'Friends' reunion special will miss HBO Max launch date

Los Angeles: The much-awaited “Friends” reunion special will not be ready before the launch of Warner Media’s upcoming streaming service, HBO Max.

The special had been set to debut with the launch of the streaming service in May.

According to Variety, the special episode has not been able to shoot due to the coronavirus pandemic which has put a stop on all the filming activity in Hollywood.

The unscripted episode was set to be shot in March at the iconic Stage 24 of the Warner Bros Studio lot in Burbank, where the original NBC series was filmed.

The studio had later decided to shoot the special in May just before the streaming service’s launch but that is also unlikely to happen.

Many shows — scripted, late-night, daytime and syndicated, among others — have been shut down as the world started to self-quarantine and employ social distancing.

All six original cast members — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — are set to come together for the reunion.

Ben Winston will direct and executive produce alongside “Friends” creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman and Kevin Bright.

The coronavirus outbreak has killed over 100,000 and infected close to 1.7 million till date.