The launches of Disney + and Apple TV+ in recent weeks have begun to upend the world of streaming services. They’re the first major challenges to Netflix’s supremacy, but they won’t be the last. HBO Max, which is set to launch in 2020, will be the home to a vast array of content both new and old. According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the service’s new offerings will be an unscripted “Friends” reunion special.
HBO Max will be home to all 236 episodes of the original series, as well as this new special. The reports suggests that all six of the shows original stars — Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt Leblanc — are in talks to be part of the special. The reunion would also feature creators David and Marta Kauffman. At this point, the reunion is not set in stone.
Although the team is not planning to get together to make more episodes, the special is likely to be the most high-profile reunion of the entire cast since the show went off the air in 2004. The show recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and thanks to Netflix, it’s as popular as it ever was while it was airing.
The loss of “Friends” is just one of many major challenges to Netflix’s dominance as a streaming platform. All indications suggest that it’s long been one of the most popular shows on the service. In addition to “Friends,” HBO Max is planning to launch with a slew of other content. That includes everything from the animated classics of Studio Ghibli to shows like “South Park” and “The Big Bang Theory.” Those things are in addition to the slew of content that’s already available on something like HBO Now or HBO Go.
A “Friends” reunion is just one more sweetener for a service that’s already looking pretty enticing. Now that Netflix is losing a lot of the content that once made it a one-stop shop, it’ll be fascinating to see how other services like HBO Max and Disney + perform.
What do you think about a possible “Friends” reunion? Would you sign up for HBO Max to see it? Let us know in the comments below.
Joe Allen is a freelance pop culture writer based out of upstate New York. Follow him on Twitter.