What changed
2026-08-04 11:44 UTC → 2026-08-04 14:53 UTC ·
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In late June 2026 Jesse Eisenberg’s third feature as writer‑director, The Debut, was announced by A24. Julianne Moore was confirmed as Mona Friedman, a shy New Jersey housewife who is cast in a community‑theater musical, with Paul Giamatti playing the demanding director Jerry. The supporting cast includes Halle Bailey, Bernadette Peters and, later, Cara Buono and Havana Rose Liu. Emile Mosseri provides original songs and score, repurposing music Eisenberg wrote fifteen years earlier. A24 released the first trailer on 23 June, emphasizing a “war” of artistic integrity between Moore’s and Giamatti’s characters. No release date was given at that time. On 9 July A24 set a limited U.S. opening for 11 December 2026, expanding nationwide on Christmas Day, and outlined a progressing through its festival circuit rollout. In August 2026 A24 confirmed that includes Telluride, Toronto and other fall events. The film was selected to the musical‑comedy‑drama will close the 70th BFI London Film Festival on 18 October 2026, October, with a its UK premiere there at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre. Eisenberg, who also appears in the film, will attend the Closing Night Gala alongside Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Bernadette Peters and additional cast members Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper, Maulik Pancholy and Bonnie Milligan. The film is also slated for a subsequent U.K. Toronto International Film Festival screening in September. Lionsgate will handle the UK theatrical release by Lionsgate on 15 January 2027. The 2027, while A24 maintains the U.S. release remains scheduled for date of 11 December 2026. The production team now lists Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Ali Herting Eisenberg said he is honored to bring the film to the BFI event, and executive producer Ryan Heller, mirroring A24’s awards‑season rollout strategy used for titles such as The Brutalist artistic director Kristy Matheson called it “deliriously funny and The Whale. heartfelt.”