LOS ANGELES : It has been four years since viewers said goodbye to their favourite "Friends" and the cast of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc have all moved on to projects of their own (albeit with varying degrees of success).

While there have been speculations of a possible "Friends" movie since the final season of the sitcom concluded back in 2004, it seems that the rumours are carrying a bit more weight this time round.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of the "Sex and the City" movie, which made a hugely successful transition from the small screen to blockbuster hit, some sources even suggest that the six friends (in both reel and real life) have already signed on to make the film.

"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," said an unnamed insider. "Jennifer, Courteney and the rest of cast are keen to reprise their roles, under the right circumstances."

However, there are who are slightly more skeptical about this prospect.

"There's no way Jen, or really any of the others, would want to do this," explained a studio insider. "They've all spent the last four years trying to distance themselves from these iconic characters, this would be seen as just a crass cash-in."

There have also been doubts about the suitability of the "Friends" sitcom for the big screen.

When asked a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of a "Friends" movie, Kudrow, who played the ditzy Phoebe, in the series, said, "I think it would be so fun to be with all those people again, but our show was not like 'Sex and the City', which was a single camera, filmic show anyway."

"Ours was multi-camera, in front of a live audience. It's a completely different feel. You'd have to bring the tone down, and I don't know how it would be. I'll just stay open," she added.

"Friends" enjoyed ten continuous years of success and ended on a high note in 2004, drawing a US audience of 52.5 million for its finale episode.

- CNA/os