Jennifer Aniston breaks silence on Friends reunion being delayed again

Fans of one of NBC’s most popular shows were over the moon when it was announced that an unscripted Friends reunion special featuring the original cast and creators would be coming to HBO Max.

Although the reunion special was initially due to premiere in May of this year, production on the big project was unfortunately halted due to safety concerns surrounding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was rescheduled to shoot in August, but now it looks like that’s not happening, either.

Various sources have given status updates on the progress of the reunion special, including Friends alumni David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow, and it seems that Jennifer Aniston is finally weighing in on the whole debacle.

Speaking to Deadline via phone after the news broke that the special was once again delayed, Aniston remained optimistic that it will all work out in the end. Here’s what she had to say about the much-anticipated reunion:

"It’s going to be super. You know what? This has also given us more time to make it even more exciting and more fun than it would have been. So I choose to see it as the glass is half-full that it got postponed. Look, we’re not going anywhere. You’re never going to get rid of Friends, sorry. You’re stuck with us for life guys."

Aniston added of Friends reunion:

"Unfortunately it’s very sad that we had to move it again. It was, ‘How do we do this with live audiences?’ This is not a safe time. Period. That’s the bottom line. It’s not a safe time to do it."

Since the Friends reunion was intended to be an unscripted celebration of the beloved sitcom, it makes sense that producers would want to wait for a live studio audience to enjoy it.

The special is set to film on the original Friends soundstage on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, CA, and will feature original cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc. Series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman are also expected to appear.