Naomi Watts and Bill Murray to lead The Friend

Naomi Watts and Bill Murray are all set to reunite for a dramedy The Friend, from writer-director duo Scott McGehee and David Seigel. This collaboration between Watts and Murray comes after their previous work together in Ted Melfi's St Vincent.

The Friend is an adaptation of the eponymous New York Times bestselling novel by Sigrid Nunez.  The extended cast of the film includes Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Do, and Noma Dumezweni.

A New York-based writer is the protagonist of The Friend, as she is left to deal with the unexpected demise of her close friend and mentor. In the aftermath, she is forced to face his complicated literary legacy, a massive Great Dane named Apollo who is brokenhearted, and three eccentric ex-wives. The book won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2018. 

The Friend is currently in production in New York. Siegel and McGehee are also backing the project under their Big Creek Projects banner.  3dot Productions is also bankrolling the upcoming dramedy.