The hugely anticipated Friends reunion has been completely cancelled for 2020 – despite producers hoping the special episode could have been filmed in the coming weeks.
The six stars of the iconic US sitcom were due to be reunited together on screen to celebrate the release of all 236 episodes on HBO Max in the USA earlier this year.
But the moment of seeing Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer together in one room for the special won’t be happening in 2020 at all.
The non-scripted episode, tentatively titled The One Where They Got Back Together, has been hit by delays due to the coronavirus outbreak since it was free announced back in November 2019 – and was originally planned to air in May for the launch of HBO Max.
The special had been due to film in March ahead of the May 2020 air date, but was postponed until later in the year.
And despite producers from production company Fulwell 73, who are due to film the special, saying they hoped filming to start in two weeks, HBO have opted to axe filming in 2020.
A source told Variety that filming has been moved to May 2021 “at the earliest”.
While Deadline reported hours later: “HBO Max distanced itself from Fulwell 73 quotes about the Friends reunion being imminent.”
The ongoing health crisis has been playing havoc with planning of the special.
HBO Max head of original content Sarah Aubrey previously told The Hollywood Reporter in June: “You’re asking me to extrapolate what the conditions in L.A. are going to be in August, and that’s a fool’s errand.”
While the option of filming the session over Zoom or video conference has been ruled out as showmakers want the original cast reunited on stage at Stage 24 on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles.
Friends star Lisa Kudrow told The Hollywood Reporter: “We haven’t all been in the same room in front of people — I mean, we have privately once many years ago but that’s it.