'Friends' Execs Eyeing 12-Part Spin-Off Series After the Reunion Special: Will It Happen?
On Feb. 21, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer sent the internet into a total frenzy after simultaneously posting a throwback photo of their group popularly known as "Friends."
The photo, which they uploaded on their respective Instagram accounts, is accompanied by a cliffhanger caption saying, "It's happening..." tagging HBO Max and the rest of the cast.
"Friends" fans know that this post only means one thing: the much-requested reunion of the cast of the 90s hit sitcom will finally come to life!
View this post on InstagramIt’s happening... @hbomax @courteneycoxofficial @lisakudrow @mleblanc @mattyperry4 @_schwim_ A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston) on Feb 21, 2020 at 2:04pm PST
While many are excited to see Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Chandler Bing, Joey Tribianni and Ross Geller in one screen again after almost 16 years, some fans are quite disappointed that the reunion special will only be an unscripted episode where the six original cast chat about the show like a talk-show.
"This reunion has been 18 months in the making. Cast and crew have been made to sign rigid non-disclosure agreements to keep everything as fresh and exciting as possible," a source told The Sun.
"It took a long time to convince Matthew and Jennifer, in particular, to get on board. But once these two were signed up, things moved pretty quickly."
But instead of condemning the efforts to get the six original friends to get back together, fans can still look forward to something bigger and better than a one-time unscripted show.
It is because TV executives are looking at producing a 12-part reunion series, which could be worth a whopping $1.2 million.
Apparently, the original plan is to have a one-off reunion special. However, there is a hope to come up with a 12-part series once the reunion episode picks up -- which will surely do.
"Once everyone sees how well it's received and how much love there is for the show, another series will be agreed and commissioned," the source explained.
When this plan occurs, the source said that agents and the cast would surely have a big payday.
"If this happens, agents will be licking their lips. This will be the kind of small-screen payday the likes of which has never been seen," the source said.
The insider said that a "Friends" reunion series would surely birth a billion-dollar contract for streaming rights, cast talent fees and merchandise.
Could we BE any more excited?
Friends Reunion Confirmation.
According to E! News, HBO Max's chief content officer Kevin Reilly confirmed the reunion in a statement and said the reunion could be called "the one where they all got back together."
Kevin, who is also the president of TBS, TNT and truTV, said that he got the chance to work with the entire "Friends" crew during its early stage back in the 90s, and he is delighted to see how the show captured viewers from different generations.
That is why they think 2020 is the best time to give the fans what they've been clamoring for.
The phenomenal sit-com ran on NBC from 1994 to 2004 and got introduced through the younger generation when it debuted on streaming giant Netflix in 2015.
