HBO Max Confirms The ‘Friends’ Reunion Won’t Be Available When it Launches In May

In some unfortunate, but totally understandable news, the Friends reunion has been postponed due to COVID-19, according to a March 18 report from Variety. After speaking with sources, the publication reported that the gathering with Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc probably won't film for at least a couple of months. In fact, fans shouldn't expect the special to film before May at the earliest.

HBO Max confirmed that the Friends special has been postponed and will not be filmed before the streaming service's launch date in May in a statement released on Friday, April 10. "The special will not be available on the streamer on Day 1 of launch," read the statement, per The Hollywood Reporter, "But it is coming!" In addition, the statement also cleared up that this is strictly a Friends cast reunion — no new material will be recorded for it. And, while the reunion might not be available right away, HBO Max wants you to know that it will have all seasons of Friends available to watch right away.

The special was reportedly set to film within the next week, but production has since been shutdown over coronavirus concerns. The reunion was originally set for a May release on HBO Max, along with the streaming service's debut. Variety also reported that Warner Bros. Television and HBO Max did not provide any comment on the postponement.

However, according to E! News, Warner Bros. previously released a statement regarding the coronavirus and the shutdown of multiple productions. "With the rapidly changing events related to COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, Warner Bros. Television Group is halting production on some of our 70+ series and pilots currently filming or about to begin," part of the statement read.

Along with the Friends reunion, others productions that have closed their sets include The Handmaid's Tale, Stranger Things, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Grey's Anatomy, The Little Mermaid, and Matrix 4, to name a few. Despite the many postponements and cancellations of events across the country in order to protect the health and safety of individuals, celebrities are doing their best to entertain fans while social distancing. Even Cox is trying to uplift her followers, like with her attempt at TikTok dances.

And if you want to some cute dog videos, Aniston shares footage of her pup Clyde from time to time on Instagram. On March 18, she posted a clip on her Instagram story and captioned it, "Clyde having deep quarantine thoughts....." Meanwhile, Matthew Perry has also provided humorous advice on the right way to cough. It's nice to see that the Friends cast is still here for us, especially during a time when we need them more than ever.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and coughing, call NHS 111 in the UK or visit the CDC website in the U.S. for up-to-date information and resources. You can find all Bustle’s coverage of coronavirus here, and UK-specific updates on coronavirus here.