'Friends' Reunion On HBO Max Delayed Due To Coronavirus Production Shutdown
Hollywood is essentially shut down right now. Nearly all television shows and movies have suspended production until the spread of the coronavirus can be contained. That means some upcoming content that viewers were looking forward to will be delayed, and now that includes one of the most anticipated and demanded reunions in recent memory.
The Friends reunion that was announced not too long ago by HBO Max has been delayed due to the production shutdowns caused by coronavirus. Surely the new streaming service was hoping to have that enticing piece of programming ready for launch, but now it will have to wait.
Variety has word on the Friends reunion delayed by all the coronavirus cancellations in Hollywood. The special would have been shot within the next week, but now production won't resume until May at the earliest, and that's not a guarantee at this point. It's one of many production delays that will have a lasting impact on the future of TV and film.
HBO Max announced they were rounding up millions of dollars to make a Friends reunion happen. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry were all getting between $3 million and $4 million to be part of the reunion, but don't forget, this isn't a series revival or even a reunion special where they appear as their characters. It's just a retrospective reunion show with the cast and co-creators/executive producers Marta Kauffman and David Crane looking back at the show. And now you'll have to wait even longer for it.
The hype around a Friends reunion feels a little overblown. Obviously it's one of the most beloved and popular sitcoms ever made in the history of television, but if these guys aren't doing any sort of revival with their characters, it feels a little half-hearted. However, there are plenty of die hard Friends fans out there who will love to see this gang together again, even if they're just reminiscing about the good ol' days. After all this is said and done, maybe people will be hungry for some nostalgic memories of when things were a lot better.
The effects of coronavirus will be felt in ways we don't even know yet, and the entertainment industry won't be immune to that. We're already hearing about the immense losses happening due to all these production and release delays, which includes the concern that some movie theaters may not be there once we get to the other side of this pandemic. Does that mean forthcoming streaming services like HBO Max and Peacock will have to delay their debuts? It wouldn't be surprising, but since we need streaming content now more than ever, maybe they won't hold back. Stay tuned.