Scarlett Johansson, best known for her decades-spanning acting career — from blockbuster turns in the Avengers films to Oscar-nominated performances in “Marriage Story” and “Jojo Rabbit” — is stepping into a bold new role: behind the camera. Her feature directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great”, will have its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, marking a major milestone in Johansson’s evolving creative journey.
Here’s everything we know about the film — and Johansson’s journey to bring it to life.
Scarlett Johansson The Director: A Dream Years in the Making
Though Johansson has directed before — a short film in “New York, I Love You” and a 2015 Ellie Goulding concert special — “Eleanor the Great” is her first full-length feature. She describes the film as the realization of a long-held creative goal. The script, written by first-time screenwriter Tory Kamen, landed on Johansson’s desk via veteran producer Celine Rattray, with a personal note from June Squibb, who was already attached to the lead role. It struck an immediate chord.
“This script was so moving and it had such potential that, weirdly, I felt very certain that it was something I could be capable of doing,” Johansson recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. That certainty became a driving force. “I know this movie so well. I mean, it’s in my DNA,” she added. “I know every single detail, everything that didn’t make it in. All the choices were so specific.”
“Eleanor the Great”: Grief, Reinvention, and an Unexpected Journey
“Eleanor the Great” follows Eleanor Morgenstein, a 94-year-old widow played by the incomparable June Squibb (Nebraska, Thelma), who is navigating the emotional aftermath of losing her lifelong best friend and roommate, Bessie. She relocates from Florida to New York City to live with her daughter and grandson — only to find herself on an unexpected odyssey of self-discovery and reconnection.
In a twist of fate, Eleanor joins a Holocaust survivors’ support group, where memories of Bessie’s traumatic childhood in Nazi-occupied Poland begin to resurface. Things take another unexpected turn when a journalism student, Nina (played by Erin Kellyman), takes an intense interest in Eleanor’s story. As their relationship deepens, Eleanor is forced to confront truths about her past — and herself.
Johansson assembled a powerhouse ensemble that bridges generations and genres. Alongside Squibb and Kellyman, the film features:
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Nina’s father
- Jessica Hecht as Eleanor’s daughter
- Rita Zohar as Bessie, the late friend whose legacy reverberates through the story
This multigenerational cast brings emotional nuance and vibrancy to a story about identity, memory, and the ways we hold onto — or rewrite — our truths.
“Eleanor the Great”: A Passion Project Against the Odds
Despite Johansson’s star power, getting “Eleanor the Great” off the ground was anything but easy. The production faced financing hurdles, timing constraints, and logistical challenges — including the tight window of availability for its 94-year-old star.
“It would be easier to make something that was the sequel of a $180 million movie or a genre movie that was subpar,” Johansson admitted. “To get much, much, much less money for an independent film with an original story that has a lead actor who was 94 was very, very, very challenging.”
The film nearly fell apart multiple times, including one scenario where a financier demanded that the central narrative device be dismantled. But Johansson held firm — and eventually, Sony Pictures Classics stepped in to save the project. It was a full-circle moment, as Johansson had made her film debut at age 10 in one of the studio’s early releases, “Manny & Lo”.
Johansson’s cast and crew have praised her for bringing the same dedication and intuition she’s known for as an actor into her role as director. June Squibb called her “so real” and “down-to-earth,” adding that Johansson’s understanding of performance elevated the entire experience.
“It really became the little engine that could, and we were able to pull it together by hook or by crook. I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of exactly this kind of experience where it becomes a labor of love that everybody deeply connected to,” Johansson said.
Having spent most of her life on sets, Johansson credits her directing instincts to lessons picked up from directors like Christopher Nolan, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, and Jon Favreau. In particular, Favreau taught her to observe each actor’s individual needs and direct accordingly — advice that stuck.
Scarlett Johansson’s Personal Triumph and Cannes Premiere
“Eleanor the Great” is, in Johansson’s words, a film about “love, acceptance, forgiveness, and, of course, grief” — themes that resonate universally. She describes its Cannes premiere as something she once dreamed of, particularly for her star, June Squibb.
While Johansson isn’t rushing to announce her next project as a filmmaker, she knows what she’s looking for: character-driven stories with emotional depth. “Whatever I work on next, regardless of the size or the genre, I would be looking for those same kinds of deep characters,” she said. “It has to be performance-driven.”
For now, she’s soaking in the surreal moment of presenting her debut at one of the world’s most prestigious festivals. Her 10-year-old daughter calls the feeling “nerve-citement” — that anxious thrill of stepping into something new. For Johansson, it couldn’t be more fitting.
“Eleanor the Great” premieres in the Un Certain Regard lineup at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics will release the film in theaters later this year.
