Scarlett Johansson is officially the queen of long-haul travel. The actress touched down at the New York Film Festival's 64th edition to premiere her new movie, Paper Tiger, and she was lowkey struggling. "I'm hallucinating," she joked during an on-stage interview. "It's 5 in the morning — which is a great time to be doing an interview on stage."
Scarlett, who has been busy filming The Exorcist: Martyrs, missed the movie’s original premiere at Cannes back in May. When a co-star teased her about missing the French Riviera trip, she hit back with a playful "Don't rub it in!"
The Vibes on Set
Scarlett reunited with co-stars Adam Driver and Miles Teller, along with director James Gray, at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. The group served major friendship goals, gushing over the chemistry they had during production. "A set culture comes from the top down, and James sets a culture where everyone feels free," Driver shared. Gray added that they had a "nauseatingly lovely" time working together.
Set in 1986, the film follows two brothers caught up in a chaotic get-rich-quick scheme involving the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal. Johansson stars as Linda, the wife of Teller’s character.
A Director’s Dream
Gray kept his pre-screening intro short, joking that film school taught him the directors who talk the most usually make the worst movies. He reflected on his journey from a kid with big dreams to an established director, noting that his parents once questioned how he’d ever pull it off. NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim praised the film, calling Gray "one of the great living American filmmakers" for sticking to his singular vision despite the industry’s current landscape.
Why it matters
The NYFF is officially kicking off its 64th season, which runs through October 12. The festival is set to host some huge premieres, including the Sam Altman-inspired Artificial and the Godzilla Minus Zero sequel, proving it remains the ultimate spot for film launches.
