HOLLYWOOD—It’s finally only days away. The “Friends” reunion special is officially happening on May 27th at WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming platform HBO Max. The cast is expected to get a huge paycheck. The actors-Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry are making between $2.25 million and $2.5 million for the show.
According to published reports each actor would make $2.5 million for the special. Originally, the actors were offered $1 million, which they turned down. The actors were each making $1 million per episode for the final two seasons of “Friends,” a hefty sum for television salaries in the early 2000s. “Friends” is one of the top TV catalogs in the streaming wars.
WarnerMedia scooped up the streaming rights to the hit 1990s sitcom last year for $425 million. The show left Netflix at the end of 2019. HBO Max is set to launch in May for $14.99 per month, the same standalone streaming service HBO Now. There have been some bumps in the road in production, however, as the entertainment world has been on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The official trailer shows the cast getting back together on the original “Friends” studio, testing their trivia knowledge of the show, revisiting knowledge of the show, revisiting key sets, re-reading their lines, and joining James Corden for a joint sit-down interview in front of a live audience. All six stars will also execute produce. “The Late Late Show” writer Ben Winston will direct. He’s also an executive producer, along with “Friends” EPs Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane and Emma Conway and James Longman.
There will be watch parties through Scener. Viewers can watch the “Friends” reunion through a virtual watch party on Scener. Users will need to create a profile at Scener and have an HBO Max subscription to watch. Now that “Friends” is off Netflix, the series all 236 episodes-you can find it online at HBO.
Most plans for the show were top secret, but don’t expect a scripted reunion between the characters. This is a special where the actors appear as themselves, presumably to share memories and reminisce. There is one section, that they are reading something in character, perhaps a quick scene summing up where the characters might be today. Will see. The show was filmed at the same WarnerBros. Stage in Burbank where Friends filmed since its second season, in front of a live audience.
According to published reports, guest stars appearing on the reunion include David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Tom Selleck, Reese Witherspoon and many more. However, the director of the “Friends” reunion, Ben Winston, warned that the appearance of Korean hit band BTS is brief. It seems likely all the guest star moments will be brief, as it’s the main six actors that fans want to see. We will just have to tune in. To see the laughs, games and maybe some tears. The first time reunited in 17 years, will definitely be interesting.
What’s interesting and quite amazing is that the legend Bob Dylan turned 80 on May 24. Interesting that he has sold more than 125 million albums around the world. Despite his success and cultural impact, Dylan has never had a number one single either in the US or the UK. He has won 10 Grammy awards, including three for his 1997 album “Time Out of Mind,” which many critics considered it a return from a slump.
The man is a creative musical genius talent, even though he dropped out of the University of Minnesota, and didn’t receive his liberal arts degree, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2008, and the US Medal of Freedom in 2012, by then President Barack Obama.
Rose’s Scoop: Wishing everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!
