Naomi Watts claims ‘The Watcher’ ending was hidden from the cast
(Credit: Eva Rinaldi)

Netflix News

Naomi Watts claims 'The Watcher' ending was hidden from the cast

Naomi Watts has revealed that during the filming of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s new Netflix miniseries The Watcher, the ending was kept secret from the cast.

Starring Watts and Bobby Cannavale as a married couple, the show depicts the harassment and stalking they face at the hands of ‘The Watcher’ after moving into their dream home. 

Based on the real-life story of Derek and Maria Broaddus, who were sent a series of terrifying anonymous threatening letters, the miniseries is the latest project from Murphy and Brennan, who recently collaborated on the controversial Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. 

In an interview with Digital Spy, Watts discussed her role, claiming that none of the cast knew how the show would end. “Just not knowing, often. We were also trying to piece the story together in real time as we were making it. And so lots of mystery for us. But it just adds to the excitement of it, really. It wasn’t a bad thing. It was just a piece of the experience that made it more mysterious and more fun, I suppose.”

She explained, “We were given a chunk of the scripts, but, yeah, we were not told… There was plenty of mystery as well.” 

Watts read the Reeves Weideman-penned article for The Cut, which details the real-life events. “I did read, of course, the article, which was fantastic and super-engaging. Apart from wanting to work with Ryan Murphy, I did read that as well, and that definitely made it more exciting. But, yeah, it was an instant yes, based on working with Ryan, and then the story was also a compelling factor.” 

The Watcher has recieved mixed reviews thus far, with many viewers frustrated by its ambiguity – which is in keeping with the real unsolved case. Viewers took to Twitter to share that the ending was “irritating” and “horrendous.” 

Watch the trailer below: