One of the most anticipated programs coming to HBO Max is the one-off Friends reunion special that brings back the cast of the iconic TV show. Lisa Kudrow, who starred as Phoebe on the show, has now said everything she can about the show to try to get people hyped.
Speaking with Conan O'Brien, Kudrow read from a prepared statement about what she's allowed to say. The bosses at Warner Bros. are trying to preserve the mystery so as to entice people to watch, but for now, Kudrow said she could share the official description: "Joined by special guests, we all, the cast, return to the original sound stage--Stage 24--on the Warner Bros. studio lot for an unscripted reunion special in celebration of the show."
Pressing for more details, O'Brien asked Kudrow if part of the reunion show involved the cast recreating the famous fountain scene from the show's credits where they are splashing around in the water as "I'll Be There For You" plays. They did not, Kudrow said, but she teased that the cast did return to the fountain for ... something.
"We're at the fountain and there is footage I've never seen before that I was really excited about. So if you do like the fountain, then yes, that will be kind of thrilling," she said.
Kudrow added that the reunion special will feature footage that people haven't seen before, including the cast. This may include clips that previously apparently never made it to air.
The reunion special is not a Friends reboot, and the actors will not be in character. The special will instead be a reunion for the actors, who have not gotten together for a TV special since 2004 when Friends went off the air.
All six of the main cast members are coming back for the special. In addition to Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, and David Schwimmer will all take part. Series co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane will be included as well.
According to a report, all six stars are being paid between $2.5 million and $3 million to appear in the reunion. The actors are said to have collectively negotiated for the fees in the Friends reunion special. This is in keeping with tradition, as fans may recall that the actors also negotiated together to be paid $1 million per episode for the original show. This kind of collective bargaining was rare at the time, and it still is today for major TV shows.
No release date has been announced for the Friends reunion show yet, but we know filming wrapped up in April after being delayed due to COVID.