Based on the 2018 novel of the same name, The Friend is an upcoming dramedy distributed by Bleecker Street starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray. The movie is directed by Scott McGehee and Don Siegel previously known for their directorial collaboration on Montana Story and What Maisie Knew.

The Friend‘s plot concerns itself with a woman named Iris played by Watts who is a solitary New York writer who tragically inherits her late mentor’s, (played by Murray), 150 pound Great Dane. As the dog’s presense turns Iris’ world upside down creating furniture and turmoil dismay, Iris results in creating a special and existential bond while contemplating the philosophical questions of her mentor’s choices within life and death. Iris later comes to terms with her past choices in life and her own creative intuition from her relationship to her new dog.

In a recent review from Deadline, Pete Hammond called the upcoming picture,

“moving, funny, humane, and quite unforgettable…and irresistable experience that anyone who ever loved a pet must see.”

The Friend will be released only in New York on March 28, 2025 until its wide release on April 4, 2025. With The Friend is being distributed by Bleecker Street, their additional upcoming film The Wedding Banquet is also projected for release later this year on August 18, 2025. The trailer for The Friend was recently released online and is available to view on YouTube.