Bleecker Street debuted the official trailer for The Friend, the dramedy film adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s bestselling 2018 novel, starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and a huge Great Dane.

Also starring are Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd, Noma Dumezweni, Felix Solis, Owen Teague, and Carla Gugino.

The movie made its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, followed by a Gala screening at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Directed by David Siegel and Scott McGehee, The Friend opens exclusively in New York on March 28, then nationwide on April 4.

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.

In their review, Deadline described the movie as a ‘moving, funny, humane and quite unforgettable tale’ , writing, ‘McGehee and Siegel (The Deep End, What Maisie Knew) have crafted a wonderfully human, quintessential New York movie that makes you realize Hollywood so rarely does this kind of thing anymore — so when you see it, you know it, and you treasure the fact these are recognizable human beings we can relate to. That goes especially for Iris, a flustered woman but a good person trying to make the best of this situation, for both her and Apollo.”

Watch the official trailer for The Friend.