Coronavirus: HBO Friends reunion special reportedly delayed

The Friends cast. Photo / Getty Images

The Friends reunion special has been delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It was set to be filmed early next week, however production has been delayed until at least May, sources told The Hollywood Reporter.

The reunion special for the popular sitcom was set to feature the show's main cast: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.

It was to premiere to mark the launch of streaming service HBO Max.

"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," said HBO Max chief content officer Kevin Reilly.

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It’s happening... ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ @hbomax⁣ @courteneycoxofficial⁣ @lisakudrow⁣ @mleblanc⁣ @mattyperry4⁣ @_schwim_

A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston) on Feb 21, 2020 at 2:04pm PST

The cast had previously announced the special on their social media accounts.

It follows the shutdown of most productions in the United States in response to the global coronavirus outbreak. Talk shows, including The Ellen Show and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, have shut down production.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the special was to be filmed at the same studio where the sitcom was shot, Stage 24 of the Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, California.

The special was to be unscripted and was billed as a celebration of the series.