Jesse Eisenberg’s dark comedy The Debut makes its world premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on September 5, with early test reactions already positioning Paul Giamatti’s performance as a central Oscar conversation piece.
Eisenberg wrote, directed, and appears in a small supporting role. Julianne Moore plays Mona Friedman, a nervous housewife unexpectedly cast in a local musical production. Giamatti plays Jerry, the commanding community theater director who pulls her deeper into the role. The cast also includes Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Bernadette Peters, Bonnie Milligan, and Colton Ryan. Drew Daniels shot it; Emile Mosseri composed the score.
Emma Stone and Dave McCary produce alongside Eisenberg and Ali Herting through their Fruit Tree company. A24 distributes in the US; Lionsgate UK takes the UK release. The film, which carried the working title No One Cares during production, runs 105 minutes. A24 opens it theatrically December 11, 2026, with the film also set to screen at TIFF on September 13.
The Debut is Eisenberg’s third feature as director, following A Real Pain, which earned Kieran Culkin the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Test screening word describes the new film as “a weird, dark, very funny spiral about acting, delusion, and community theater freaks.” Giamatti, an awards-season perennial without a competitive Oscar win, enters the fall festival circuit as an early frontrunner.