‘Friends’ reunion put on hold, will not be available for HBO Max launch

Home > National >

print dictionary print

‘Friends’ reunion put on hold, will not be available for HBO Max launch

테스트




The much-anticipated “Friends” reunion has been delayed and will not be available at the launch of HBO Max, the new streaming platform said Friday, as the global coronavirus pandemic shuts down productions across Hollywood.

News of the unscripted special had delighted fans of the beloved U.S. sitcom, which remains wildly popular even among viewers too young to remember its original run, which ended in 2004.

Stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer have signed up to return to the comedy’s original soundstage on the Warner Bros. Studio lot outside Los Angeles.

But a spokesman told AFP Friday the special will not be available for HBO Max’s May launch as planned, adding that it will be coming to the streaming platform “soon.”

Production has not yet taken place due to the coronavirus lockdown, part of measures put in place for billions around the globe to break transmission of the virus which has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide.

A remote or virtual reunion was not considered due to the significance of the original soundstage, according to Variety.

Each actor is expected to receive $2.5 million for taking part in the special, it reported.

WarnerMedia’s Sean Kisker this week confirmed the May launch of HBO Max itself, which will cost $14.99 a month, remains “still very much on” schedule.

The “Friends” back catalog is a key selling point for the new streaming platform as it enters a fiercely competitive marketplace alongside Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.

Unveiling the special in February, Kevin Reilly, chief content officer at HBO Max, said the show about a close-knit group of friends living in New York City had captivated “viewers generation after generation.”

“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,” he said.

AFP
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)