HBO Max is changing its production plans for the “Friends” reunion amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to David Schwimmer.
The “Intelligence” actor, who played Ross in the hit 1990s comedy, revealed Monday on “The Tonight Show” that tentative plans have been made to film the highly anticipated quarantined special.
The entire “Friends” squad, including Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc, was originally scheduled to shoot in March, but the public health emergency shut down production for all film and television projects. .
“It is supposed to happen maybe in August, in mid-August,” Schwimmer told host Jimmy Fallon. “But honestly, we’re going to wait and see another week or two if we all determine that it’s safe enough to do so.” And if not, then we will wait until it is safe.
Schwimmer added that he and his co-stars “would love to film” the special, which was conceived as an unscripted conversation between on-screen friends set on the show’s original sound stage in Burbank. It was supposed to be available in the May release of HBO Max, which features the complete and coveted “Friends” library.
Schwimmer also explained why she originally rejected the star-making opportunity to play Ross and stepped into a millennial debate: Were Ross and Rachel (Aniston) really “on a break” when the latter accused the former of cheating on her during a classic episode of “Friends”?
“It’s not even a question,” said Schwimmer before taking his character’s side. “They were on a break.”
