The "Friends" cast reunion has been consistently deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a semblance of hope now.
According to WarnerMedia Entertainment and direct-to-consumer head Bob Greenblatt, the shooting of the much-anticipated special episode could set off in the late summer this year following the rescheduling of the initial release schedule.
The reunion special was initially slated for viewing in May, but was deferred until it was safe for taping in accordance to the rigid quarantine measures, reported Daily Star.
The prominent sitcom premiered in 1994 and with ten seasons on its belt until production wrapped up in 2004. Thus, the reunion episode will be sealed as the first time the lead characters will appear all together since the program's breathtaking finale.
The reunion special will unite Jennifer Aniston (as Rachel Green), Courteney Cox (as Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (as Phoebe Buffay), David Schwimmer (as Ross Geller), Matthew Perry (Chandler Muriel Bing) and Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani) to be released on HBO Max, according to Internewscast.
Writer and producer of "Friends" Marta Kauffman stated the objective so far on Wednesday. "We are hoping to be able to shoot in August, if all is well and there is no early second wave and the studio is open."
The much-talked-about reunion special will be unscripted, reported SM Entertainment.
Initial news indicated that the episode could be deferred until 2021 before co-creator Martha Kauffman confirmed the taping date.
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"If everything is in place and we understand all the protocols and we can still make a good show, we'll be shooting it some time, mid-to-late August," she added, reported Kenosha News.
Greenblatt initially asserted that the TV series' reunion will not transpire without the presence of a studio audience for its filming.
"Friends," which originally ran on NBC, had 236 episodes under its belt.
The one-off special is slated to be filmed in the original Burbank studios of the 90s hit series in California, so long as the novel coronavirus situation does not aggravate in America.
Sixteen years since "Friends" concluded, the TV series is still a household name and continues in syndication. The 90s show introduces itself to younger fans who were not even born yet when the began.
Lead cast member Matthew Perry has also discerned that the show will in fact always be there for you.
Perry wrote on Instagram captioning a photo, "The show that thanks all of you, doesn't go away."
Perry is the last actor out of the 6 cast members to eventually join the Instagram bandwagon. He regularly posts about the phenomenal sitcom for Chandler Bing enthusiasts and fans of "Friends."
He shared a photo of a "Friends" billboard displaying the main cast members in their photoshoot in the streets of Los Angeles for its concluding 10th season.
Also, he gave a pleasant message to his followers, "Just a FRIENDly reminder that COVID is still very much with us. Nothing has changed when it comes to that. Just because bars and restaurants are opening up, it does not mean that they are safe."
