First Trailer for ‘The Friend’ Releases With Spring Release Date Announced

The first trailer for The Friend has been released online, with the confirmation that the David Siegel and Scott McGehee-directed and written film will bow out in cinemas this spring. Adapted from the book of the same name by Sigrid Nunez, the movie will star Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd, Noma Dumezweni and Carla Gugino.

Below is the plot synopsis:

“In The Friend, writer and teacher Iris (Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Murray) dies suddenly and bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones, his looming presence constantly reminding her of her friend’s problematic choices in both life and death. Yet as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the animal, she begins to come to terms with her past, her lost friend, and her own creative inner life.”

Our editor-in-chief, Joey Magidson, had a chance to see The Friend at the Telluride Film Festival and praised Naomi Watts’ performance, stating that the actor “has rarely been better than she is here. She slowly allows the emotion at play to bubble to the surface. She also just has terrific chemistry with Apollo, played by Bing in an all-timer of an animal performance. The regal canine shows so much in his eyes, you’ll swear he’s actually acting.” You can read his full review of the movie here.

Check out the full trailer below, and see the movie in select theatres on March 28, with a full expansion planned for April 4: