THE FRIEND (2024): Bleecker Street Acquires Naomi Watts’ Crowd-Pleasing Comedy/Drama
The Friend Finds a Home at Bleecker Street
The Friend, a crowd-pleasing comedy/drama that played at this year’s New York Film Festival, will be released by Bleecker Street.
Bleecker Street has acquired the rights for a new gem of a movie called The Friend. This film was shown and received some enthusiastic responses at the recent New York Film Festival. This is a New York film through and through which makes Bleecker Street, a New York studio, a natural fit for the heartwarming movie. The film is a tearjerker that is being planned as an early 2025 theatrical release.
It should be said that Bleecker Street had a notable box-office disappointment with a big star vehicle this past summer, The Fabulous Four. Despite starring Bette Midler and Susan Sarandon, that film only earned $2.8 million domestically. While that film didn’t have positive reviews like The Friend has on its side, it could have done better from a financial standpoint. The Friend will target a similar audience to the one that The Fabulous Four tried to reach although The Friend will also attempt to reach fans of dog movies as well as it features the story of a writer (Watts) and an over-sized canine friend. This upcoming release will require a lot of dedication to get it seen by the right audience.
It is hopeful that Bleecker Street will handle the film well. It’s not certain if any Oscar-qualifying run for 2024 is planned at the present time although the film features top-caliber performances by Naomi Watts and Bill Murray in their best work in years. If it doesn’t get that kind of run this year, it’s hopeful that its 2025 release will be distinct enough for the Academy to remember this film for some kind of accolades. Though the movie is not typical Oscar bait, the truly moving script and two aforementioned performances make it deserving. Murray, in particular, delivers a turn that should be recognized by the Academy with a nod for Best Supporting Actor. Watts is also amazing in the new movie but her getting awards attention depends on how competitive the Best Actress category would be in whatever year the movie is officially released for Oscar consideration.
The Friend is a delightful comedy/drama, to say the least. Having seen the film, it’s safe to say that it is one of the best movies Bleecker Street has acquired recently, if not the best. Recently, Bleecker Street released Rumours, a Cate Blanchett-led political zombie/alien movie that also played at the New York Film Festival. That film seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle which is a fate that will hopefully not happen to the wonderful and sincere The Friend.
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