Scarlett Johansson ‘Paper Tiger’ NYFF Premiere: What Happened

Scarlett Johansson Returns for ‘Paper Tiger’ NYFF Premiere After Missing Cannes

Scarlett Johansson made a quick return to New York for the premiere of “Paper Tiger” at the New York Film Festival, despite being in the middle of filming another movie overseas.

Scarlett Johansson stuns at the opening night premiere of James Gray’s crime drama ‘Paper Tiger’ for the 64th New York Film Festival.

‘Paper Tiger’ is a Neon release starring Johansson as Hester Pearl alongside Adam Driver and Miles Teller, following a Queens family drawn into a… pic.twitter.com/S9hy6tAtWD

— Pop Buzz (@popbuzzz_) September 26, 2026

Scarlett Johansson joins her “Paper Tiger” castmates on stage at #NYFF after missing the film’s world premiere at Cannes earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/xClMkyiV1b

— Variety (@Variety) September 25, 2026

Johansson reunited with her co-stars Adam Driver and Miles Teller for the festival screening at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. The actress admitted that she was extremely jet-lagged after arriving from an international flight.

“I’m hallucinating,” Johansson joked during the post-screening conversation, adding that it was around 5 in the morning for her.

“Paper Tiger” had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, but Johansson was not there for the screening because she was busy filming “The Exorcist: Martyrs.” When the Cannes absence was mentioned during the New York event, Johansson jokingly responded, “Don’t rub it in!”

Directed by James Gray, “Paper Tiger” is set in 1986 and follows brothers Irwin and Gary Pearl as they attempt a get-rich-quick scheme connected to the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal. Their plan eventually puts them in the sights of the Russian mafia.

Johansson plays Linda, the wife of Teller’s character.

Johansson, Driver and Teller attended the premiere alongside Gray and later took part in a post-screening Q&A. The cast members spoke about the atmosphere on set and their experience working together.

Driver praised the relationship between the four principal collaborators, saying there was a strong sense of mutual admiration. Gray also described the production as a particularly enjoyable experience and spoke warmly about the cast.

Before the screening, Gray kept his opening remarks brief. He joked that, based on his experience in film school, filmmakers who talked too much before showing their movies often had the worst films.

The director also reflected on his childhood dream of becoming a filmmaker and remembered his parents questioning how he would achieve that goal.

NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim introduced Gray as one of the great living American filmmakers and praised his distinctive approach to filmmaking.

The 64th New York Film Festival runs through October 12. The festival's lineup also includes the world premieres of “Artificial,” “14th,” “Behemoth!” and “Godzilla Minus Zero.”