The Debut (2026 film)
Film by Jesse Eisenberg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Debut is a 2026 American musical comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.[2] It stars Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Colton Ryan, Eisenberg, Bonnie Milligan, Lilli Cooper, Maulik Pancholy, and Bernadette Peters. It tells the story of a New Jersey housewife who auditions for a part in a fictional musical run by a strong-willed and enigmatic director.
- Emma Stone
- Dave McCary
- Ali Herting
- Jesse Eisenberg
| The Debut | |
|---|---|
Teaser poster | |
| Directed by | Jesse Eisenberg |
| Written by | Jesse Eisenberg |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Drew Daniels |
| Edited by | Robert Nassau |
| Music by |
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Production company | |
| Distributed by | A24 |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film premiered at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on September 5, and will be theatrically released in the United States by A24 on December 11.
Premise
A shy New Jersey housewife auditions for a part in the Brook Arts Center production of the fictional musical Nosy Neighbors and is cast in the supporting role of Miss Danielle. Under the spell of the "strong-willed" and "enigmatic" director Jerry, her life begins to unravel as she slowly becomes more and more consumed with playing the part.[3]
Cast
- Julianne Moore as Mona Friedman, a shy housewife in New Jersey who auditions for Nosy Neighbors
- Paul Giamatti as Jerry, the director of the musical
- Halle Bailey as Stef, an actress in the musical
- Jesse Eisenberg as Todd, an actor in the musical
- Cara Buono as Cassie[4]
- Craig Bierko as Steve
- Havana Rose Liu as Twisty
- Eldar Isgandarov as Piotr, Jerry's assistant director[5]
- Bernadette Peters as Serena Cherry, a well-known theatre actress
- Patrick Fabian as Howard, Mona's husband
- K. Todd Freeman as Marty, the musical director
- Bonnie Milligan as Trish, an actress in the musical
- Colton Ryan as Zachary, an actor in the musical
- Lilli Cooper as Shauna
- Maulik Pancholy as Eli, a priest
- Danny Burstein[6]
- Susan Blommaert as Sybil
- Stephen Adly Guirgis as Tenant
- Jonah Diamand as Matty, Mona's son[7]
- Becca Suskauer as Maya
- Danny McCarthy as male testimonial
- Ana Yi Puig as an auditioning woman
- Christopher Fitzgerald as Grocery Man
- Andy Grotelueschen as Motel Man
- Nikka Graff Lanzarone as Dog Woman
Production
Deadline Hollywood announced in November 2024 that Jesse Eisenberg would be directing and writing a musical comedy, with Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti starring.[3] In April 2025, Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Bernadette Peters, Bonnie Milligan, Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper and Maulik Pancholy joined the cast, with A24 boarding as distributor, and principal photography commencing. Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Ali Herting of Fruit Tree produced, alongside Eisenberg. Topic Studios executive produced.[8] In June 2026, the title was revealed as The Debut.[2]
Musical numbers
The musical within the film includes 13 original songs written by Eisenberg.[9]
- "The Boy from 26A / Girl in 4F" – Girl in 4F (Halle Bailey), Boy from 26A (Colton Ryan), Ensemble
- "Needle in a Haystack" – Young Mom with Stroller (Bonnie Milligan), Girl in 4F (Bailey)
- "Aren't We Still Strangers?" – Woman with Shoes (Lilli Cooper), Barnaby (Jesse Eisenberg)
- "All Backed Up" – Barnaby (Eisenberg)
- "Where's My Shoe?" – Woman with Shoes (Cooper)
- "The Opposite of Up" – The Ghost of Fiorello La Guardia (Maulik Pancholy)
- "Another Bill (Ugh!)" – City Councilwoman (Megumi Nakamura)
- "Count Your Blessings (By Counting By Fives)" – Young Mom with Stroller (Milligan), Boy from 26A (Ryan)
- "Right Place, Right Time" – Girl in 4F (Bailey)
- "Another Bill (Ugh!)" (reprise) – City Councilwoman (Megumi Nakamura), Company
- "Blackout" – Grumpy Tennant (Jared Loftin), Company
- "This City May Have Chewed Me Up (But It Hasn't Spit Me Out)" – Miss Danielle (Julianne Moore)
- "One Bedroom, Two Hearts" – Company
Release
The film had its world premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on September 5, 2026.[10] It was also selected for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival,[11][12] the main competition of the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival,[13] and the Spotlight Gala section of the 2026 New York Film Festival.[14] The film will close 2026 BFI London Film Festival on October 18.
The Debut is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 11, 2026, by A24.[15] It will be theatrically released in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2027, by Lionsgate.[16]
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10.[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[18]
