‘Friends: The Reunion’, an unscripted special episode, reunited the show’s primary cast back together and was a huge success. Warner Bros ordered the 110-minute programme, dubbed “The One Where They Get Back Together” for their streaming platform HBO Max.

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the episode was forced to be postponed by a year. It was released on May 27, the first anniversary of HBO Max.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer all reprised their original roles in this episode.

In addition, David Beckham, Lady Gaga, Kit Harington, Reese Witherspoon, Malala Yousafzai, and BTS made cameo appearances on the episode.

The nostalgic episode elicited a strong response on social media, but there is real data to back it up as well. The episode appears to be aiding HBO Max in acquiring subscribers.

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How much the lead cast got paid to return

According to a Deadline report from the previous year, the total amount expended on the talent would’ve been $20 million, with each of the six cast members receiving 3 to 4 million dollars (about Rs 21 to 28 crore), while Variety said that the cast would receive 2.5 million dollars for the reunion episode.

The original cast was first promised $1 million apiece for the special, according to the Wall Street Journal, which they had rejected.

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How much the cast was earning while the show was running

By the end of Season 10 of ‘Friends’, the ensemble was making a million dollars from each episode.

It was after the actors had secured a raise in remuneration as well as a share of the series’ syndication income. In the first season, though, they started at $22,500 each episode.

Since Ross and Rachel’s romance became a key element in the second season, Warner Bros. wanted individual contracts with each actor.

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According to the New York Times, although Aniston and Schwimmer made about 40,000 dollars each episode, others were still earning near their initial earnings.

However, during Season 3, the actors rallied together to guarantee that all six of them received equal remuneration. The cast members were then offered $75,000 each episode by the studio.

Their collective action created a precedent for performers on ensemble series like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ — the only other ensemble series with the entire cast being paid a million dollars per episode — to follow in order to achieve wage equity for the cast.

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According to reports, the ‘Friends’ cast’s salary was increased to $1 million per episode for Seasons 9 and 10 in 2002. Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, and Jennifer Aniston were the highest-earning women on television at the time as a result of this.

According to Parade, the ‘Friends’ cast makes $20 million each year from the series’ royalties, while the show’s syndicated reruns bring in an incredible $1 billion for Warner Bros every year.

Each member of the cast receives 2% of the proceeds. As HBO Max made its debut, WarnerMedia invested $425 million to buy the streaming rights to ‘Friends’.

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Friends: The Reunion‘ aired on ZEE5 in India, and according to Amit Goenka, President, Digital Businesses & Platforms, the episode has been seen over 1 million times (and counting) in India.

“We at ZEE are extremely delighted to note the roaring response that ‘Friends: The Reunion’ received on ZEE5, by amassing 1mn+ views and counting from across the country,” the statement stated.