Felix Solis & Owen Teague Join Naomi Watts, Bill Murray In Dramedy ‘The Friend’

EXCLUSIVE: Felix Solis (Ozark) and Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) have been tapped for supporting roles in The Friend, the New York dramedy starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, which adapts Sigrid Nunez’s New York Times bestseller.

No word on the roles they’ll be playing.

Winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction, The Friend follows a New York writer in the aftermath of her lifelong friend and mentor’s unexpected death. Thereafter, she’s left to deal with his complicated literary legacy, three eccentric ex-wives — and a massive, brokenhearted Great Dane named Apollo.

Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Montana Story) are directing from their own script, also producing through their new company Big Creek Projects, with Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd, and Noma Dumezweni rounding out the cast.

Also producing under her 3dot Productions banner (The Lost City, Anatomy of a Scandal) is Liza Chasin. Watts exec produces alongside Mike Spreter for Big Creek and Margaret Chernin for 3dot Productions. CAA Media Finance is representing the film’s domestic rights.

Best known for his role as the terrifying cartel boss Omar Navarro on Netflix’s Ozark, Solis has more recently been seen playing the FBI’s Matthew Garza on The Rookie and The Rookie: Feds. Previously, he’s appeared on shows like City on Fire, Charmed and The Good Wife, among others. Film credits include Netflix’s Tallulah and the Richard Gere drama Arbitrage.

Breaking out with a starring role on Netflix’s Bloodline, Teague has been seen since then on HBO’s Mrs. Fletcher and Paramount+’s The Stand. Notable recent film credits include Reptile, You Hurt My Feelings, Eileen, and To Leslie. Up next, he’ll be seen playing the chimpanzee Noa in 20th’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, out May 10th.

Solis is repped by D2 Management; Teague by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.