About a year ago, it was announced that Naomi Watts (King Kong 2005) and Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man) would be starring in The Watcher, a Netflix limited series coming from American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy and his frequent collaborator Ian Brennan (Scream Queens, Ratched, etc.) Netflix hasn’t yet revealed when they plan to release The Watcher, but they have started marketing the show in a fun way. Not only have they created a Zillow listing for the house at the heart of the story, but they have also released a video in which a realtor played by Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie) gives a tour of the house. You can check it out at the bottom of this article.
This series is inspired by a true story that was big news back in 2015:
A couple bought the 1905 Dutch colonial revival in 2014 for nearly $1.4 million. They were forced to abandon their new home over chilling letters from “The Watcher,” who claimed to have been “watching” the house for decades. “I am the Watcher. Bring me your young blood,” one of the notes read. The family put the house back on the market. It didn’t sell, and they rented it out. In 2017, the renter also received a sinister letter from “The Watcher,” too threatening their life. The house ultimately sold in 2019 for $959,000. The identity of “The Watcher” remains a mystery.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Watcher:
Dean (Cannavale) and Nora Brannock (Watts) just purchased their dream home in the idyllic suburb of Westfield, New Jersey, but after putting all of their savings into closing the deal they soon realize the neighborhood is less than welcoming. There’s a kooky older woman named Pearl and her brother Jasper, who sneaks into the Brannock’s house and hides in their dumbwaiter. There’s Karen (Jennifer Coolidge), the realtor and an old acquaintance of Nora’s, who makes them feel like they don’t really belong, and nosy neighbors Mitch and Mo, who don’t seem to understand property lines. Their icy welcome quickly turns into a full-blown living hell when ominous letters from someone calling themself “The Watcher” start arriving, terrorizing the Brannocks to their breaking point as the neighborhood’s sinister secrets come spilling out. Based on the true story of the infamous “Watcher” house in New Jersey.
Watts and Cannavale are joined in the cast by Mia Farrow (Rosemary’s Baby) as Pearl, Terry Kinney (Billions) as Jasper, Richard Kind (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Mitch, Margo Martindale (August: Osage County) as Mo, and – as the video below shows, Jennifer Coolidge as Karen the realtor.
Murphy and Brennan executive produced The Watcher with Eric Newman, Bryan Unkeless, Henry Joost, and Ariel Schulman. Are you a fan of Murphy’s work, and are you looking forward to this show? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
Now… take it away, Jennifer Coolidge: