FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS TO RELEASE SCARLETT JOHANSSON’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT ‘ELEANOR THE GREAT’ NATIONWIDE AND IN CANADA ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2025
The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival this past May.
NEW YORK, NY (July 17, 2025) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they will release Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, ELEANOR THE GREAT nationwide and in Canada on September 26, 2025. With a screenplay by Tory Kamen, the film stars Academy Award-nominated June Squibb (PALM SPRINGS, NEBRASKA), Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (THE LIFE OF CHUCK, VENOM 3), Tony and Emmy-nominated Jessica Hecht (A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, SPECIAL) and Erin Kellyman (28 YEARS LATER).
The film follows Eleanor Morgenstein (Squibb), a 90-year-old woman trying to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.
Partnering for the first time, TriStar Pictures and Sony Pictures Classics boarded the project in 2024. The film is produced by Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Lia, and Keenan Flynn for These Pictures, Kara Durrett and Jessamine Burgum for Pinky Promise, and Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler of Maven Screen Media. Steve Sarowitz, Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath and Andrew Calof are executive producing for Wayfarer Studios. Ezra Gabay and Raj Kishor Khaware are executive producing on behalf of Content Engineers. Wayfarer Studios, Content Engineers, Pinky Promise and MacPac are co-financing the film.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992—which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world. Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 42 Academy Awards® (38 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 190 Academy Award® nominations (164 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for I’M STILL HERE, THE FATHER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services. http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.
