Julianne Moore to Lead Jesse Eisenberg’s Film “The Debut”

Jesse Eisenberg’s third feature as writer‑director, “The Debut,” will star Julianne Moore as Mona Friedman, a shy housewife cast in a New Jersey community‑theater production, and Paul Giamatti as the demanding director Jerry. The film also features Halle Bailey, Bernadette Peters and others. It is produced by A24 with original songs and score by Emile Mosseri, and is slated for a fall 2026 theatrical release, likely launching at a major fall festival such as Telluride or Toronto.

The project follows Eisenberg’s earlier films “When You Finish Saving the World” and “A Real Pain,” and has attracted early awards‑season attention, with speculation that Moore could earn another Oscar nomination and Giamatti could be in contention for supporting‑actor honors.