James Gray Misses Scarlett Johansson on FaceTime During 7-Minute Paper Tiger Cannes Ovation
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 16
James Gray Misses Scarlett Johansson on FaceTime During 7-Minute Paper Tiger Cannes Ovation
3 articles · Updated · Variety · May 16
A 7-minute standing ovation greeted “Paper Tiger” at Cannes, where James Gray tried to FaceTime absent star Scarlett Johansson but reached voicemail instead.
Johansson missed the South of France premiere because she is filming “The Exorcist” reboot, leaving Miles Teller and Adam Driver to join Gray onstage after the screening.
Gray used the moment to champion theatrical filmmaking, telling the Cannes crowd, “Cinema needs you guys more than ever,” as the festival runs with few Hollywood studio blockbusters.
“Paper Tiger,” Gray’s first film since 2022’s “Armageddon Time,” is his sixth Cannes premiere and was added to competition only in late April after contractual issues were resolved.
Neon will release the 1986-set crime thriller domestically; Variety’s Owen Gleiberman gave it a mixed review despite the warm festival reception.
After a 7-minute ovation, will James Gray's 'Paper Tiger' finally win a major prize at Cannes?
Is Neon's dominance at Cannes a triumph of taste or the creation of an arthouse film monopoly?