As fans eagerly await the Friends reunion to finally happen, they’ve been given exciting details to hold them over! Kevin Bright, who produced and directed on the beloved sitcom that aired between 1994-2004, gave a big update about where the reunion stands after it was postponed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, the wait may be long, but for good reason: the production team really doesn’t want to make this a virtual reunion. “We’re just waiting. We’re waiting for a window. We feel the reunion needs to be done in front of an audience. We can’t not share it after all this time. So, uh, tentatively speaking, we’re hoping that the special will be completed by Thanksgiving. And, uh, that the show will be seen on HBOMax at that time,” Kevin revealed on Maria Menounos’ Better Together daytime show on May 12.
The wait will be worth it. Kevin teased bloopers, a fresh look at certain scenes and an alternative version of one particularly famous scene! “What’s tough about it is the clips have been picked over so much over the years. Coming up with a fresh approach to those clips, and hopefully digging through the old dailies, you know, we have every piece of footage we ever shot on Friends,” Kevin explained. “And maybe seeing something while the cameras are still rolling, that the audience has never seen before. An alternate take of a scene that the audience knows very well.”
The conversation ventured beyond the reunion, and Kevin even dived into alternate endings! “In my heart I feel like the show could’ve gone another one or two years…Joey was not married, something might have happened there going forward. The other two years could’ve been Joey finding true love!,” Kevin mused. He also had a big theory for Ross and Rachel’s relationship, which may not be music to many fans’ ears. [SPOILER] As you’ll recall, the show gave the off-again, on-again lovers and parents a happy ending when Rachel got off her flight to Paris to give her relationship with Ross a final shot.
“From my point of view, if the Friends were to get together today in their characters, just know the way the world goes, I would not believe it if all of their marriages are still together. That would not be believable to me. I’m gonna say that maybe Ross and Rachel might be on a break!,” Kevin teased. Yes, again. However, the producer and director cheekily added, “I’ll bar to my own experiences, you know, but there’s nothing more glorious than to think something is really over, and it’s not!”
You can watch the rest of the clip above to learn who Kevin thinks Joey was “robbed” of a romance with, which romantic storyline caused a “momentary cast rebellion” and more. If the team behind Friends can wait out this pandemic, one lucky fan (and five friends) will even be able to watch the live reunion! Jennifer Aniston (who plays Rachel) announced a contest that will give a lucky winner the “whole Friends VIP experience” on April 21.