Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut ‘Eleanor the Great’ premieres at Cannes

Cannes: Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has unveiled her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, at the Cannes Film Festival, presenting a moving, character-driven story that touches on grief, identity, and the search for meaning in later life.

The film, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section, stars 95-year-old June Squibb as Eleanor, a woman who, reeling from the death of her best friend (played by Rita Zohar), relocates to New York. After mistakenly joining the wrong group at a Jewish Community Centre, Eleanor begins to assume her late friend’s identity as a Holocaust survivor – a lie that spirals toward a moment of public reckoning.

Speaking from the Croisette, Johansson, 40, described the project as the realisation of a long-held ambition. “It has been for most of my career,” she said. “I’d find myself on set thinking, ‘I can envision this in my mind,’ or directing parts of it out of necessity. But I didn’t have the confidence to direct a film like this 10 years ago.”

Johansson said the film reflects current social tensions. “There’s a lack of empathy in the zeitgeist,” she noted. “Forgiveness feels less possible in the environment we’re in.”

Eleanor the Great arrives at Cannes just days after Johansson hosted the season finale of Saturday Night Live, adding to a whirlwind week for the actress, who is also set to appear in the upcoming summer blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth. She said her interest in the Jurassic franchise was deeply personal. “I’d loved those films for years and just wanted to be part of it.”

Recently, Johansson has asserted more control over her career. She challenged Disney over compensation related to the pandemic release of Black Widow – a legal dispute that ended in a settlement – and took issue with OpenAI over the use of a voice in its ChatGPT system that sounded similar to hers, leading to the voice being removed.

In addition to acting, Johansson has taken on a greater producing role in recent years, with credits including Black Widow, Fly Me to the Moon, and now Eleanor the Great. Having worked with directors such as Spike Jonze, Jonathan Glazer, and Noah Baumbach, she is now a regular in Wes Anderson’s ensemble, recently appearing in Asteroid City and The Phoenician Scheme, which also premiered at Cannes.

Eleanor the Great has already garnered emotional responses. Squibb received a standing ovation at Cannes, with Johansson visibly moved by the moment. “Holding June’s hand during that ovation is something I’ll never forget,” she said. “It was such a pure expression of joy and presence.”

The film contains several personal touches. In one scene, when a character mentions they live in Staten Island, Eleanor dryly replies, “My condolences” – a line Johansson says she had to apologise for, given that her husband, SNL star Colin Jost, hails from there. “Believe it or not, I didn’t write that line,” she joked.

There are also more subtle nods to her past work. A poster of the 1994 documentary Crumb appears in one scene, a reference to Ghost World (2001), Johansson’s early breakout film, which also explored outsider culture.

Reflecting on her long career, Johansson said, “When I was a teenager, I often played older characters. Even in Lost in Translation, I was 17 playing someone in her mid-20s. Sometimes I wonder if people expect me to be in my 70s by now.”

Eleanor the Great will be released by Sony Pictures Classics at a later date.