Marta Kauffman Confirms ‘Friends’ Reunion May Start Filming In August

Fans of the popular 90’s TV show “Friends” can finally breathe – the reunion special is safe. Production will start in mid-to-late August, according to co-creator Marta Kauffman. That is, however, subject to some conditions.

The special was previously scheduled to film on March 23 and 24, with the episode set to air on May 27, Mirror UK reported. Circumstances didn’t happen the way everyone was thinking it would; the coronavirus pandemic happened and productions went into hiatus. That includes HBO Max and Warner Bros, the studios-backing the filming of the "Friends" special.

Now, with lockdowns easing and everyone else coming back to work under the “new normal,” Kauffman said that the “Friends” reunion special could proceed as planned. Production would have to start in August, according to the co-creator, provided that it would be safe for everyone else involved in the project. She said she was considering halting it once again if a second wave of the dreaded pandemic happens.

According to Independent, Kauffman still wants everything to happen based on their original vision. That includes the original plan in February, where the special was supposed to film on the original sound stage used in the show, located at the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California.

The special will be unscripted and will feature the original casts back for one more run. The cast includes Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry. This reunion special will also mark the first time all the six stars are together in front of the cameras. There was a similar reunion that happened in 2016, but that one was without Perry.

According to reports, the stars are looking to get somewhere between $2.5 million and $3 million for their participation in the special. HBO Max was also allegedly banking on the special. The streaming service is launching in the U.S. and adding the reunion special to their lineup will spice up the opening, aside from a re-run of old episodes of the series.

The six cast members are also reported to be executive producers of the special.