Latest news with #JuneSquibb
NZ Herald
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Scarlett Johansson unveils her newest role at Cannes: Filmmaker
The star came across the script for Eleanor the Great, already starring June Squibb, and instantly realised, 'I know how to make it.' Now she wants to direct again. Few movie stars today win over critics and convey Old Hollywood glamour as effortlessly as Scarlett Johansson does, all while seemingly
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo 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. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Perth Now
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Directing is really rewarding, says Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson found directing to be a "really rewarding" experience. The 40-year-old star made her directorial debut with 'Eleanor the Great', the new drama movie starring June Squibb in the title role, and Scarlett has revealed that she loved the challenge of working behind the camera. The Hollywood star told 'Extra': "I have a different perspective on just the process of, you know, pre-production and then what goes on after we all leave. I think, as an actor, you're hoping that the director sees kind of what you were doing and follows, you know, pulls the right thread and all of that stuff, but you don't know. "You have no, kind of, control over it and now, you know, having experienced the other side of it, it just gives you, I think, an interesting insight into how people, other directors make their choices and the process that they go through to, you know, make it all happen. "It's a lot of work, but it can be really rewarding." Scarlett recently premiered the movie at the Cannes Film Festival, and she relished walking the red carpet with Erin Kellyman and June Squibb. The actress said: "Just being able to stand alongside Erin Kellyman and June Squibb after the film premiered and feel the warmth of the audience and the love from the audience for the film and for the incredible performances in it, it was such a moving moment. "And just to see June also so celebrated everywhere we went in Cannes, people were so excited to see her. It was just, it was amazing. "I'll never forget that moment of just being with those women after the screening and celebrating, you know, with the audience. It was really touching.' Despite this, Scarlett recently revealed that she's "not sure" whether to focus her attention on directing or acting. The film star doesn't yet know whether her long-term future is in front, or behind, the camera. Asked if the film marks a new beginning for her, Scarlett told Collider: "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 audiences want to see this, too? Is this generally interesting? Those are things I look for and focus on and care about. So, we'll see, I guess." Scarlett - who is one of the best-paid actresses in Hollywood - insisted that she has no intention of retiring from acting. She clarified: "I'm certainly still an actor for hire — I want that to be widely printed."
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scarlett Johansson: It Would Have Been ‘Easier' to Finance a ‘Subpar' Genre Film Than Indie ‘Eleanor the Great'
Scarlett Johansson didn't have a great time finding financing for her feature directorial debut 'Eleanor the Great.' The indie drama, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, stars June Squibb as a grieving 94-year-old who relocates from Florida to New York City, where she befriends a young journalism student (Erin Kellyman). MCU alum and 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' star Johansson told THR that the film took 'forever to get made' in part because indies are so difficult to fund. 'It would be easier to make something that was the sequel of a $180 million movie or a genre movie that was subpar,' Johansson said. '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.' More from IndieWire You Can Only See George Romero's Final Work Here - and No, It's Not a Film Mikey Madison Has Found Her First Role After 'Anora' Oscar Win with 'Reptilia' Johansson added that there was a 'humongous scramble' to even film in New York. 'Every day the movie fell apart in 400 different ways,' she said. 'It once looked like we were going to be able to get the majority of our money from an independent financing company and then right down to the wire, in order for them to make it, we would've had to completely dismantle the entire plot device that was driving the narrative engine of the film. It was crazy. At that point, everything just fell apart.' It wasn't until Sony Pictures Classics got on board that 'Eleanor the Great' had enough cash to actually, well, be great. 'They really got ['Eleanor'], and they came in and saved the day so that we could make our start date,' Johansson said of the studio. 'I am so grateful that there are companies out there that are still making original ideas and putting faith in first time directors.' Johansson will next act in Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme,' which also is debuting at Cannes. 'Whatever I work on next, regardless of the size or the genre, I would be looking for those same kinds of deep characters and it would be important for me to try to find performance-driven stories,' she said. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
News24
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
From Black Widow to Cannes: 5 things to know about Scarlett Johansson
Getty Scarlett Johansson made her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great at Cannes this week. Initial reviews for Johansson's debut film were mixed, though lead actor June Squibb received widespread acclaim. Here are five things to know about the teen star turned Hollywood A-Lister. One of Hollywood's top-grossing actors, Scarlett Johansson, walked the red carpet twice at Cannes, for her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great on Tuesday and for Wes Anderson's film The Phoenician Scheme, which premiered last Sunday. Johansson faced some tough initial reviews for her debut film as a director after its premiere. Film bible Variety called it 'an unconvincing crowd-pleaser', The Hollywood Reporter said it was 'wobbly', and Britain's Guardian newspaper critic called it 'frankly odd' in a two-star review. Screen was more positive, however, saying online 'streamers should come calling', while The Times in London said it had 'the jackpot combination of being tear-inducing and laugh-out-loud funny'. Getty Lead actor June Squibb, 95, won almost universal praise for her turn as a grief-stricken retiree who moves to New York and adopts the personal story of her deceased best friend who survived the Holocaust. 'It's a film about many things: it's about friendship, it's about grief, it's about forgiveness. And I think those are all themes we can use a lot more of these days,' Johansson said after the premiere. Johansson's movie is in the running for prizes in the 'Certain Regard' secondary section at Cannes, which is for up-and-coming directors and includes Kirsten Stewart's and Harris Dickinson's films this year. Here are five things to know about the teen star turned Hollywood A-Lister: 1. Starlet Scarlett When baby Johansson was born into a Jewish family in Manhattan in 1984, early signs suggested stardom was ahead. Her parents named her after Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind, and from a young age, she was drawn to tap dance and theatre. Barely into double digits, she made her screen debut, and soon after, Robert Redford cast her in The Horse Whisperer for her first major role. Then, just shy of 20, she hit the big time with Sofia Coppola's art-house classic, Lost in Translation. In the film, which unfolds in the alienating surroundings of a Tokyo hotel, Johansson manages to touch the heart of an ever-sardonic Bill Murray and charm spectators and critics worldwide. 2. Cha-ching! Over the following decades, Johansson starred in a string of hits, and top directors, from Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers to Jonathan Glazer and Christopher Nolan, queued up to cast her. Catapulting her into the movie stratosphere, she joined the Marvel universe as the indomitable Black Widow in 2010 and made eight films with the franchise. During this collaboration, she topped the Forbes list of highest-paid actresses and was featured in hits, including Avengers: Infinity War (2018), one of the top-10 highest-grossing films of all time, according to IMDB Pro. 3. Other missions But Johansson, the box-office megastar, has also missed out on, or sidestepped, plenty of big roles. There was a potential Mission Impossible movie, but this was shelved, officially due to scheduling clashes. She did not land the lead in Les Miserables, which went to Anne Hathaway, who won an Oscar for it, nor did she get Lisbeth Salander in Millennium. But she was plenty busy, often starring in lower-budget films that wowed critics and audiences. These included a stand-out performance as an alien in Jonathan Glazer's remarkable Under the Skin (2013), which was shot in wintery backstreets, abandoned houses, and seedy minivans. Netflix So far, she has not won an Oscar, but she was nominated for best actor and supporting actor in 2020 for her roles in indie favourites Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit. 4. That voice It is unmistakable, and Johansson has capitalised on it, though sometimes with unwanted repercussions. She brought her deep, distinctive vocals to the voice of Samantha in Spike Jonze's Her (2013), a film about an artificial intelligence system Joaquin Phoenix falls for. But in May last year, Johansson accused tech firm OpenAI of using her voice in their own generative AI ChatGPT, which responded by modifying its tone. She has also appeared in hit animations, including The Jungle Book and the two Sing films. Johansson has also released two albums: Anywhere I Lay My Head in 2008 and Break Up a year later. They did not rock the music world, but when reviewing the inaugural album, Pitchfork called it a 'curio' while praising Johansson's voice's 'wide textural range.' 5. Against the grain Never reluctant to speak her mind, Johansson has been outspoken on various social and film-related issues. She has supported harassment victims, pushed for gender-equal pay, and spotlighted the impact of streaming on theatrical releases. She is also willing to take more controversial stances, not least in defending Woody Allen - who has cast her in three films - when much of Hollywood has shunned him over a long-running sexual assault scandal. 'I love Woody. I believe him, and I would work with him any time,' she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019.
