Production wrapped on Joe Wright's adaptation of A.J. Finn's best-selling novel The Woman in the Window over two years ago, but thanks to Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox, a series of reshoots, and COVID-19, the film has sat on a shelf for longer than intended. The Woman in the Window stars Amy Adams as Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic child psychologist who witnesses a crime while spying on her neighbours. It was revealed last summer that Netflix was in talks to acquire the film from Disney, and according to Entertainment Weekly, that deal has been finalized and the film will debut on Netflix in "the first part of the year."
Joe Wright told EW that he always wanted to direct a thriller and that he "liked the idea of the kind of minimalist constraints of making a film that is completely set in one house." Wright added that he's "also interested in, and always have been, in the blurring between subjective and objective reality, truth and lies, and the lies we tell ourselves and how we create our own reality." The Woman in the Window was originally slated to be released in 2019, but after a series of test screenings, audiences found the plot to be too confusing and the film was delayed to undergo reshoots, which Wright said would clarify certain plot points.
There were some plot points that people found a bit confusing — I would say possibly too opaque maybe. So we had to go back and clarify certain points, but I think also we tried to make sure we didn't oversimplify anything and make things too clear. There's an enjoyment in not knowing what's going on, but at the same time, you have to give the audience something to hold on to — you have to lead them through the labyrinth of mystery and fear.
In addition to Amy Adams, The Woman in the Window also stars Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Brian Tyree Henry, Wyatt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anthony Mackie, and Tracy Letts. While we don't have an exact release date just yet, it is nice to know that we'll finally get to see The Woman in the Window sooner rather than later, and Wright is excited as well. "I'm very interested to see how people respond to the film and I can't wait for its release," Wright said. "What I hope people will take away from this is a sense that our own fears can incarcerate us. And this is a story about a woman who manages to overcome her own fears, and leave them behind her."