LOS ANGELES - The much-anticipated Friends reunion has been delayed and will not be available at the launch of HBO Max, the new streaming platform said Friday, as the global coronavirus pandemic shuts down productions across Hollywood.
News of the unscripted special had delighted fans of the beloved US sitcom, which remains wildly popular even among viewers too young to remember its original run, which ended in 2004.
Stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer have signed up to return to the comedy’s original soundstage on the Warner Bros. Studio lot outside Los Angeles. But a spokesman told AFP Friday the special will not be available for HBO Max’s May launch as planned, adding that it will be coming to the streaming platform “soon.”
Production has not yet taken place due to the coronavirus lockdown, part of measures put in place for billions around the globe to break the transmission of the virus which has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide.
A remote or virtual reunion was not considered due to the significance of the original soundstage, according to Variety.
Each actor is expected to receive $2.5 million for taking part in the special, it reported.
WarnerMedia’s Sean Kisker this week confirmed the May launch of HBO Max itself, which will cost $14.99 a month, remains “still very much on” schedule.
The Friends back catalogue is a key selling point for the new streaming platform as it enters a fiercely competitive marketplace alongside Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
Unveiling the special in February, Kevin Reilly, a chief content officer at HBO Max, said the show about a close-knit group of friends living in New York City had captivated “viewers generation after generation.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B82FMKcBKHL/?utm_source=ig_embed
“It taps into an era when friends — and audiences — gathered together in real-time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans,” he said. Aniston’s Instagram post in February teasing the special drew nearly 4.8 million likes in three hours.
Friends was among the most-watched shows on Netflix until all 10 seasons of the show were reclaimed last year by WarnerMedia, which owns HBO Max.
Seen on US television from 1994 to 2004, it won dozens of awards and garnered global celebrity for Aniston and her co-stars.
Pakistani rupee remains stable against US dollar in the open market on 29 March, 2024.
In the open market, the US dollar was being quoted at 278.3 for buying and 281.05 for selling.
Euro moves down to 299.75 for buying and 302.75 for selling while British Pound hovers around 353.75 for buying, and 357.25 for selling.
UAE Dirham AED remains stable at 75.55 whereas the Saudi Riyal saw minor increase, with new rates at 73.70.
Currency | Symbol | Buying | Selling |
US Dollar | USD | 278.3 | 281.05 |
Euro | EUR | 299.75 | 302.75 |
UK Pound Sterling | GBP | 353.75 | 357.25 |
U.A.E Dirham | AED | 75.55 | 76.3 |
Saudi Riyal | SAR | 73.70 | 74.4 |
Australian Dollar | AUD | 182.9 | 184.7 |
Bahrain Dinar | BHD | 739.61 | 747.61 |
Canadian Dollar | CAD | 204.25 | 206.46 |
China Yuan | CNY | 38.74 | 39.14 |
Danish Krone | DKK | 40.30 | 40.7 |
Hong Kong Dollar | HKD | 35.55 | 35.9 |
Indian Rupee | INR | 3.33 | 3.44 |
Japanese Yen | JPY | 1.86 | 1.94 |
Kuwaiti Dinar | KWD | 901.14 | 910.14 |
Malaysian Ringgit | MYR | 59.25 | 59.85 |
New Zealand Dollar | NZD | 168.56 | 170.56 |
Norwegians Krone | NOK | 26.19 | 26.49 |
Omani Riyal | OMR | 724.36 | 732.36 |
Qatari Riyal | QAR | 76.57 | 77.27 |
Singapore Dollar | SGD | 206.25 | 208.25 |
Swedish Korona | SEK | 26.89 | 27.19 |
Swiss Franc | CHF | 313.78 | 316.28 |
Thai Bhat | THB | 7.76 | 7.91 |
Copyright ©2024. Reproduction of this website's content without express written permission from 'Daily Pakistan' is strictly prohibited.