Jennifer Aniston will be returning to television. The news came out more than a week ago, and I greeted the Hollywood Reporter story with a “meh.” I didn’t even write about it because it just seemed like such a boring story. I was shocked that E! News made it one of their big headlines, and I was shocked that other sites covered it like it was one of the most exciting pieces of news of the summer. Then again, this has been a really boring summer for gossip, so props to everyone for trying to make this story happen. Jennifer became a star on Friends and has spent the last 13 years trying to become a movie star and turning her back on her TV roots. Now that we’re in an era of Peak TV, Jennifer is coming back, but only because Reese Witherspoon persuaded her to do so:
More than a decade after Friends wrapped its run, star Jennifer Aniston is plotting her return to the small screen. In one of the largest TV packages to date, Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are attached to star in an untitled series exploring morning shows and the larger New York media scene that they inhabit. The package, which has not yet hit the market, is expected to be taken out to premium cable outlets like HBO and streaming services including Netflix. Given the stars attached, it is expected to draw significant interest from multiple bidders.
THR notes that Aniston will executive produce, and Reese’s production company has been heavily involved with the development of the show. This is not a one-off miniseries, this sounds like a premium, hour-long drama/dramedy series which would probably work as a 10 to 13 episode season per year. It also sounds like it’s based on the plot of that Rachel McAdams movie, Morning Glory (which I personally loved, but which bombed at the box office). So now that the Minivan Majority has gotten their favorite Girl Next Door back on television, how does Jennifer feel about it?
It’s been a long, eventful 13 years since she said goodbye to playing Rachel Green on Friends—and the TV world has sorely missed Jennifer Aniston. Now she may be coming back to the small screen, and as fans rejoice, sources tell PEOPLE in the new issue that as the TV world has changed, taking on a prestige series is a natural move for the star.
“She has talked about returning to TV for a while,” a source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “She was just waiting for a great project.”
Aniston, 48, is currently attached to star alongside Reese Witherspoon in an untitled TV series — now being shopped to networks — about morning shows and the New York media scene.
“Reese approached Jen for the project,” the source says. “Reese has had such a positive experience filming Big Little Lies and Jen is very excited about working with her.”
Of course, Aniston’s husband, Justin Theroux, has enjoyed widespread acclaim with The Leftovers, the supernatural HBO drama that just wrapped its three-season run. “Jen is a huge fan of The Leftovers,” the insider continues. “Justin loved working on the show.”
After her success on Friends, in movies and in the beauty world (she just launched her latest fragrance, Luxe), Aniston can afford to be choosy about her acting roles. “She would never do a project that she wasn’t super excited about,” says the source.
Next up, Aniston will head to Atlanta this month for the film dramedy Dumplin’, while Theroux, 45, goes to Europe for The Spy Who Dumped Me.
“They work when they want to and then have fun together when they are not,” the insider says of the couple, who will celebrate two years of marriage this Saturday. “Not seeing each other every day makes them appreciate each other more.”
Sure. Fine. Jennifer has her own development deal with Cinelou, but this makes it seem like she’s sort of giving up on making this whole “transitioning to Oscar-winning actress” thing work. Remember Cake? She’s never been the same since she spent a million dollars on an Oscar campaign only to come up short when the nominations were announced. So she’ll just try to get another Emmy.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I think Aniston’s already won an Emmy and a Golden Globe right?😶
Plus she’s been GG nommed for some of her movies
She’s been nominated One time for GG for a movie. As for Friends. that’s before my time.
She has won a Emmy.
I think this is a good move for her.
I think she’s more suited for tv.
She was really good in cake and The good girl,but everything else is just tedious.
Sounds similar to the premise of daytime divas
“persuaded”
A paycheck “persuaded” her. lol
I actually really like her. In her interviews she always comes off as really funny. I am looking forward to it, and good for her! She has outlasted many women in Hollywood already, and there is something to be said about that!
What is wrong with her face, she’s so swollen and puffy.
“She’s never been the same since she spent a million dollars on an Oscar campaign only to come up short when the nominations were announced.”
It happens all the time; Nate Parker campaigned for an Oscar before his self-funded movie was even released and that completely backfired (I’m not trying to compare Jennifer to someone who was accused of rape; just how he campaigned for an Oscar). This is a business and all actors/directors/execs campaign for Oscars.
Especially since many of the critics posted the pictures of the cupcakes she sent to critics and voters. Embarrassing, and the cupcakes didn’t even look appetizing!
Lol Cara your really grasping at straws.
Its not like she traumatized a group of innocent children in a semi sadistic casting game…
Wow, Amanda, you are the one really grasping at straws. Why is it that people like you always have to drag up the other one to deflect from any criticism your idol might get? Oh, and there was no traumatizing of any children, so just stop. Just grow up! You are pathetic!
My comment, Amanda, was only to suggest if I was sending out cupcakes to lure someone to vote for me, I would send out the most original, beautiful cupcakes available. The cupcakes pictured on IG were very plain with just the word, “CAKE” spelled out.
OMG, so much filler! Her face looks like a balloon!
Exactly. I can’t stand watching people with too much filler talk bce they look like muppets. That plus Jennifer’s never been the greatest actress (she always just plays some version of herself), I don’t have high hopes for this. Tbh, I accidentally wrote Rachel originally and managed to catch myself just in time
it actually looks painful, both for her and for me looking at it
ITA, I was actually about to write a comment on how painful the swelling, puffiness looks. She should be careful, her speech has been impeded by the fillers and other procedures, not a good thing for an actress.
It looks better than a lot of Hollywood’s faces look (Tom Cruise’s and Kenny Rogers’s puff jobs come to mind), but DANG people, let’s just let our faces be. This is no improvement!
She better deflate for her new TV gig. She looks so swollen
What’s wrong with her coming back to TV? She may not have an Oscar and she may never get one – so what? She’s great on TV and I like most of her movies… Oscar or not.
I agree the Oscar dig is unnecessary and so is the idea of doing tv, most people especially women want to. It is where the good roles are.
Also while I’m not a fan of her movies so much I find the constant trashing of her exhausting it’s not like she is holding casting sessions for impoverished children promising them money and taking it away for a reaction. All she has done is some bad rom cons and leaned into the love triangle narrative to much (although all three did)
Totally agree. It will never stop. I love Rachel Green. I think Jennifer Aniston is a likeable actress who has taken more than her share of crap from Jolie stans. I don’t like Jolie at all, but try to refrain from voicing my opinion until this nonsense starts up again. These aren’t young Hollywood starlets anymore, they’re both very wealthy businesswomen, who have no interest in what random internet people say. Like you said K, it’s exhausting.
This.
I’m not an Anniston super fan or anything – Rachel Green annoyed me greatly – but she seems no more annoying than anyone else in Hollywood, or any less ambitious.
I don’t know if you watch Friends on Netflix or anywhere else; but, I watched Friends originally when I was young and busy and thought it was fun, but not my everything. Now at 38, I watch with my daughter and crack up. I have different feelings about them all at this age. Rachel is my favorite and Phoebe/Lisa who I couldn’t stand in the original run of the show cracks me up. She is insanely talented. Monica/Courtney annoys me and I get why she was the only one not nominated for an Emmy. The boys are all funny but I think Ross takes too much shit! He is a goofus, but he is funny, white tooth, too tan, three wives, whining, but he found his lobster!
It is ironic Nancy that you would talk about Aniston getting crap. She hasn’t even got one tenth of the crap Angelina has gotten from Aniston stans. There are sites even where Aniston stans theorize about Angelina being a child smuggler and part of a drug/pedophile ring. Fact is, no one has gotten more attacks than Angelina. No one! Aniston has gotten a free pass for all her deeds and any time she gets even a half-hearted attack, her fans go nuts. Come back to us about attacks when Aniston has had people say they wish she’d die in child birth, that they wish she was raped, that they wished her children were raped too (a Facebook post during the launch of ITLOBH), and hoping that Shiloh got AIDS, and so much more! Sites such as Female First and DMented are sites DEDICATED to hating on Jolie every second. Most of the people/names have been long-term haters and trolls of Jolie going back 2005. That is how long they’ve been at it. Obsessed doesn’t even cover it!! The hypocrisy on here and from you and your like is breathtaking. That you even think Aniston gets much hate at all shows the hypocrisy and that you are living in another alternative reality. NO ONE has had more free passes than Aniston. It is amazing that she is *starting* to get ANY hate. About time. Well overdue. Faceplam smh rme
That would never happen, no one would ever HIRE her to be a Director for any film, or anything else. I know, she co-directed some Lifetime 15 minute segment, but we all know she doesn’t have the intelligence to actually Direct a full length film in a foreign language like “someone” else.
The silliness over the non story about the casting of FTKMF has been confirmed. No one did anything that even came close to being detrimental to man, woman or child. A lot of “excitement” by a certain “group” over absolutely nothing.
Maybe because she went on and on about having an Oscar, a husband and children by 2010. Here it is 2017 and she has one out of three.
You are stuck in 2005 and it is downright scary.
No, 2005 was way too long ago for me to know all the facts. I’ve just read too many comments from fans of Jennifer Aniston who STILL reference that time in history as if it was the day the world stopped spinning.
Not surprising at all. If Oscar winners like Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange end up on tv, JA certainly would.
I think Jennifer Aniston is at the bottom rung of the ladder where Kathy and Jessica reside.
I think this is a good move for her, but I wonder how it will come across. I find she’s such a mixed bag of media savvy and clueless. Does she realize how much tv has changed since she’s been on it? Will she try to recreate something like Friends, or do something more interesting?
Aniston is shopping a show with Reese Witherspoon about ‘morning shows and the New York media scene”. It’s in the write up.
Yup, read the article as well. I meant the actual feel of the show and the way they write the stories. It sounds like she’s going for something similar to “Big Little Lies,” but I’m wondering if she’s more comfortable with a more sitcom style show.
I think there are amazing shows on tv right now, and it’s a good move to go to television, but there are also really awful shows as well. There’s a lot of competition out there. I’m interested to see how that will inform how the show develops.
I’m torn. I think JA is a pretty great comic actress, so something sitcom-y could be a lot of fun, especially with this premise, which I like. But Big Little Lies was unbelievable, and since RW produced and starred in that, a part of me wants her to bring the drama, literally.
I agree. This… could be an interesting partnership. I’m not sure if she’s a strong dramatic actress, but career wise I think she should go that route.
I do think that eventually she’d be pressured to do a Friends reunion. I’m sure she saw the writing on the wall – reunion shows are a big deal right now, and people would lose their minds if there was a Friends reunion. I get the impression that she never wants to go back to Friends, and wants to reinvent herself, but that it’s just not working out. This could be a good compromise.
My only take away is she needs a new haircut stat!
I’d like to see her change her style at least. At the next red carpet event don’t just do a messy updo! Do something structurally interesting, like braids or something. Anything.
I can’t w this. All these years of me wishing she would just go away – with all her pap strolls!!! – and now she will be back on my TV?! Uuuuuuuuuuugh. Go away Jen. As an aside: JT is incredible in the Leftovers. Just brilliant
I think I like the premise and I’ve enjoyed most of JA’s performances. But I’m not a fan of Witherspoon so that might be a deal breaker. Still, I’m always looking for a good show to watch. Still mourning the end of The Leftovers here.
Have you checked out Big Little Lies? Reese Witherspoon produced and acted in it. It was surprisingly good IMO so I have high hopes for this new project.
I saw an interview with her recently where she was very open about her career ambitions & trajectory- that first it was getting out of TV to Movies but these days TV/Netflix is where it’s at. She’s just following the money and the trends in her industry. I don’t see anything wrong with that, we all have ambitions and they all change & shift over time! I’ve always had a soft spot for her (huge Friends fan) & I think she’s made pretty good choices over the years.
I’m excited for it! I also like Reese so this should be really good. I also loved Cake, I’m surprised she didn’t get an Oscar nom for it, she did great in it.
Unless you do a franchise is it possible to even become a movie star anymore? I have no idea why Chris Pratt is considered to be a movie star, but because he did a franchise people seem to actually treat him like he is one. I do not get this at all.
She hitched her wagon to Reese because of the huge success Nicole Kidman and BLL had. But she is forgetting one thing: she ain’t Kidman, she has a very limited range.
This is Peak TV and there are hundreds of great series to choose from why would anyone choose to watch Rachel Green doing morning shows?
This won’t be a disaster, but it will be boring and people will lose interest pretty quickly.
Wat ever boring human being won’t watch