Friends reunion special delayed due to coronavirus pandemic

The hotly anticipated Friends reunion special is the latest casualty of the coronavirus, as filming is suspended on productions all over the world.

The hotly anticipated Friends reunion is reportedly the latest production to fall victim to the spread of the coronavirus.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the HBO Max unscripted special was due to be filmed next Monday and Tuesday at the shows’s former home, Stage 24 of the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, but given the current global health crisis, production has now been delayed until at least May.

The cast at the iconic Central Perk Cafe set.

No alternative filming date has yet been locked in.

It follows countless other television and movie productions all over the world which have been shut down as people rush to get home and self-quarantine to contain the spread of the virus.

The Friends reunion was announced late last month, more than 15 years after the finale aired.

After years of speculation, the entire cast – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc and David Schwimmer – announced on social media they were reuniting for a celebration of the beloved comedy.

The reunion deal reportedly sees them each pocket between $US2.5 million ($A4.3 million) to $US3 million ($A5 million).

Ellen DeGeneres, who has mentioned a Friends reunion on her daytime talk show and interviewed the cast members throughout the years, is reportedly high on the list of potential hosts.

The special – which will feature reflective interviews with the cast, rather than a scripted episode similar to the original series – was originally expected to coincide with the launch of the HBO Max streaming service, according to reports.

Announcing the special in February, Kevin Reilly, CCO of HBO Max, said: “Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together – we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library.”

– with the NY Post