Friends: The Reunion brought more sign-ups for HBO Max than any other WB film premiering this year

Friends: The Reunion has so far brought in more sign-ups for HBO Max than any other Warner Brothers film premiering on the streaming service this year.  

The news about the episode, which was also released under the title The One Where They Get Back Together, was reported by Business Insider.

Friends: The Reunion was released on May 27th and was met with a generally positive critical reception from both reviewers and the show’s longtime fans.

Serious achievement: Friends: The Reunion brought in more sign-ups for HBO Max than any other Warner Brothers film premiering on the streaming service this year

The media outlet reported that, according to the market measuring firm Antenna, the special’s numbers towered over those of Godzilla Vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat, both of which were released on HBO Max.

It was also noted that Friends: The Reunion brought in the service’s most single-day sign-ups of this year so far, according to The Wrap. 

The largest all-time subscription draw-in for HBO Max has been for Wonder Woman 1984, which was released last December. 

A majority of the new subscribers have been female, as they accounted for 57 percent of the sign-ups, adds The Wrap. 

Beating them out: The special episode’s numbers towered over those of the premieres of films such as Godzilla Vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat

Taking the lead: Friends: The Reunion, which was also released under the title The One Where They Get Back Together, brought in the most single-day sign-ups of this year for HBO Max so far

Development on Friends: The Reunion was initially announced in November of 2019 when it was noted that HBO Max would host the special.

The involvement of the original cast and creators, all of whom served as executive producers, was officially confirmed the following year.

Shooting was set to begin at the series’ longtime shooting location of Stage 24 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, in March of 2020, before production was shut down due to the onset of COVID-19.

Filming was later rescheduled for August of last year, although it was eventually pushed back as a response to the ongoing state of the global pandemic.

After several more months of inactivity, physical production officially began this past April, not long before the special’s official release. 

Long time coming: Development on the project was initially announced in November of 2019, and the entire cast’s involvement was confirmed the following year

Arduous process: Although production was initially set to begin in March of 2020, it was delayed due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

The featurette was presented by James Corden, although many viewers reacted negatively to his involvement in the project.

Several guest stars were featured in the episode, including David Beckham, Cara Delevingne and Justin Bieber, among several others.

Lady Gaga and Lisa Kudrow notably performed the fan-favorite song, Smelly Cat, during the special.

Friends: The Reunion was eventually released on May 27th, a full calendar year after its originally scheduled date.

Reception from both fans and critics remained generally positive, with many pointing to the still-present rapport between the cast members as a high point of the special episode.

Worth the wait: The special was eventually released on May 27th and was met with a generally positive critical reception from critics and fans alike