Matthew Perry has confirmed the ‘Friends’ reunion has been rescheduled for “the beginning of March”.
Matthew Perry
The 51-year-old actor is set to reunite with his former co-stars - David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow - for a one-off special of their hit NBC sitcom, which will see them reminisce about their time on the much-loved series.
And after the reunion - which will air on HBO Max - was pushed back several times due to the coronavirus pandemic, Matthew has now confirmed fans won’t be able to see the special show until March next year.
He tweeted: “Friends reunion being rescheduled for the beginning of March. Looks like we have a busy year coming up. And that's the way I like it! (sic)”
The news comes after show co-creator Marta Kauffman insisted in August the reunion wouldn’t go ahead without a live studio audience, meaning it couldn’t be filmed this year due to the high number of coronavirus cases in the US.
She said: "We all want it to happen. We just have to wait until it is safe. This is a show that is not scripted, but this is the way the show works - we are going to need a live audience. Even if we socially distance that live audience, it really is a huge part of what Friends is ... We can not do it without them. Everyone is all in and we are just waiting for that time when it feels connected to bring in a live audience.”
The show was originally supposed to air in May, but was postponed until August before being pushed back again in favour of allowing for a studio audience.
When the cast do get into the studio to film the special - which will see them return to the original set - it is believed they will have to take a coronavirus test and "quarantine" themselves to make sure they're not carrying the virus.
A source previously said: "Everyone is really hoping production and filming can resume next month.
"It's full steam ahead right now, but there are going to be very strict guidelines and that includes no live audiences. That's a big blow because bosses were desperate to create an authentic atmosphere.
"All of the cast will be tested for Covid-19, and asked to quarantine in isolation after they've had the tests."
Tagged in David Schwimmer Matthew Perry Matt LeBlanc