‘Friends’ Reunion Special Set To Air In May On HBO Max

WarnerMedia will broadcast a reunion special with the cast of Friends.

The hour-long unscripted special was set to bring publicity to the launch of HBO Max’s streaming service in May. For fans this reunion may feel like a long time coming, but one reason it may have taken so long is due to negotiations of how much each cast member would be paid. It was reported that each cast member may be paid $3 to $4 million for the special.

The special is reportedly not going to be a new episode; it is set to be a “retrospective” with “interviews with the cast,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Ellen DeGeneres is a possible host, according to their reports.

One of the show’s stars, Matthew Perry, tweeted this on Wednesday to stir up excitement among fans:

WarnerMedia outbid Netflix by paying $425 million in July 2019 to become the sole place to stream Friends for the next five years. Friends had previously been streaming on Netflix but went away on January 1.

HBO Max is set to cost $14.99, the same as HBO’s current streaming service, HBO Now. In May, HBO plans to give HBO Now subscribers a choice to upgrade to HBO Max (and its larger library of shows) for no extra charge. HBO Max will include shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Pretty Little Liars.

Fans of Friends will have to wait until HBO Max is released in the spring to stream the show again. The only options for fans who want to watch the show right now are to find it on cable, own it physically, or buy it episode by episode from sites like YouTube or iTunes.