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Actress Scarlett Johansson is set to make her feature directorial debut with the upcoming release of Eleanor The Great.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on May 7, 2025, she shared her journey with the film, highlighting the initial struggles of finding producers. According to Johansson, indie films have various logistical problems.
She said:
“Things like this take forever to get made.”
She went on:
“It would be easier to make something that was the sequel of a $180 million movie or a genre movie that was subpar. To get much, much, much less money for an independent film with an original story that has a lead actor who was 94 was very, very, very challenging.”
Speaking of June Squibb’s role in the film, Scarlett Johansson explained that June was ready to work on the movie. As a director, Johansson had a short window to film, especially since they needed to shoot during winter, and she got the script around July or August.
She said the project faced constant issues and almost fell apart daily. At one point, they were close to securing most of the budget from an independent company, but in the end, they would have had to completely change the key part of the story to get the funding, which caused everything to collapse.
However, Scarlett Johansson appreciated Sony Pictures Classics’ contribution to the film, saying:
“They really got [Eleanor], and they came in and saved the day so that we could make our start date. I am so grateful that there are companies out there that are still making original ideas and putting faith in first time directors.”
June Squibb called Scarlett Johansson a down-to-earth person
According to the media outlet, June Squibb said she and Scarlett Johansson connected easily because they were both grounded. She appreciated that Scarlett, with her experience as an actress, instantly understood what Squibb was doing in her performance and how she was adjusting it.
Squibb added that it was rare to work with a director who had that level of insight. Meanwhile, commenting on her craft, Scarlett Johansson said:
“I grew up on sets, and I’m a huge sucker for efficiency. Even in my job as an actor, I can read a call sheet and tell you exactly what’s going to make us fall behind and what we’ll owe the next day.”
Scarlett Johansson admitted she wasn’t sure how directing would feel or if she could confidently guide actors. However, once she started, she realized she had already been doing similar work for years, like collaborating with actors and directors during development and rehearsals.
She said:
“Whatever I work on next, regardless of the size or the genre, I would be looking for those same kinds of deep characters and it would be important for me to try to find performance-driven stories.”
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She joked about being strict on set but said she was genuinely motivated by the creativity and input of the cast and crew. The story felt meaningful to many people because it dealt with universal themes like love, forgiveness, among others, which people can resonate with.
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