Friends Reunion Special Postpones Filming Due to COVID-19

Chalk up the Friends reunion special as the latest temporary entertainment casualty of the coronavirus. THR reports that filming for the unscripted reunion special has been delayed until May at the earliest, joining pretty much every show in staving off production.

The special, which would have reunited Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, was scheduled to film next week on the original soundstage at the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California. The delay is not at all unexpected; as THR notes, filming on the project would have caused the personnel on set to vastly exceed the CDC’s recommended cap of 50.

Due to the delay, it is unclear as to whether the special, which will see the cast look back at the iconic 1990s sitcom, will be ready in time for HBO Max’s launch which sources say is still on track for its yet-to-be-revealed May launch date.