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Friends fans are anxiously awaiting news of exactly when they can expect the reunion they were promised. The event was originally promised on May 27, the day that HBO Max launched, but the reunion special had to be postponed when the coronavirus caused a mass shutdown of the film industry. The special has yet to receive a new release date, but at least one cast member is convinced it will happen soon. David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller for 10 seasons, believes filming could begin sometime in August.

David Schwimmer says the cast hopes to shoot the reunion by August

Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Leblanc, and Matthew Pretty have been pretty quiet about the upcoming Friends reunion, but one cast member is happy to chat about it. David Schwimmer sat down with Entertainment Tonight and said that he and his castmembers are aiming to film the reunion special sometime in August. His statements seem to fall in line with what the top executives at HBO Max have said about the reunion, but nothing is set in stone.

There is a ton of uncertainty when it comes to the film industry right now. The majority of filming, for both television and movies, has been shut down since late March, and it doesn’t appear as though things will be up and running anytime soon. Schwimmer has made it clear that the cast will only film when it’s safe to do so, and they have absolutely no interest in taking part in a Zoom reunion. For now, fans will just need to subsist on streamed episodes of the famed series.

The Friends cast is hoping to shoot in front of a live studio audience

While Schwimmer and his co-stars are hoping for an August shoot date, it remains up in the air for one significant reason. All six former castmembers have been hoping to shoot their reunion in front of a live audience. Doing so, even in late August, could prove difficult. Several states are currently experiencing an uptick in Coronavirus cases. California, where Friends was originally shot, and presumably where the reunion would be filmed, is one of the states currently experiencing a surge in cases. Until the number of daily cases decreases, it’s unlikely a live audience would be allowed on the premises.

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt Le Blanc as Joey Tribbiani, and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay
The cast of ‘Friends’ | NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Why is it important to the cast to shoot in front of a live audience? The plan for the reunion special remains mostly unclear, but some fans believe a question and answer portion was planned for the special. It’s also possible that Schwimmer, Aniston, Cox, LeBlanc, Perry, and Kudrow would like to pay homage to the original series. All 10 seasons of Friends was filmed in front of an audience.  

The reunion might not be what fans are looking for, though

While fans of the series were excited to see the cast reunite, Schwimmer has made it clear that viewers won’t be treated to a reboot of sorts. Instead of playing their characters, all six actors will appear for an interview-style reunion. At least, that’s what Schwimmer recently, according to AP Entertainment. Fans, however, are not happy with the plan.

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Fans sounded off on Twitter, with the vast majority begging Schwimmer and his co-stars to reprise their roles, at least one more time. Everyone is pretty interested in seeing what happened to Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Joey, and Pheobe. If Schwimmer is to be believed, what became of the characters after they walked out Monica’s apartment door for the last time will remain a mystery. The cast could always surprise fans, though.

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