The 'Friends' Reunion Special Has Been Delayed Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic

By Emily Dixon

Mar 19, 2020

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Filming of the planned Friends reunion special has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Variety reports.
The show won't be filmed until "May at the earliest," according to the site.
In February, HBO Max confirmed that all six central cast members would return for the "exclusive untitled unscripted special."

Here's the deal: They will be there for you, except not when the rain starts to fall, but rather once the rain has completely lifted and everyone can gather without fear of getting perilously wet. And the rain in this instance, you understand, is coronavirus. Because yes, the long-awaited Friends reunion special, due to start filming round about now, has been delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Variety reports.

Filming for the special was scheduled to begin "within the next week," according to Variety, with the event intended to help launch HBO's upcoming streaming service, HBO Max, in May. It seems unlikely the special will make that release date, with filming now delayed until "May at the earliest."

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The "exclusive untitled unscripted special," the subject of months of speculation, was finally confirmed in February, with all six main cast members—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc, if for some reason you needed reminding—officially on board.

Cox, appearing on the Hiking with Kevin YouTube experience, shared a little more about what it will entail. "So the exciting thing is that we're all going to get together for the first time, in a room, and actually talk about the show, and it's going to be on HBO Max, and I'm so excited," she said. "It's gonna be fantastic."

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