Scarlett Johansson calls her directorial debut 'Eleanor the Great' a really rewarding experience after its world premiere at Cannes 2025
Hollywood's most celebrated actress,
Scarlett Johansson
, has finally ventured behind the lens for her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great. Having had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the movie not only created history in Johansson's long and illustrious career but also brought along an extremely personal and rewarding experience for the actress.
A new look behind the camera
Johansson, 40, is widely recognized for her chameleon-like work in front of the lens, but acting allowed her to gain a new angle on filmmaking. "I have a different take on just the process of, you know, pre-production and then what happens after we all go home," Johansson said to Extra. I imagine that as an actor, you're hoping that the director kind of sees what you were doing and goes along with, you know, pulls the right string and all that type of thing, but you don't know.
". You have no, sort of, control over it and now, you know, having done the other side of it, it just provides you, I think, with an interesting perspective on how people, other directors make their decisions and the process that they take to, you know, get it all to work. It's a lot of work, but it can be very fulfilling.
A story rooted in empathy and forgiveness
June Squibb
stars in Eleanor the Great as Eleanor Morgenstein, a 94-year-old Florida woman who forms an unlikely bond with a 19-year-old student following a move to New York City.
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The film, penned by Tory Kamen, is about loss, identity, and the human need for understanding in an ever-evolving world. "There's a lack of empathy in today's culture. It's certainly a reaction to lots of situations," Johansson said. "It seems to me that forgiveness becomes more and more elusive these days.
"
The story tracks Eleanor as she comes to terms with the death of her best friend and, in a moment of mistaken identity, takes on her attacker's Holocaust survival narrative.
The movie leads up to a pivotal moment when Eleanor is forced to face the repercussions of what she has done, prompting audiences to reexamine their moral ideas about forgiveness and empathy.
Cannes premiere: A moving moment
Cannes premiere of the movie was a highlight for Johansson, as she walked the red carpet with the cast members
Erin Kellyman
and June Squibb. "To be able to stand next to Erin Kellyman and June Squibb after the film came out and feel the love from the audience and the affection of the audience for the film and for the performances in it, which are just incredible, it was just such an emotional moment," said Johansson.
"And just to witness June also so feted wherever we traveled in Cannes, people were just so thrilled to have her. It was just, it was incredible.
I'll never ever forget that moment of just being with those women following the screening and celebrating, you know, with the audience. It was truly touching"
Future plans: Directing or acting
Though her first film as a director was a success, Johansson is not yet sure of continuing behind the camera.
When questioned about whether this is the beginning, she replied, "I don't know. I'm not sure. I guess we'll see. My intention is to work on projects I would go and see, whether they're like 'Jurassic World' or this film. The commerciality of things is also important to me, too.". Would people want to watch this, too? Is this in general of interest? Those are things that I seek and pay attention to and am interested in.
So, we'll see, I guess.
But Johansson was adamant that she is not retiring from acting anytime soon. "I'm definitely still an actor for hire — I want that to be widely printed."
A celebrated debut
With her first film, Eleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson has done more than demonstrate that her skills are far greater than acting, delivering a warm, character-driven movie that resonates with themes relevant to today. Whether she goes back to directing or not, Johansson's directorial debut has made a long-lasting impact on both critics and audiences.
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