‘Friends’ reunion confirmed with all original cast members signed on
Yesterday, Warner Bros. announced, “It’s official, ‘Friends’ fans! After 15 years, nine months, and innumerable fan requests from around the globe, we now have the ‘brand-new information’ you’ve been waiting for. The ‘Friends’ cast will be reuniting exclusively for an untitled unscripted special for HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in May 2020.”
“Friends’” series stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer are all signed on will return to the iconic comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank for a celebration of the beloved show. The unscripted cast reunion special, along with all 236 episodes of the Emmy-winning series, will be available to subscribers at the launch of HBO Max.
“Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together — we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max and president, TBS, TNT, and truTV.
“I became aware of Friends when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation. It taps into an era when friends – and audiences – gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans.”
To get caught up on original Friends episodes, sister WarnerMedia network TBS recently announced that for the next four weeks every episode of Friends will air on TBS and livestream on the TBS app, weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Additionally, the network has curated an experience for fans offering the best of the series on their digital platforms.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its debut in 1994, “Friends” remains one of television’s most beloved series. One of the highest-rated shows on television in its original network run, the series still remains a perennial go-to in syndication and on streaming services, where it continues to be a smash hit worldwide.
A favorite among critics and fans alike throughout its 10-season run, “Friends” not only won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy series, but also garnered Emmy Awards for series stars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow.
From Warner Bros. Television, Friends followed the lives and loves of a close-knit group of friends living in New York City: siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), along with friends Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston). “Friends” was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Fans are fortunate that the reunion is taking place; as none of the Friends star should be hurting for money. Media reports differ on how much the “Friends’” stars will earn to appear in the reunion. Reports range that the cast members will be paid from $2 Million each to $3–$4 million each.
During the show’s first season, the cast members were reportedly each paid $22,500 per episode. By the second season, some cast members earned $20,000 per episode, while other cast members were paid $40,000 per episode.
Season 3 brought in big paydays, with each cast member reportedly paid $75,000 per episode, which went up to $85,000 an ep. in Season 4. The numbers started jumping even higher here, with the stars earning $100,000 per ep in Season 5, $125,000 per episode in Season 6, and $750,000 in Seasons 7 and 8. ~ Cinema Blend
By seasons 9 and 10, all of the primary cast members were earning $1 million-per-episode. Cinema Blend went on to report that each of the “Friends’” stars has been earning an estimated $19 – $20 million a year from royalties off the show’s reruns.
(Source: Warner Bros.)
Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
