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.
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 all committed to reprising their roles in the new special, executive produced by Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, as well as original Friends producer Kevin Bright. They were to 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, would 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: Mark your calendars for May 27, 2021!
On May 13, HBO announced with a sweet teaser that “The One Where They Get Back Together” would air later in the month. In the video, the six actors walked back on set arm-in-arm to the tune of the iconic theme song.
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And on May 19, HBO Max released the first full trailer:
How they made it happen: It sounds as though the actors got plenty of “perks,” if you will. Variety reports a source claims all six performers will be paid at least $2.5 million each for their work. (LET JENNIFER HAVE ANYTHING SHE WANTS.)
What we can expect: Actors, not characters. “I’ll be David. Nothing is scripted, and we are not in character,” David Schwimmer told Graham Norton in April 2021. He added, “We are all ourselves, although there is one section of it that I don’t want to give away, but we all read something.” Lost episode? Please?
More of what Schwimmer was talking about was revealed in a People magazine article on May 19. The “emotional” reunion will feature the six friends performing a table read of a section of the iconic episode “The One With the Jellyfish,” plus a reimagining of the trivia game from season four where Rachel and Monica bet their apartment…and lose.
There will also be guest stars! According to the HBO Max announcement, the reunion will also feature 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.
Break out the foosball table, the holiday armadillo, the traditional English trifle, and the smelly cats. This is really happening
