To the delight of countless fans across the world, it’s official. The “Friends” reunion is almost here and will be released on HBO Max on May 27, 2021.
HBO Max first released the official teaser to “Friends: The Reunion” on May 13.
“HBO Max will debut FRIENDS: THE REUNION special on THURSDAY, MAY 27, the one-year anniversary of HBO Max’s launch,” HBO announced in a press release. “‘Friends’ stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer return to the iconic comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank for a real-life unscripted celebration of the beloved show.”
HBO also announced that a “variety of special guests” will also be appearing, including “David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.”
Ben Winston directed the special and executive produced, alongside Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane, all executive producers of “Friends.”
On Wednesday, HBO Max “debuted the official trailer and key art for Friends: The Reunion.”
According to Cosmopolitan, the reunion special finished taping last month, with the Friends Instagram account posting, “That’s a wrap! Could we BE anymore excited!? Friends: The Reunion is coming to @hbomax. #friendsreunion.”
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People Magazine shared an exclusive insight into the emotional reunion from the perspective of the show’s six stars.
“I was flooded with 10 years of irreplaceable memories,” said Courtney Cox, who played Monica.
“I always just feel like Monica would be doing something competitively with other mothers and trying to outdo them,” Cox added. “Whether it’s the bake sale at school or something. I mean, she’d be so annoying. She’d be at the head of the PTA or something.”
“It’s funny, when we do get together, it’s like no time has passed,” Matt LeBlanc — who played Joey — told People Magazine. “We pick up right where we left off.”
The original sitcom, “Friends,” aired on NBC from Sept. 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004. Spanning 10 seasons, the final episode was watched by over 52 million American viewers, which made it the fifth most-watched series finale in the history of television, and the most-watched television episode of the 2000s.
In total, “Friends” was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning six. Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow are the only members of the main cast to win an Emmy.
Because of various syndication deals, “Friends” reportedly generates $1 billion annually for Warner Bros. With each of the cast members receiving 2% of the syndication income, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer each receive approximately $20 million annually from syndication alone.
According to Variety Magazine, “Sources close to the situation tell Variety the six stars will receive at least $2.5 million apiece for participating in the special.”
According to TVOM, “The One After the Super Bowl” was the most-watched episode of “Friends,” with 52.9 million people watching the 12th and 13th episode of Season 2.