The cast of the beloved 1990s sitcom about six attractive, straight, white New Yorkers with ludicrously giant Manhattan apartments finally reunite Thursday for a much-hyped and long-delayed special.
Details are under wraps, but fans can expect a "table read" of a classic episode, a recreation of the famous Friends quiz at Monica and Rachel's apartment—and lots of hugs, tears, and reminiscing.
"Where's the tissue box?" asks an emotional Jennifer Aniston in a trailer that shows the gang reflecting on their ascent to stardom and firm real-life friendship.
"I love you guys so much," she adds during a group embrace.
Their bond continues to be a profitable one.
Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer collectively negotiated one million dollars each per episode by the end of their colossally popular and zeitgeist-setting 236-episode, 10-year run.
In a sign of the show's enduring appeal, the gang is reportedly pocketing $2.5 million each for the reunion.
Banking on nostalgia, parent company WarnerMedia originally planned the "unscripted special" as a blockbuster way to launch its HBO Max streaming service last year.
But filming was delayed by the pandemic, with producers determined to bring the gang back in-person to iconic sets like the "Central Perk" cafe at the show's original studio outside Los Angeles.
British comic James Corden will host the reunion, interviewing the cast in front of the giant fountain on the sprawling Warner Bros Ranch used in the show's famous opening credits.
Returning guest stars will include Tom Selleck, Reese Witherspoon, and Maggie Wheeler—better known the world over as the perennially shocked Janice.
From outside the Friends universe, celebrities including Justin Bieber, David Beckham, Lady Gaga, and K-pop sensation BTS will drop by. “‹