Hot off the heels of their true crime series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan have once again partnered up to create The Watcher, a new Netflix mystery thriller starring Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale.
The series (not to be confused with Chloe Okuno's creepy debut feature Watcher released earlier this year) is based on the true story of a family in New Jersey who were forced out of their house by a mysterious someone known only as ‘The Watcher’. The plot synopsis explains further:
“After the Brannock family moves into what was supposed to be their suburban dream home, it quickly becomes a living hell. Ominous letters from someone calling themself “The Watcher” are just the beginning as the neighborhood’s sinister secrets come spilling out. Inspired by the true story of the infamous “Watcher” house in New Jersey.”
From Mulholland Drive to The Ring to this month’s Goodnight Mommy, haunted and taunted Naomi Watts just cannot catch a break. The star-studded cast of The Watcher also includes Jennifer Coolidge, Mia Farrow, Margo Martindale and Richard Kind.
Deadline reports that, after a bidding battle that involved six studios, Netflix acquired the rights to Reeves Wiedeman’s original Watcher article. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Catfish) were originally going to direct a film adaptation of the tale, and are instead now set to executive produce the series.
Check out the trailer for The Watcher here before the series premiere on October 13th:
If you’re not already terrified, maybe this’ll help: one of the notes addressed to the real-life family read: “I am the Watcher. Bring me your young blood.” (brb, checking into a hotel for the night)
