Eleanor the Great: Release date news, cast details and more about the upcoming drama film by Scarlett Johansson

Academy Award nominated actress Scarlett Johansson is making her big-screen return with the upcoming drama film Eleanor the Great but this time (and for the first time), the Marvel star will be the one behind the lens. Earlier in May this year, the movie had its early screening at the Cannes Film Festival and currently holds a 66% score on Rotten Tomatoes in terms of critic reviews.

The story of Eleanor the Great revolves around an old woman and her bittersweet emotional journey following the death of a close person. Sony Pictures Classics currently holds the distribution rights in the United States while globally TriStar Pictures is overseeing the same. The official synopsis of Eleanor the Great, per IMDb reads:

"After a devastating loss, witty and proudly troublesome Eleanor Morgenstein, 94, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own."

When will Eleanor the Great be released?

Eleanor the Great will have a theatrical premiere in the United States on September 26, 2025, and global release will happen on the same date. The official casting announcement came last year in February when lead star and Academy Award-nominated actress June Squibb came on board in the titular role.

Filming of Eleanor the Great commenced in the same month across various locations of Coney Island, New York City, and was reportedly wrapped by April 2024.

What do we know about the plot of Eleanor the Great?

The story of Eleanor the Great centers on a woman named Eleanor Morgenstein whose somewhat lonely life is left in pieces when her best friend and roommate, Bessie, passes away. With hopes of getting a fresh start, Eleanor decides to leave Florida (a place where she has lived for years) and flies back to New York.

However, amidst her sad, mundane routine, Eleanor starts looking for ways to connect with people, and out of the blue, comes across a Holocaust survivors group. Her best friend Bessi used to share with her heartbreaking tales of Nazi camps, and Eleanor finds ways to tell the group those stories, narrating them as her own life incidents.

However, things get even more complicated when Eleanor stumbles upon a teenage student named Nina (played by Erin Kellyman). Nina is a college goer who wants to interview Eleanor and publish her Nazi camp experiences in an article that she's working on for her project. Eleanor looks to find a companion in Nina, but their unlikely bond only invites more drama.

Who is in the cast of Eleanor the Great?

The lead role of Eleanor the Great will be played by The Age of Innocence star June Louise Squibb, and joining her in another major character, Nina, is young British talent Erin Mae Kellyman (known from Raised by Wolves).

Among others in the cast, we have:

Award-winning star Rita Zohar in the role of Eleanor's roommate and friend Bessie
Jessica Hecht (well-known face from the hit sitcom Friends) in the role of Lisa
Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor as Roger, Nina's father
Greg Kaston (role not specified yet)
Will Price as Max