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.
‘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 Sex And The City film, which had series star Sarah Jessica Parker as a producer, is headed for a global box office total of well over $300million.
That number exceeds all pre-release expectations and insiders say US studio Warner Bros is now mining its recent library of TV hits for other projects ready for the movie treatment.
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.’
Since going their separate ways, the actors have stayed in the entertainment sphere, with varying success.
Aniston, who depicted lead character Rachel, has starred in a series of romantic comedies but her professional endeavours have been overshadowed by romantic upheaval.
Following her divorce from Brad Pitt in 2005, she endured a reportedly volatile relationship with actor Vince Vaughn before recently embarking on a romance with musician John Mayer.
Courteney Cox, who depicted neurotic Monica, enjoyed relative success with her TV show Dirt, where she played a ruthless tabloid media mogul.
Lisa Kudrow, who co-starred as ditzy folk singer Phoebe, continues to work in film - but mostly lower profile independent ones.
Matt Le Blanc has laid low in Hollywood since the failure of his Friends spin-off series Joey, passing on TV and film roles to focus on his home life.
David Schwimmer, aka Ross, now seems most comfortable playing the role of movie director. He recently directed hit comedy Run Fatboy Run.
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