Friends reunited: Jennifer Aniston and the gang set to return for big-screen blockbuster

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.

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Together again: Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer will star in the Friends movie

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.

The source added: 'As the biggest star of the Friends franchise, Jennifer can't help but look at what's happened with Sarah Jessica Parker and the Sex And The City film and be a little jealous.

'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.

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Inspiration: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kirsten Davis's success has provided the incentive for a Friends big-screen reunion

'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.

from dailymail.co.uk

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Teenage cat fight between Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus

Paul Fenton/ZUMA Press, Darby Shaw / ZumaPress

Selena Gomez wants everyone to know she's not feuding with Miley Cyrus.

For about the past six weeks, Gomez has been dubbed "the next Miley Cyrus," with Disney execs hoping to fast-track Gomez into even bigger stardom because they were getting nervous about some of the controversies surrounding the Hannah Montana star.

The 15-year-old Gomez stars in the Disney Channel hit Wizards of Waverly Place.

"It's a little overwhelming, but I think really, it's a compliment," Gomez told me of the Cyrus comparisons. "She's obviously extremely successful, and I think she's a wonderful performer…So being compared to her, I was very, very flattered."

I caught up with Gomez on Saturday over some Crumbs cupcakes at a press day promoting her upcoming fall movie, Another Cinderella Story. (I'll have more on the flick closer to its September release.)

Gomez and Cyrus have even had a good laugh about their so-called feuding. "We’re literally like, It's fine. It's all good," Gomez recalled. "She's Miley and I'm Selena."

No doubt the comparisons will fire up again when Gomez's first album debuts. However, if it's up to Gomez, you won't find her doing it alone. "I'm not going to be a solo artist," the Texas native insisted. "I want to be in a band with four other guys."

Gomez is keeping mum on a release date because her record deal isn't official yet. "Soon, soon, soon," she said with a laugh. "I can say that for sure."

Gomez's rise in Hollywood isn't the only thing she's celebrating these days. She's got a party planned for her Sweet 16 in July.

"I'd like to have a huge, fun and crazy cake," Gomez said. "I kind of want a Mad Hatter style cake likeAshlee Simpson and Pete Wentz's [wedding] cake. I want to have karaoke, and I'm going to have a photo booth. It's going to be really just strictly family and friends."

from eonline.com

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