
The six stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer were all scheduled to reunite for the unscripted reunion. To generate donations towards coronavirus relief efforts as part of 'All in Challenge', the cast last month announced to give out six tickets to the taping of the special.