MATTHEW Perry’s family will be play a key role in any new streaming deal for Friends ahead of show’s 30th anniversary, The U.S. Sun has learned.
Perry’s untimely death in October at 54 rocked the rest of the cast ahead of what will be a major milestone next year.
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Following the success of the Friends reunion special, which aired on HBO Max in 2021, a well-placed Hollywood source said that Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer have been leading the charge for something similar to be negotiated in 2024.
The show’s $425 million five-year exclusive deal with Max is set to expire next year, and after that, it could head back to its previous streaming home Netflix in 2025, the insider revealed.
Aniston, 54, Schwimmer, 57, and castmates Courteney Cox, 59, and Lisa Kudrow, 60, are all part owners of the franchise.
But Perry’s estate is also expected to get a say in any decision on where Friends goes next.
The source told The U.S. Sun: “There had been brainstorming on what to do for the show’s 30th anniversary when Matthew passed away, and of course Matthew’s passing changes everything.
“While a big budget TV special is unlikely, a return of the show to Netflix when the Max deal expires is much more probable.
“Even though the show has been one of Max’s biggest successes, Netflix would make it available to a much bigger US and global audience again.
“It all comes down to the deal and the cast, as well as Matthew’s estate.
“They have ownership points in the show, meaning they will get a vote on what happens to the series and whether it gets a major do-over.
“Netflix would be ideal because they have deep pockets and the biggest subscriber base on the planet, but another scenario could see Max and Netflix share the rights on a duo-exclusive basis.
“Everything is on the table but the cast is interested in not just the biggest deal, but in reaching the biggest audience.
“Their work has stood the test of time and announcing that they are putting it in front of millions of new viewers on its 30th anniversary would be a great way to mark three decades of Friends.
“And of course if means another giant payday for all of the profit participants.”
‘HONOR MATTHEW’
Friends originally aired for 10 seasons on NBC from September 1994 to May 2004, becoming one of the most iconic TV shows of that era and a hit with audiences worldwide.
The series reached a new generation of fans after Warner Bros. TV agreed to a $30 million a year deal with Netflix in late 2014.
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But Netflix lost the US streaming rights in May 2020 to HBO Max (now known just as Max) and has since lost it in other large international regions, too.
Perry played the beloved character Chandler Bing on the show.
The actor was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi following an apparent drowning at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on October 28.
The star had been very open about his past struggles with drink and drugs addiction.
Initial toxicology reports found there was no meth or fentanyl in his system, though his cause of death remains unconfirmed while more detailed testing is carried out.
However, his ex-girlfriend Kayti Edwards told The U.S. Sun earlier this month that she fears that he had suffered a prescription pill relapse.
Following his death, the Friends cast joined his friends and family for his funeral at Forest Lawn cemetery – opposite the Warner Bros. studios where they filmed the show together.
The U.S. Sun’s source said it’s likely that Perry’s death will lead the surviving cast to revive their Friends Helping Friends charity benefit.
The original fundraiser took place while the show was still in its original run.
With Perry’s family overseeing a new charitable foundation dedicated to helping people recover from addiction and live soberly, the cast has a highly personal charity they can focus on.
The insider said: “Given Matthew’s tragic passing, his charitable foundation, and his whole legacy, is front-of-mind for the cast.
“They want it to thrive and it has a good chance to because Matthew’s estate is so valuable and will make money from Friends and his other work for years to come.
“The cast has a clear opportunity here to raise money for Matthew’s foundation and bring back their Friends Helping Friends charity benefit at some point in 2024.
“I don’t think that will be the only way they honor Matthew and the show’s 30-year milestone, but it would still make a huge impact.
“They also all want to talk publicly on camera about Matthew at some point, but emotions are still way too raw for that right now.
“They’re all still grieving, big time.”
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