What happened to the house in The Watcher?
The Netflix series follows a family receiving threatening letters from an anonymous stalker.
The Watcher has been a huge hit since its release on 13th October, and is currently the most-streamed series on Netflix in the UK.
The mystery thriller, based on a chilling true story, follows the Brannock family whose move into their dream home in New Jersey soon turns into a nightmare when they receive threatening letters from a stalker, signed off as The Watcher.
The family soon realise their seemingly idyllic neighbourhood is not so warm and welcoming, following unusual run-ins with the eccentric Pearl (Mia Farrow) and her brother Jasper (Terry Kinney), and a hostile reception from Mitch (Richard Kind) and Mo (Margo Martindale), a couple who don't seem to understand property lines.
Many fans are intrigued to know what has happened to 657 Boulevard in real life, as the series is based on a true story published in The Cut which went viral in 2018. The series, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, is adapted loosely from the article, which centres on the Broaddus family as they are forced out of their home after being terrorised with threatening letters from an unknown source.
Read on for everything we know about the house in The Watcher below.
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Does the house in The Watcher still exist?
The house depicted in The Watcher is based on a real home: 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey, and is located around 45 minutes away from New York City.
In 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased the home but they never fully moved in as shortly after closing the deal, they began receiving sinister letters from a stalker ominously named The Watcher.
After being intimidated with letters, the family tried selling the house to a property developer - but the Westfield Planning Board wouldn't approve it, according to The Cut.
The couple prior to the Broaddus family had lived in the property for 23 years and also received a letter from The Watcher when they first moved in. They dismissed it as a prank and they never received a second letter.
The Broaddus family let out the house in 2015, and eventually sold the property in 2019, for which they received $959,000 (£845,000). They had originally bought the house for $1.4 million.
Does anyone live in The Watcher house now?
Derek and Maria Broaddus finally sold 657 Boulevard five years after purchasing it to a new family, who seem to live in the property contently and without incident. According to The Cut, Derek and Maria passed on photographs of the letters they received from The Watcher in case the family received anything similar. They added the note: "We wish you nothing but the peace and quiet that we once dreamed of in this house."
So far, the new family in the New Jersey property are yet to receive any letters from the anonymous stalker.
The Watcher is available to stream now on Netflix. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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