Eisenberg's 'The Debut' Stuns Telluride, Sets Oscar Stage — SkimNews
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- Jesse Eisenberg's third directorial feature 'The Debut' world premiered at Telluride Film Festival on Saturday, drawing spontaneous mid-scene applause; A24 has set a December 11 release date the piece frames as an awards-season long game following the studio's best picture wins for 'Moonlight' and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once.'
- Julianne Moore plays Mona Friedman, a meek housewife who hasn't sung since church choir and transforms into a 'balls to the wall' method actor waging war over a marginal community theater role; the piece calls a sixth nomination 'automatic' and frames her as a frontrunner for a second Oscar to go with her 2015 'Still Alice' win.
- Paul Giamatti plays Jerry, the tyrannical New Jersey community theater director billed as 'the biggest name' in that scene; the piece positions his flashier, more quotable role in the supporting category, the same lane Kieran Culkin swept for Eisenberg's 'A Real Pain' two years ago.
- The film is described not as a musical but as a 'savage comedy about one,' set inside a faux musical at a New Jersey rec center, compared to 'Black Swan' by way of 'Whiplash' and 'Waiting for Guffman,' with Drew Daniels (cinematography, fresh off 'Anora') and Oscar-nominated composer Emil Mosseri ('Minari') rounding out the key crew.
- Bernadette Peters and Halle Bailey join the ensemble with Broadway bona fides, and Emma Stone is credited as a producer; the piece also notes 'Elsinore' premiered at the same Telluride, making the festival's two biggest swings both 'love letters to acting itself.'
Why it matters: With A24 scheduling a December 11 release, the studio is signaling a long awards campaign around a film the piece describes as a 'broad, playable contender' featuring two beloved actors — Moore (a five-time nominee) and Giamatti (yet to win) — in roles built as Oscar showcases, replicating the same A24 playbook that delivered two surprise best picture wins.
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