Get ready Friends fans! The cast of the iconic series is expected to get back together for a reunion special for HBO Max.
It’s been 25 years since the premiere of Friends, yet the dominance of the iconic show has yet to dissipate.
The sitcom about six friends growing up together in New York City has kept its relevance by retaining its old fans and bringing in new ones through its constant cycle of reruns on syndicated television and by being readily available on Netflix.
In 2015, the streamer paid $30 million to nab the exclusive streaming rights for Friends. In 2019, that price jumped up to $100 million to retain the rights through the year.
Then, Warner Media’s new streaming service HBO Max swooped in and dropped a staggering shelled out $425 million for exclusive streaming rights to Friends, which will move from Netflix to HBO Max in May when the new streamer launches.
In order to celebrate that launch and the prize of owning the exclusive rights to one of the most popular shows of all time, HBO Max is currently nearing a deal that will bring the cast members together again for an unscripted reunion special.
According to Deadline, Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry have reached an agreement in principle to do an hour-long special. Though no official word has been given, each of the six stars will reportedly be paid in the $3 million to $4 million range to appear in the special.
That would make the total for the special around $20 million, which is comparable to what Netflix has been giving to top comedians like Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres and Amy Schumer to headline hour-long specials.
Despite the popularity of revivals in the world of TV, co-creators/executive producers Marta Kauffman and David Crane have remained firm on their commitment against a reboot or scripted reunion of any kind. However, the two are expected to join the rest of the cast in the unscripted reunion special and have some kind of involvement.