Naomi Watts & Bill Murray Bring Real-Life Friendship to Film in ‘The Friend’ Trailer

With their most recent movie, ‘The Friend’, Naomi Watts and Bill Murray are bringing their friendship from real life to the big screen.

Bleecker Street recently unveiled the trailer for the film at the Westminster Dog Show. The movie centres on Watts, a 56-year-old novelist from New York City, who finds herself unexpectedly taking care of her late friend Walter’s (Murray) Great Dane following his untimely death.

The official synopsis states that Iris, a novelist and writing instructor, takes on the duty of maintaining his creative legacy while simultaneously caring for his cherished dog, Apollo, following the death of her closest friend and mentor. Despite her reluctance to welcome the enormous Great Dane into her tiny Manhattan flat, she develops an unexpected bond with the compassionate creature. Their shared sadness takes them on an unexpected journey of acceptance and healing, even though it interferes with her career and daily schedule.

Image Courtesy: People

In the fall of 2024, the movie made its festival debut in Telluride, Toronto, and New York. Watts humorously recounted in a TIFF interview that she initially believed her link to Murray was the only reason she was recruited for the project. Given their previous collaboration on St. Vincent in 2014, she joked that when his name was brought up, she understood producers might have contacted her just to recruit him for the part. But after she saw him in the part, she was determined to make it happen, so she contacted him directly.

Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd, Noma Dumezweni, Felix Solis, Owen Teague, and Carla Gugino are also part of the cast. On 28th March, ‘The Friend’ will make its theatrical debut in New York City. On 4th April, it will be released nationwide.

–Farheen Ali