Scarlett Johansson Debuts ‘Eleanor the Great’ at Cannes Amid Standing Ovation

CANNES, France — Scarlett Johansson made a striking entrance at the Cannes Film Festival with her feature directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great.” Competing in the Un Certain Regard section, the film received a five-minute standing ovation during its premiere on Tuesday.

Johansson was accompanied by her agent, Bryan Lourd, who is also the CEO of Creative Artists Agency. Her husband, “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost, attended separately and engaged with executives from Sony Pictures Classics, including Tom Bernard and Michael Barker.

The star-studded audience also included reigning best actor Oscar winner Adrien Brody and his partner, Georgina Chapman, who were seen chatting with Jost.

Addressing the audience before the screening, Johansson expressed her excitement, stating that premiering her film at Cannes was “really a dream come true.” She reflected on the nature of independent filmmaking, saying, “When you make a film that’s an independent film like this, no one’s doing it for the money — surprise, surprise.” Johansson emphasized that the team came together for the love of the story: “It’s a film about many things: it’s about friendship, it’s about grief, it’s about forgiveness.”

“Eleanor the Great” stars June Squibb as the clever and spirited 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who, facing personal loss, embarks on a story full of unexpected twists. Following the screening’s applause, Johansson and Squibb shared a heartfelt hug, with Johansson later describing Squibb as “truly inspiring.” She also praised Erin Kellyman, calling her an “absolute revelation” and expressed anticipation for the audience to discover her talent.

“It’s a film that I feel is historic and also very timely now, and so I hope you all carry it with you the way that I carry Eleanor with me,” Johansson concluded as the applause faded.

This year marks Johansson’s return to Cannes, as she is also featured in Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme.” She has attended the festival multiple times in the past, including for Anderson’s “Asteroid City” in 2023 and two Woody Allen films, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” in 2008 and “Match Point” in 2005.

Johansson produced “Eleanor the Great” in partnership with Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn of These Pictures, Kara Durrett and Jessamine Burgum from Pinky Promise, and Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler of Maven Screen Media. The film was co-financed by Wayfarer Studios, Content Engineers, Pinky Promise, and MacPac, with several executive producers overseeing its development.