The Friends Reunion Is Really Happening—Here's Everything We Know
Guys—they were just on a break. The Friends reunion, which has been rumored practically ever since the purple door with the yellow frame on it shut for the last time, is officially, really happening. All six Friends stars will reunite for an unscripted special for HBO Max, the new streaming service from WarnerMedia that’s set to launch in May, the company announced on February 21.
The beloved sitcom, which ended after ten seasons in 2004, hasn’t been available to stream since the end of 2019, when the series left Netflix. The HBO Max special will be released on the streaming platform along with all 236 Friends episodes. It may be time to make alliances with family members, co-workers, and ex-boyfriends to decide who you’re sharing your HBO Max account with. What I’m saying is—you need to find out who your friends are.
Both HBO Max and the cast are being pretty hush-hush about the reunion special. Here’s every detail we know so far.
Who’s coming back:
According to a press release from HBO Max, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer have all committed to reprising their roles in a new special, which will be executive produced by Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, as well as original Friends producer Kevin Bright. They’ll shoot on the original “Friends” soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California. Ben Winston, best known for his work on The Late Late Show with James Corden, will direct as well as executive produce. What is this? All nine Friends Thanksgiving episodes rolled into one? Because we’re feeling pretty grateful.
The release date:
According to a press release, the long anticipated Friends reunion special, as well as all episodes of the show, “will be available to subscribers at the launch of HBO Max.” The service is set to launch in May 2020, though no specific date has been announced.
How they made it happen:
It sounds like the actors got plenty of perks, if you will—Variety reports that a source claims that all six performers will be paid at least $2.5 million each for their work. (LET JENNIFER HAVE ANYTHING SHE WANTS.)
Breakout the foosball table, the holiday armadillo, the traditional English trifle, and the smelly cats. This is really happening.
Jenny Singer is a staff writer for Glamour. You can follow more of her pop-culture nonsense on Twitter.