Naomi Watts Copes With Grief (and Adopts a Great Dane) in Bill Murray-Starring ‘The Friend’

Naomi Watts grapples with grief and becomes a dog caretaker in the first trailer for The Friend. On Tuesday, Bleecker Street released the clip for the upcoming film, which poignantly captures Watts dealing with the loss of a good friend, played by Bill Murray, as she adopts his pet Great Dane.

The trailer opens with Murray asking: “What’s going to happen to the dog?” The trailer devolves into Watts’ character having to take in the Great Dane following Walter’s death, since it was what he wanted when he died. The dog (whose name is Bing in real life) helps her handle the grief over losing her close friend.

The trailer bounces between clips of Murray and Watts’ friendship (like the one they share outside of the film), with scenes of Watts’ character getting accustomed to having a giant dog in her vicinity. “He’s in mourning. He lost his master. How would you feel?” asks a veterinarian.

During a grief counseling session, Watts’ character reflects on her new pet: “I can feel him missing Walter in the same way I did.”

“Reluctantly bringing the enormous dog into her tiny Manhattan apartment, Iris develops a surprising kinship with the soulful animal — even though his outsized presence upends both her professional commitments and her daily routine,” reads the film’s synopsis. “Together, the unlikely duo begins to move through their shared grief, tentatively embarking on a surprising path toward acceptance and healing.”

The movie is set to open in New York on March 28 before going nationwide on April 4. The movie also stars Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann DowdFelix Solis, and Owen Teague. Watts executive produced the film while David Siegel and Scott McGehee co-wrote and co-directed the movie.