The cast of Friends are to be reunited once again – for a movie version of the hit TV show, it emerged today. The six main stars have agreed to move onto the big screen following the success of the Sex And The City film at the box office. It means Jennifer Aniston, 40, Courteney Cox, 45, Lisa Kudrow, 46, Matt LeBlanc, 42, Matthew Perry, 40, and David Schwimmer, 42, will be back on the same set for the first time since the show ended in 2004. Studio bosses from Warner Brothers are prepared to pay a fortune to the stars, who were being paid six figures an episode by the tenth and final season of Friends, which pulled in 10million UK viewers. They have also drafted in the show’s creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman to write and produce the film, due in cinemas in the summer of 2011. James Michael Tyler, who played Central Perk coffee shop oddball Gunther, confirmed: ‘Friends: The Movie is definitely on. I still keep in touch with a lot of the cast and they say that they are really keen.’ A movie source told the News of the World: ‘The cast haven’t set the world alight since the show finished. But this film could relight some of their flagging careers in a big way. But everyone knew the story had to be right and well written. Getting the creators on board was a massive step forward for the project.’ The show did lose a lot of its shine in the last few seasons, but with the actors all in the forties it would be a real interest to see how their characters have developed.’ The film comes in the wake of the big screen version of Sex And The City which took an astonishing $408,921,925 at the box office. But, although the cast have always made no secret about a desire to do a film, some have cast doubts about its viability. Miss Kudrow has said: ‘It would be so fun to be with all those people again. But our show was not like Sex and the City – ours was multi-camera, in front of a live audience. It’s a completely different feel. You’d have to bring the tone down, and I don’t know how it would be. I’ll just stay open.’ Meanwhile actor Mr Tyler, 47, who is in London for the launch of a Central Perk themed coffee shop in Soho, is keen to reprise his role as Gunther on the big screen. He said: ‘The one thing I can tell you is that I am definitely on board to do the film. I really loved my time on the show and I am looking forward to meeting up with the old gang again. I just hope we can do justice to the show in a film.’

Dude, as much as I want to believe Gunther, I just won’t believe it until someone in a more official capacity confirms this rumor. As I said last year, these folks need to strike NOW while the iron is hot. If they wait too long, they won’t be able to make a movie that anyone will want to watch … they’re not getting any younger ;) I would DIE for a Friends movie and the actors would be able to make a KILLING paywise. They were making $1 million PER EPISODE when the TV show was on the air … can you imagine how much they could each command if they made a movie? While I’m hopeful this rumor will come true … I ain’t buyin’ it just yet.

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A representative for Warner Bros film studio has quashed speculation of a Friends reunion movie … It was rumoured earlier this week that Cox and Aniston were keen to reprise their roles for a movie version of the show, as long as the story was right. They were alleged to have been inspired by the massive box office success of Sex and the City: The Movie, which was turned from a TV series into a big-screen film earlier this year. But the claims have been refuted by executives at Warner Bros, the studio behind Friends. Jayne Trotman, Warner’s director of publicity in the U.K., says, “(There’s) no truth in the story.” And publicists for both Cox and Perry have also stepped in to deny the rumours. Perry’s spokeswoman, Lisa Kasteler, adds, “Nothing is happening in this regard, so the rumour is false.”

Well ain’t this just a big ol’ steaming order of Poop Sandwich? I think it is such a mistake to keep stalling on making this movie. To be honest, I think they might even be too late to make a good enough Friends Movie as it stands … continuing to delay any potential movie is just a bad idea. I’m all about striking while the iron is hot … SaTC really proved that a TV show of such popularity can make a successful transition to the big screen. I realize that fans really have no say in such matters as these but I really wish the executives and the actors we love (loved?) so much would really reconsider. Further delay will only further damn any chances of a successful Friends Movie will ever be made. Again, I say, Boo!

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The highly anticipated film production of TV series Friends has finally been given the go-ahead, MailOnline has learned. Cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer will reprise their roles for a big-screen adaptation “within the next 18 months”, according to insiders. The actors have been inspired by the recent success of Sex And The City, which recently hit cinemas worldwide. A source said: “Jennifer, Courteney and the rest of the cast are keen to reprise their roles, under the right circumstances. The box office success of Sex And The City has really got their wheels spinning about how a Friends film could be just as big, if done right. Timing and the script are really important, but now that Courteney and Jen both have production companies, they can potentially get very involved in those decisions.” Talk of a reunion for the loveable gang from New York’s Central Perk has been bandied around Hollywood ever since the show aired its final season in 2004. While Cox, 44, LeBlanc, 40, Perry, 39, Kudrow, 45 and Schwimmer, 41, were believed to be keen on the reunion, Aniston, 39, is believed to have dragged her heels. Now, however, she is keen to move ahead with the project, which will be produced by Warner Bros. The source added: “As the biggest star of the Friends franchise, Jennifer can’t help but look at what’s happened with Sarah Jessica Parker and the Sex And The City film and be a little jealous. What’s held back a Friends movie so far is that people were worried that Jennifer had simply become too famous to play Rachel again. But the truth is that Jennifer is finally willing to do it, and she’d love to work with that whole team of actors and producers again. She says she and Courteney have already talked this summer about what they want out of a Friends movie, and if deals can be made with them, everything else can fall into place rather quickly. It really comes down to money, and I don’t think Jen has a problem with all of the Friends getting huge paydays for the movie. In that sense, it’s Sex And The City all over again. There’s no movie unless you can reunite the whole cast and keep them all happy financially” … The source told MailOnline: “Friends is at the top of the list of properties that can do the same level of business Sex And The City did.”

Okay … first thing, Jennifer Aniston is not “too famous” to play Rachel Green again. If she really believes that is the case then she is sorely mistaken. Until the day she dies, she will be Rachel Green … except with a more prominent scowl and not as funny. Second thing, they need to move on this movie, like, now. If they can really pull it all together in “the next 18 months” then that would be perfect. Third thing, much like with the SaTC movie, I have NO IDEA what they can do with the Friends characters to make a compelling 2-hour movie that will satisfy all the fans … but, the SaTC movie did just that — they pulled it off flawlessly. It is my sincere hope that the Friends folk can do the same. While I’m excited at the prospect of this project actually getting off the ground, I’m not really gonna get all excited until there is some sort of confirmation from either the movie studio or someone who might be involved in the project. It would be great to see the gang on the big screen again … I hope it actually happens.

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