They will be there for new Friends movie

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By Simon Ward, 27/09/2009

IT'S The One Where Joey, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, Ross And Rachel Get Back Together Again And Make A Mega-Bucks Comeback Movie Just Like The Girls From Sex And The City Did.

Hugs all round - because we can reveal that Friends is back for a big-screen version of the hit sitcom.

Studio bosses have got together for an oversized mug of coffee to prepare a script for a film version of the series.

And they are ready to break the bank with a multi-million package to get the main cast on board.

In an exclusive interview with the News of the World, James Michael Tyler - who played Central Perk 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."

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.

It will see Jennifer Aniston, 40, Courteney Cox, 45, Lisa Kudrow, 46, Matt LeBlanc, 42, Matthew Perry, 40, and David Schwimmer, 42, back on the same set for the first time since the show ended in 2004.

During Friends' tenth and final series, the six stars were each earning six figures an episode. At its peak, it had 10MILLION viewers in the UK.

Since then, the stars have enjoyed mixed career fortunes.

Flagging

DAVID SCHWIMMER (Ross) has had the biggest critical success with a range of theatrical roles including the play Some Girl(s) in London alongside Catherine Tate.

JENNIFER ANISTON (Rachel) has had lead role in commercially successful films such as Bruce Almighty, and the romantic comedies Along Came Polly and Marley and Me.

COURTENEY COX (Monica) missed out on Teri Hatcher's part in the massively successful TV series Desperate Housewives and is now set to film horror flick Scream 4.

LISA KUDROW (Phoebe) had a hit after the show finished with HBO sitcom The Comeback and is now an executive producer on the US version of Who Do You Think You Are?

But MATT LEBLANC'S spinoff comedy Joey, where he reprised the character he played on Friends, was cancelled after just two seasons.

MATTHEW PERRY'S (Chanddler) recent TV show Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, written by the West Wing's Aaron Sorkin, was also cancelled after just a single season. But he recently bounced back this year in the film 17 Again, where he played the older Zac Efron.

But now Warner Brothers have drafted in Friends creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman to write and produce the film, due in cinemas in the summer of 2011.

A movie source said: "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."

Desire

The cast have always made no secret about a desire to do a film and Lisa Kudrow 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 James, 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."

Your comments

This article has 41 comments

OMG i cant belive ther is gonna be a friends movie! friends is the best show in the world i watch it every day on dvd and have done for like 6 years!!

By jonnie.. Posted February 4 2010 at 5:30 PM.

wow! this is great a film of friends its goona be great i loved each episode and all the seasons, joey,chandler,rachael,ross,monica and phoebe. there all great and wonderful people i love you guys for being who you are . i looked to them as good role models and i always a season of friends each night.... this flim hopefully show how ross and rachael watch emma grew and chandler and monica with their twins.. and mike and phoebe's dream of a family... joey will i guess he'll still along with chandler living with them where he can grow old, you know that chandler metion this... will hope to seen them all soon.

By darren .. Posted February 2 2010 at 3:41 PM.

JOEY and CHANDLER are the BESSTTTT!!!

By janina.. Posted January 26 2010 at 8:52 AM.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG ok i cant say how happy i am
Friends is the best show ever
i have watched the boxset about 5times i got it about a month ago

By Caren.. Posted January 25 2010 at 10:45 PM.

YES, YES, 1000 times yes!

By Sparky.. Posted January 19 2010 at 4:41 PM.

My God! I'm from BRAZIL and I really love FRIENDS, I hope with all my heart that is true, I have not lost a single episode and have DVD's with this wonderful series. For me this is the best series I've ever seen the movie then ... will burst. It would be good also return to the series, still want to see the marriage of Rachel and Ross and Emma already grown. I miss Monica, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Joe and of course Chandler. I love you all, kisses and much success.

By Samira Duarte.. Posted December 1 2009 at 7:04 PM.

I really hope this is true. I am from Romania, I LOVE "Friends", I think it's one of the best shows EVER, and I'm waiting for a comeback since 2004 :)
A movie will make all the money.

By Ionescu Mihai.. Posted November 16 2009 at 6:29 AM.

YAAAAHHHOOOOO!!!!!!! i love freinds on the 10 th series i felt like somthing waz misin in the movie they should make phobe and joey fall in love then it will be complete

By hashaam yaqoob.. Posted November 14 2009 at 6:12 PM.

hi i love friends me and my best friend have them all and it is all we watch. i hope they do a movie that will be so cool.

By chloe lk .. Posted October 17 2009 at 11:09 PM.

Friends is THE best,
watch it every night on E4.
Ross is my favourite, i just LOVE him.
LOL
he is sooooo funny.
and agree with someone elses comment, friends quotes will NEVER get old.
Love the tan one.
and... the one with rachels supprise party, where her mother and father both turn up! quality. and ross comes out with rachels dads glasses on and his cigerette in his mouth, then he gets the dam thing stuck to his lips!
hahahaha
I LOVE FRIENDS
Please please please
make a movie!
Love your biggest ever fan
Steph
x

By STeph.. Posted October 14 2009 at 8:38 PM.

carnt wait the best programme ever on tv,they jst never get old!!!! :)

By dylan.. Posted October 13 2009 at 4:46 PM.

As Far As I Know There Is NO Friends Movie. I Dont Know If They Are Trying To Keep It Secret But Courteney Cox Said Its The First That Shes Heard Of It. I Would Literatlly Cry If There Was But all Of The Rumors Over The Last 5 Years Has Made Me Think This Could Also Be A Rumor Too. Sorry....

By Sequoia.. Posted October 11 2009 at 2:33 PM.

YAY!!
I am soooo excited now, i loved friends soo much and nearlly cried on the last one!=P
i can't wait, i'm tryin 2 order the ticket now!
WhoopWhoop!:P

By Nathann.. Posted October 8 2009 at 10:00 PM.

ross: "listen a pigion, no wait no an eagle flew in, landed on the stove and caught on fire. the baby seeing this, jumps across the appartment to the mighty birds aid. the eagle however confuses it as an act of aggression and grabs the baby in its claws. meanwhile the fauset fills the appartment with water. baby and bird still at a blaze are locked in a death grip swirling around the whirlpool that fills the appartment."
rachel: "boy are you gonna be sorry if thats true."

By Nikki.. Posted October 4 2009 at 10:57 PM.

I LOVE FRIENDS.
I don't have all ten seasons yet but my cousins do and i watch it at their house ALL the time.
we always quote "Friends" lines. IT NEVER GETS OLD AND I HATE PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT!! i love the six main characters so much. they did an awesome job and the chemistry was just perfect through all the seasons. everything just went perfect. ross and rachel were of course my favorite. JENNIFER ANISTON I LOVE YOU!!!!

By Nikki.. Posted October 4 2009 at 10:55 PM.

I loveeeeeeee Friends! I have the box set of all 10 series and have watched it through 3 times since ive had it. its going to be so awsome!

By Stacey.. Posted October 1 2009 at 5:26 PM.

OH MAA GAWDD I Actually Cried When I Found Out. I Literatlly Adiccted To Friends.. And Most People At Our School Lurvee Itt :D I Am Probably Friends Number One Fann. I have book about tha show and the box set and other stuff too :)

Yay Friends :D

By Bron.. Posted September 30 2009 at 7:25 PM.

i loveee F.R.I.E.N.D.SS I CANT WAIT FOR THE MOVIE OMGGG WOOOOOP :DDXX

By ellie.. Posted September 30 2009 at 4:19 PM.

O.......M.........G!!!!!!!!!! I absolutely LOVE friends and im gonna love the movie. CANT WAIT! I hope it's even more funny than the whole series! I love it so so so much. I'm all the casts biggest fans!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially Matt leblanc

By Charlotte Milan Stretton.. Posted September 30 2009 at 1:26 PM.

I'm so happy about this , it going to be a great movie!!!

By Jonatan.. Posted September 30 2009 at 5:10 AM.

I had a feeling they would create a film as the series was intelligently produced and brilliant, I am from that era being 42 myself, and can relate to their characters. I still love the show and would love to see them all back together.

By Donna.. Posted September 30 2009 at 3:18 AM.

OMG!!! I can't believe they are making a movie! I am the biggest of friends and I have all of the series on dvd. I CANT WAIT!! :)

By Lisa.. Posted September 29 2009 at 1:09 PM.

I'm from Brazil and this series means SO MUCH to me! OMG! I just can't believe this is real.. I hope SO, SO MUCH to this article to be true!

By Vinícius.. Posted September 28 2009 at 6:52 PM.

i really hope this is true , i would be first in line to see it :P i love friends so much and i watch it every night on e4 and have the boxset and everything i just hope they dont ruin how it ended on a high like killing of a character or breaking up ross/rachel monica/chandler that would ruin it
if this is not true then the news of the world will have alot of friends fans very annoyed!!!
:)))))

By Carniee.. Posted September 28 2009 at 6:11 PM.

wow umm well ok so ....
I CANT WAIT CAN I BUY A TICKET NOW

By David .. Posted September 28 2009 at 5:27 PM.

Please be true. Every since the first one my hole family has been hook on it. I watch everyday on channel 4 and always e4. i love friends. ive got all the book all the boxset. i had posters the game the cup and coster and lots more. I just cant wait to find out how there all changed. i want to no how Monica & Chandler and there twins are. i want to see how Ross & Rachel are getting on with Emma and hopeful more children and Married..... I want to no how Phoebe & Mike are. I hope there got children. I want to no if Joey has finly got a women. I just want this to be true so i can get all my friends together and watch it. I love my friend .......................

By MARIE.. Posted September 27 2009 at 11:51 PM.

Ive been brought-up on Friends (but was too young to know what it meant), and my parents are huge fans too! we have them all on dvd x2 and all on video! I'll be first in line to watch the movie, if it does happen. Do remember though - we've seen these rumors before!!

By Mason Moore.. Posted September 27 2009 at 11:22 PM.

As if we don't have enough Friends already. It's on all the time and hasn't been funny since about season 5. They must all be seriously short of attention.However much money they spend on this it's unlikely to be any less boring than the latest tale of woe about Kerry blooody Katona or the grotesque Jordan. Yuk Yuk Yuk.

By Andy.. Posted September 27 2009 at 5:44 PM.

Omg.. I have been waitin for this for ages. I started watching friends 3 years ago but they neva get old. All of my friends used to watch but they sed they get bored of it. It really annoyin cus how do u get bored of friends! They are amazing!

By Chloe.. Posted September 27 2009 at 4:55 PM.

I started watching FRIENDS a month ago. I know, I know! But I fell in love with it within the first minute. Cannot wait for this.

By Kelly.. Posted September 27 2009 at 4:11 PM.

ITS AN AWSUM SHOW =) I LOVE HOW THEYH CREATED THE FUNNY SIDE OF IT :) HOPE THEY BRING IT BACK

By rhian angharad morgan .. Posted September 27 2009 at 4:04 PM.

this is the news i've been waiton for a friends movie, look how well sex and the city did and friends was 10 times better this movie will be great can't wait bring on summer 2011 just hope a film can do justice to what is prob the best sitcom of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By David Sheldon.. Posted September 27 2009 at 3:12 PM.

Please, please please be true this time, It would be a bigger hit than sex in the city was.

By Louise.. Posted September 27 2009 at 3:11 PM.

OH MY GOD!!!!
i'm a HUGE friends fan and i own all of the series on dvd
i'm sooooooooooooooooo happy that friends is going to be made into a film.
How you doin!

By Hannah.. Posted September 27 2009 at 2:13 PM.

Sooooo hope its true this time. Would be awesome to see how their characters have grown, and Monica & Chandler with the Twins, See how Ross & Rachel are going, How much Emma has grown up and who shes like.... Maybe Phoebe & Mike have kids now.... not sure how theyd work the Joey thing tho due to the spin off

Oooooh please be true!

By Tracey.. Posted September 27 2009 at 1:52 PM.

Hope so!

By Nima.. Posted September 27 2009 at 1:28 PM.

Movies will never be as good as the series but still cant wait to see it! I loved friends and have the box set which I watch over and over and never get tired of.

By Shannon.. Posted September 27 2009 at 12:45 PM.

This Gunther actor guy is wishing upon a star more like. Although I think his character was great, the actor hasn't been particularly successful afterwards and is more hoping they'll do a movie than any concrete evidence pointing to an actual green light for one. The main 6 are probably "well I've tons of money in the bank and this was so like 2004, so let's just tease this Gunther guy a bit to get him off our backs".

By James.. Posted September 27 2009 at 11:08 AM.

OH. MY .....GOD this could b awsome!!!

By CHANDLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. Posted September 27 2009 at 10:04 AM.

One to watch out for. It was great while it was on.

By Carol.. Posted September 27 2009 at 9:30 AM.

yay i cant wait the best show ever

By emzy.. Posted September 27 2009 at 8:06 AM.

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