Eleanor the Great marks the feature-length directorial debut of Scarlett Johansson, reinventing herself behind the camera with a character-driven drama. Anchoring the story is June Squibb portraying Eleanor Morgenstein, a witty, “proudly troublesome” 94-year-old who, after decades in Florida, relocates to New York City following the death of her best friend.
Alongside Squibb, the film stars Erin Kellyman as Nina, a grief-stricken journalism student; Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Nina’s father Roger; and Jessica Hecht appears as Eleanor’s daughter, Lisa.
Eleanor the Great debuted in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, then screened at Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and is set to open nationwide and in Canada on September 26, 2025.
In Eleanor The Great, June Squibb brings to vivid life the witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who after a devastating loss, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own. Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a comically poignant exploration of how the stories we hear become the stories we tell.
Ahead of the Cannes premiere, Johansson reflected on the experience making the film, saying, “Premiering in Cannes, I don’t know how I will be able to process the hugeness of it. It makes me nervous, but I’m excited as well. I’m very proud of it and proud of all the work everybody did to make it.”
See the official trailer above.
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