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Paper Tiger is a 2026 crime drama film written and directed by James Gray. Starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller, it follows a suburban family who become entangled with the Russian mob.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It is scheduled for a limited theatrical release by Neon on November 13, followed by a nationwide expansion a week later.
Contents
Plot
The plot follows two brothers who pursue a lucrative business opportunity in 1980s Queens, only to find themselves caught up in a scheme involving the Russian mafia, which ends up terrorizing their suburban family and puts their own sibling bond to the test.
Cast
Adam Driver as Gary Pearl, a former police officer, Irwin's older brother, and Scott and Ben's uncle
Scarlett Johansson as Hester Pearl, Irwin's wife and Scott and Ben's mother
Miles Teller as Irwin Pearl, an engineer, Gary's younger brother, Hester's husband, and Scott and Ben's father
Gavin Goudey as Scott Pearl, Irwin and Hester's college-bound eighteen-year-old son, Gary’s nephew and Ben’s brother
Roman Engel as Ben Pearl, Irwin and Hester's younger son, Gary’s nephew and Scott’s brother
Victor Ptak as Simeon Bogoyavich, a fearsome Russian mob boss of whom Gary and Irwin run afoul
Production
Development
In November 2024, it was reported that James Gray had set the project, titled Paper Tiger, as his next film, with a cast led by Adam Driver, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong. Raffaella Leone was to produce for Leone Film Group alongside Rodrigo Teixeira for RT Features. By May 2025, Hathaway and Strong had dropped out of the film due to other commitments, being replaced by Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, respectively. The film was backed by Vixens, a Paris-based production banner. In May 2026, Gray confirmed the film had a $15 million budget.
Filming
Principal photography began in early June 2025 in Denville Township, New Jersey. It was previously scheduled to begin in New Jersey in April 2025.
American cinematographer Joaquin Baca-Asay shot the film on 35mm, marking his third collaboration with Gray, following We Own the Night (2007) and Two Lovers (2008).
Release
In April 2026, SND acquired French distribution rights. Later that month, Neon acquired North American rights.
The film had its world premiere in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation. It is scheduled to be released in select theaters in the United States on November 13, 2026, before expanding to a wide release on November 20.
It was announced that the film will open the 2026 New York Film Festival.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 52 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
