Scarlett Johansson on becoming more comfortable with herself and why it would be “reductive” to politicise her directorial debut

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This year’s Cannes Film Festival saw three well-known actors try their hand at directing. Kristen Stewart and Harris Dickinson both created artistic, thought-provoking films – Stewart with a drama about addiction called The Chronology of Water, and Dickinson with a study of homelessness titled Urchin. Scarlett Johansson went in a different direction with her debut, Eleanor the Great, a funny and touching comedy-drama about a 94-year-old Jewish widow who commits a shocking act. The film is especially wonderful thanks to a fantastic performance from June Squibb, who has been consistently impressive in recent roles, including Nebraska and Thelma.

Scarlett Johansson believes this movie has strong potential for commercial success, and with good reason. Over her 30-year career, her films have earned over $15 billion worldwide. While her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – from ‘Iron Man 2’ through ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ – is a major factor, she also helped revive the ‘Jurassic World’ franchise this year with ‘Rebirth,’ which earned $868 million. Johansson clearly has a good sense of what audiences will enjoy.

Surprisingly, she’s wanted to direct movies for nearly as long as she’s been an actress. She explains that as a teenager, she actually thought she’d pursue directing, not acting, because she didn’t feel a strong passion for performing at that age. It’s an unusual response to the question of when she started dreaming of directing. Most actors slowly transition into directing later in their careers, but Johansson has always had those ambitions, even when she was a young person growing up in New York.

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She says acting wasn’t her primary focus early on, even though she started her career with films like ‘North’ alongside Bruce Willis in 1994 and gained recognition in ‘The Horse Whisperer’ with Robert Redford four years later, when she was just 13. She explains that while she did enjoy acting as a young child, it became difficult to find roles that truly interested her. ‘It was hard to stay engaged,’ she says. ‘There weren’t many interesting parts for young actors back then, but that’s changed now. There are a lot more opportunities for young people to play compelling roles today.’

Even as a teenager, she became known as an actress in independent films, appearing in movies like The Man Who Wasn’t There by the Coen Brothers and Terry Zwigoff’s popular film Ghost World. She says she always had small creative outlets, but initially thought she’d become a director. Later, in her twenties, she became more focused on improving her skills as an actress and actively sought out challenging roles to expand her range.

Despite already being a major star, Johansson launched her production company, These Pictures, in 2017 with partners Keenan Flynn and Jonathan Lia. Initially, she wasn’t interested in directing. She thought it would be nothing but constant problem-solving – a stressful situation she wanted to avoid. However, she eventually realized she might be able to direct, but finding the right project proved difficult. Many ideas were interesting, but none felt like the perfect fit at the time.

The script for “Eleanor the Great,” written by Tory Kamen and based on her Jewish grandmother, quickly caught Scarlett Johansson’s attention. Johansson, already committed to the project, was moved by the story of Eleanor Morgenstein, a sharp and spirited woman in her nineties living in Florida. She immediately felt confident she could direct it, telling her producing partners as much. Getting the project off the ground was a hectic and stressful process, but they managed to pull it together.

She was also responsible for securing funding for the project, drawing on her experience as a producer – she previously produced and starred in the 2024 film Fly Me To The Moon with Channing Tatum. This time, however, she was taking the lead creatively and financially. “Making a movie always requires asking for significant investment,” she explained. “Even for smaller films, we’re talking about millions of dollars – it might not reach hundreds of millions, but it’s still a substantial amount.”

Johansson assembled a talented cast for the film, including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Erin Kellyman, who play a father and daughter. Their paths cross with Eleanor, played by Squibb, after she moves to New York following the death of her close friend Bessie in Florida. The central conflict of the story arises when Eleanor, while visiting a Jewish Community Centre and a Holocaust survivor’s group, falsely claims to be a Holocaust survivor herself, using the story of her deceased friend Bessie as her own. Eleanor is a convert to Judaism, which adds another layer to the deception.

Johansson, whose mother is Jewish with roots in Poland and Russia, acknowledges Eleanor’s actions are deeply wrong but empathizes with the need to preserve personal stories before they’re lost. The film’s script carries significant weight, aiming to ensure the experiences of Holocaust survivors – those who endured unimaginable horrors – are remembered. Ultimately, she hopes this remembrance can lead to understanding and, eventually, forgiveness. That’s the driving force behind the project, and she believes it’s vitally important.

Although the film explores themes of forgiveness and understanding, Johansson hopes it won’t be drawn into discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially given the current increase in antisemitism. She believes the issue is too complex to simply be used to frame the film’s message, and she doesn’t want to reduce its meaning by making it about politics.

Hélène Louvart, the French cinematographer known for her work on “The Lost Daughter,” happened to be in Israel on October 7th, scouting locations for a different film. Johansson persuaded her to work on this project, and the two developed a close, collaborative relationship while filming.

Hélène and I spent a lot of time analyzing the script before filming, and that’s where our collaboration truly started. We quickly connected and shared a common understanding, and she’s incredibly talented. She’s remarkably perceptive, always noticing everything around her – it’s like she’s constantly observing the world. It’s amazing how fully present she is when you’re talking to her; she’s truly exceptional.

I’ve always admired Scarlett Johansson, and while so many know her as a powerful action star from the Marvel movies, she’s really built a career working with incredibly talented and visionary directors – people like Jonathan Glazer, Spike Jonze, and Christopher Nolan. I was really curious to know if those experiences with such creative minds shaped how she approached playing Eleanor the Great. She explained that while directors she’s worked with often draw inspiration from classic filmmakers like Antonioni or Bergman, she didn’t consciously feel that influence herself while making this film. It’s fascinating to hear how she processes those collaborations!

Now that Johansson is directing, she has more creative control and influence than she may have experienced as an actress. However, she’s always been known for being outspoken. She’s previously called out the media for focusing too much on appearance and treating her like an object, especially early in her career. She’s also consistently championed women’s rights, including issues like equal pay and reproductive freedom.

It hasn’t always been easy to keep sharing her opinions, especially as a 41-year-old mother of two. But she explains, ‘I really just try to be myself.’ She’s become more comfortable with who she is over time, and she sees that as one of the best parts of getting older. While aging has its downsides, feeling more self-assured is a definite plus.

Everyone is wondering what Scarlett Johansson will do next. Recent rumors suggest she’s in talks to join Robert Pattinson in the sequel to The Batman, which would likely boost her status as a box office draw. However, many are also curious about her future as a director – will she ever tackle a project even larger in scope than her film Eleanor the Great?

Eleanor the Great is out now in UK cinemas.

Authors

James Mottram

James Mottram is a London-based film critic, journalist, and author.

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2025-12-12 10:35