Naomi Watts and a very big dog are heading to cinemas.
“The Friend,” a touching drama about a writer and editor whose literary mentor commits suicide and leaves her with his Great Dane to care for, has been acquired by Bleecker Street. The indie studio has nabbed North American distribution rights for an undisclosed sum — the sale took some time, which is something of a surprise given that “The Friend” received strong reviews when it showed at fall film festivals like Telluride and Toronto. It’s another reminder that studios are being more cautious when it comes to buying projects post-COVID. The indie and arthouse theatrical market is still struggling to fully rebound from pandemic disruptions.
“The Friend” was written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, the team behind “The Deep End” and “What Maisie Knew,” and co-stars Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, Noma Dumezweni and Ann Dowd. But the standout is Bing, the 145-pound Great Dane who steals every scene in which he appears. Bleecker Street is planning an early 2025 theatrical release for “The Friend.”
The movie was adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel of the same name. McGehee and Siegel previously worked with Bleecker Street on the release of 2021’s “Montana Story.” Their latest movie was produced by McGehee, Siegel and Mike Spreter under the group’s recently formed Big Creek Projects production banner, alongside producer Liza Chasin and her 3dot Productions. Executive producers include Margaret Chernin and Watts.
Bleecker Street founder and CEO Andrew Karpen said: “’The Friend’ is a quintessential New York story, featuring incredible writing and emotional performances that honor the power of friendship, facing grief, and especially the singular comfort animals provide. As a New York-owned and operated company, we are the perfect home for this film and can’t wait to reteam with Scott and David to bring it to audiences next year.”
“We’re thrilled with how people have connected with our film, and we’re very so happy to be re-teaming with Bleecker Street who are such champions of both independent filmmaking and theatrical distribution. We cannot wait for them to introduce audiences to ‘The Friend’ in local cinemas next year,” said Siegel & McGehee.
The deal was negotiated by Bleecker Street executives Miranda King and Avy Eschenasy with CAA Media Finance representing the filmmakers in talks.
Bleecker Street recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The company’s upcoming release slate includes “The Return,” starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche; as well as “Hard Truths,” the next film from Mike Leigh, which reunites him with his “Secrets & Lies” star Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
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