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Why will Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut surprise us?
Leading actress in the new Jurassic World: Renaissance, appearances at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival… Scarlett Johansson, 40, is everywhere. After making her directorial debut with a short film in 2009, she is now at the helm of her first feature, Eleanor the Great. Here’s everything we know about this drama, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Published on 13 August 2025. Updated on 13 November 2025.
Scarlett Johansson steps behind the camera with Eleanor the Great
Known for her roles in major Hollywood blockbusters, American actress Scarlett Johansson is set to take on a more intimate story for her first directorial effort. After directing a short film in 2009 (These Vagabond Shoes), Johansson is now preparing her first feature film, Eleanor the Great. A theatrical release is planned, marking a significant milestone in her career. The actress has been expressing her desire to move into directing for several years.
First look at Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great (2025).
A film selected at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
Eleanor the Great tells the story of Eleanor Morgenstein, a 90-year-old woman trying to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. This loss prompts her to leave Florida, where she has lived for many years, and return to New York.
Filmed in 2024 in New York, particularly in Coney Island, the movie premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the category Un Certain Regard. That directorial debut marked Scarlett Johansson’s comeback to the Croisette. She first attended the event for Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City in 2023.
Chiwetel Ejiofor joins the cast of Scarlett Johansson’s first feature
As for the cast, Scarlett Johansson can count on Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb (Nebraska), actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange), and Erin Kellyman (Blitz). Finally, actress Jessica Hecht (Friends) rounds up the cast of the feature produced by Sony Pictures.
Rounding out the cast is Jessica Hecht (Friends), in a role that marks a reunion with Johansson—the two previously shared the stage in the Tony-nominated Broadway production A View from the Bridge. As for whether Scarlett Johansson herself will appear on screen in her film, that remains to be seen…
Cannes, Wes Anderson, Jurassic World: A busy year for the actress
While Eleanor the Great is a significant milestone in Scarlett Johansson’s career, 2025 had plenty in store for her. She went to Cannes to present not only to her debut feature, but also Wes Anderson’s latest project, The Phoenician Scheme, an espionage thriller co-starring Benicio del Toro, Willem Dafoe, and Mia Threapleton.
Moreover, Scarlett Johansson was in the spotlight for another major project. Indeed, the American actress once again lit up the silver screen as the protagonist of the new Jurassic World: Renaissance.
For the first instalment of this new trilogy, starring Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, the Scarlett Johansson plays a fearless former soldier. A string of acclaimed roles that have made her the most bankable actress at the box office, with more than 14 billion dollars generated worldwide. In short, the Black Widow star is far from being done yet…
Eleanor the Great (2025), directed by Scarlett Johansson, will come out on November 19th, 2025.
