News | Entertainment
16 Jul 2025 13:24
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    The cast of ‘Friends’ will be tested for coronavirus before the reunion special takes place in August

    Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer are all set to reunite next month when they film HBO Max’s one-off reunion special of the hit sitcom, in which they all starred as a group of friends living in New York City


    But amid the coronavirus pandemic, the stars - who will reminisce on their time on the show in a roundtable style special - will have to undergo testing and quarantine measures before being allowed on set, to make sure they’re not carrying the virus.

    A source told The Sunday Mirror’s Watts the Goss column: “Everyone is really hoping production and filming can resume next month.

    "It’s full steam ahead right now, but there are going to be very strict guidelines and that includes no live audiences. That’s a big blow because bosses were desperate to create an authentic atmosphere.?“All of the cast will be tested for Covid-19, and asked to quarantine in isolation after they’ve had the tests.”

    The news comes after Martha Kauffman, who co-created ‘Friends’, said the crew were hoping to film in August.

    She said: "We are hoping to be able to shoot in August, if all is well and there is no early second wave and the studio is open. If everything is in place and we understand all the protocols and we can still make a good show, we'll be shooting it some time, mid-to-late August.”

    However, contrary to the latest reports, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer chairman, Bob Greenblatt, previously insisted a 'Friends' reunion won't take place until a studio audience can be present for its taping.

    Bob shared: "At first we thought, shows will be delayed for a month or two at the most, and now it seems like it's going to be far longer than that. We're holding out for being able to get this special done hopefully by the end of the summer, if the stars align and hopefully we can get back into production. We do think there's a value to having a big, raucous live audience to experience these six great friends coming back together and we didn't want to just suddenly do it on a web call with, you know, six squares and people shooting from their kitchens and bedroom ... But at the moment, we're trying to look to the future and get this thing done in a more conventional way, and I think it's worth waiting for. We would have loved to have had it on [HBO Max on] day one, but at the same time, if we can get it launched in the fall, I think it'll be something that we can have the audience really looking forward to as well."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     16 Jul: Gina Rodriguez is pregnant
     16 Jul: Robbie Williams has revealed that his mother no longer knows who he is due to her dementia
     16 Jul: Ellen DeGeneres has thrown her support behind Rosie O'Donnell amid her latest row with Donald Trump
     16 Jul: Armie Hammer's ex-girlfriend, Paige Lorenze, is engaged to tennis star Tommy Paul
     16 Jul: Sarah Jessica Parker has confirmed she dated Nicolas Cage
     16 Jul: AJ McLean reunited with his estranged wife Rochelle DeAnna McLean at the opening night of the Backstreet Boys' residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas
     16 Jul: Eric Idle feels "lucky" to be alive
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Black Sevu Reece has declared himself ready to return to the test arena More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Inflation's back on the rise around the world More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Gina Rodriguez is pregnant 13:10

    Rugby League:
    Former Kiwis fullback Richie Barnett is understanding of the Warriors potentially choosing not to re-sign Te Maire Martin 13:07

    National:
    How AI can help protect bees from dangerous parasites 13:07

    Law and Order:
    The family of victims of a triple fatal crash in Waiuku, in Auckland's south are asking for privacy 13:07

    Entertainment:
    Robbie Williams has revealed that his mother no longer knows who he is due to her dementia 12:40

    Health & Safety:
    Fears Kiwis are ignorant of the signs of bowel cancer 12:17

    Entertainment:
    Ellen DeGeneres has thrown her support behind Rosie O'Donnell amid her latest row with Donald Trump 12:10

    Law and Order:
    Serious charges over an alleged offending spree - including a man driving the wrong way on Auckland's Southern Motorway 11:57

    Entertainment:
    Armie Hammer's ex-girlfriend, Paige Lorenze, is engaged to tennis star Tommy Paul 11:40

    International:
    Donald Trump announces trade deal with Indonesia with a 19 per cent levy to be imposed 11:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd