Paper Tiger (2026 film)
2026 crime-drama film by James Gray
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paper Tiger is a 2026 crime-drama film written and directed by James Gray. A co-production between the United States, Brazil, and Italy, it stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller,[2] and follows a suburban American family who become entangled with the Russian mob.
- James Gray
- Rodrigo Teixeira
- Anthony Katagas
- Raffaella Leone
- Andrea Leone
- Marco Perego
- Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio
- Gary Farkas
- Carlo Salem
- Andrea Bucko
| Paper Tiger | |
|---|---|
American theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | James Gray |
| Written by | James Gray |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Joaquín Baca-Asay |
| Edited by | Scott Morris |
| Music by | Christopher Spelman |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Neon (United States) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 115 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, where it competed for the Palme d'Or.[3] It is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in the United States by Neon on November 13, followed by a nationwide expansion a week later. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Plot
The plot follows two brothers who pursue a lucrative business opportunity in 1980s Queens, only to find themselves caught up in a scheme involving the Russian mafia, which ends up terrorizing their suburban family and puts their own sibling bond to the test.[4]
Cast
- Adam Driver as Gary Pearl, a former police officer, Irwin's older brother, and Scott and Ben's uncle[1]
- Scarlett Johansson as Hester Pearl, Irwin's wife and Scott and Ben's mother
- Miles Teller as Irwin Pearl, an engineer, Gary's younger brother, Hester's husband, and Scott and Ben's father
- Gavin Goudey as Scott Pearl, Irwin and Hester's college-bound eighteen-year-old son, Gary’s nephew and Ben’s brother
- Roman Engel as Ben Pearl, Irwin and Hester's younger son, Gary’s nephew and Scott’s brother
- Victor Ptak as Simeon Bogoyavich, a fearsome Russian mob boss of whom Gary and Irwin run afoul
- Cindy Katz as Iris Belfer
- Yavor Vesselinov as Alexei Yunov
- Joel Marsh Garland as Lt. Stan Durkheim
Production
Development
In October 2022, while promoting Armageddon Time, James Gray said he was interested in making a follow-up film that would be about the mother character, portrayed by Anne Hathaway. "The story goes in a very unexpected place because my father actually did achieve some financial success but wound up getting it all confiscated by the government when he got into legal trouble. At the same time, my mother found out she was dying. And so, it's going to be, I think, something about that period," he added.[5]
At the 2024 Deauville American Film Festival, Gray teased to France Inter that he was in the process of crafting an original piece of material that "will be about my family, but not from my perspective, maybe from my parents' perspective," and be set 5 to 10 years after the events of Armageddon Time. Gray added that the project, while personal, would also have elements of a crime drama.[6] In November 2024, it was reported that Gray had set the project, titled Paper Tiger, as his next film, with a cast led by Adam Driver, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong. Raffaella Leone was to produce for Leone Film Group alongside Rodrigo Teixeira for RT Features.[2] By May 2025, Hathaway and Strong had dropped out of the film due to other commitments, being replaced by Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, respectively.[7] The film was backed by Vixens, a Paris-based production banner.[8] In May 2026, Gray confirmed the film had a $15 million budget.[9]
Filming
Principal photography began in early June 2025 in Denville Township, New Jersey.[10] It was previously scheduled to begin in New Jersey in April 2025.[11]
American cinematographer Joaquin Baca-Asay shot the film on 35mm,[12] marking his third collaboration with Gray, following We Own the Night (2007) and Two Lovers (2008).
Release
In April 2026, SND acquired French distribution rights.[13] Later that month, Neon acquired North American rights.[14]
The film had its world premiere in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation.[15] It was also selected as the opening film of the 2026 New York Film Festival.[16] It is scheduled to be released in select theaters in the United States on November 13, 2026, before expanding to a wide release on November 20.[17]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 71 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10.[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[19]
Stephanie Zacharek of Time commended the film as "old school in the best way".[20] Owen Gleiberman of Variety billed the film as a "mouthy, close-knit Jewish domestic psychodrama", assessing that Gray's direction cannot avoid turning it into a "mixture of the grandiose and the implausible".[21]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 23 May 2026 | Palme d'Or | James Gray | Nominated | [22] |
| Celebración of Cinema and Television | 2 October 2026 | Producer Award | Rodrigo Teixeira | Won | [23] |