"Friends" cast members reportedly want at least $1 million per episode, Variety reports.
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Variety reports that representatives for the cast of "Friends" have begun formal talks with NBC and the show's producer, Warner Bros. TV, for a deal to bring the hit comedy back for a ninth season next fall.
The mere fact that talks have started could be good news for the companies, as both strongly want the show to return.
But insiders still believe there's a 50-50 chance the cast will ultimately decide to call it quits at the end of the current season, according to the entertainment trade publication.
Insiders familiar with the negotiations aren't giving up many details of the current talking points. But early indications are that the cast will require pay hikes from their current salary of $750,000 per episode to at least $1 million per episode; a bump to $1.1 million for each half-hour doesn't seem out of the question, Variety said. Each season is about 22 episodes.
The actors rejected an offer of $800,000 last fall, USA Today reported last month.
Technically, the talks are two different negotiations: What Warner Bros. will pay the cast, and what NBC will in turn pay the studio for the show. Assuming NBC absorbs the bulk of the cast pay hike, the network's per-episode license fee of $5.5 million could increase by $1 million or more.
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