James Gray’s Awards-Season Crime Drama ‘Paper Tiger’ Finally Gets Its Full Trailer
Awards season has a way of building anticipation for films long before general audiences ever get to see them, especially when a movie arrives trailing buzz from one of the industry’s most prestigious festivals. Few filmmakers understand that slow-burn approach to release strategy quite like James Gray, whose work has consistently found its footing through careful, deliberate rollouts.
That pattern is playing out once again with his latest project, a film that’s been generating steady momentum since its premiere months ago overseas. Rather than rushing straight to theaters, the movie has instead taken the scenic route through festival circuits before finally arriving in front of everyday audiences.
Neon has officially released the full trailer for ‘Paper Tiger,’ James Gray’s crime drama starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson, ahead of the film’s November 13 theatrical release. The trailer arrives just days before the movie opens at the 64th New York Film Festival, continuing its journey from Cannes toward wide audiences.
Set in 1986 Queens and Brooklyn, ‘Paper Tiger’ follows Teller as Irwin Pearl, an unemployed engineer struggling to provide for his family. His older brother Gary, played by Driver, a former NYPD officer, pulls him into what initially looks like a lucrative scheme involving Russian criminals dumping oil around the Gowanus Canal.
That seemingly promising opportunity quickly spirals into genuine danger, putting Irwin, his wife Hester, played by Johansson, and their children directly in harm’s way. It’s a premise that fits squarely within Gray’s wheelhouse, having built much of his career exploring how ordinary people get pulled into forces far bigger than themselves.
New trailer for James Gray’s ‘PAPER TIGER’ has been released. Starring Miles Teller, Adam Driver, and Scarlett Johansson. In theaters this November. https://t.co/ttjcYRdanI
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 22, 2026
‘Paper Tiger’ isn’t arriving without credentials. The film premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where Neon had acquired the title as a late addition to its Competition lineup, and reportedly earned a ten-minute standing ovation following its debut screening.
Deadline’s Pete Hammond, who reviewed the film out of Cannes, praised Gray’s handling of the material directly. The film was “superbly crafted by Gray, who knows how to twist a crime-genre tale into something fresh and pulse-pounding,” Hammond wrote in his review for Deadline, adding that casting actors of Driver, Johansson, and Teller’s caliber “makes it soar.”
Given the strength of that early reception, distributor Neon has reportedly begun mounting a significant awards push around the film’s three central performances. Driver is being positioned for Best Supporting Actor consideration, Johansson for Best Supporting Actress, and Teller for Best Actor, according to recent reporting.
That kind of coordinated campaign underscores just how seriously the studio is treating ‘Paper Tiger’ as a genuine contender this awards season. With the film opening the New York Film Festival before its wider release, Neon appears to be positioning the title for maximum critical visibility heading into the crowded fall and winter movie calendar.
The film marks Gray’s first feature since 2022’s ‘Armageddon Time,’ following a career that’s spanned deeply personal dramas alongside more expansive studio work like ‘Ad Astra.’ Interestingly, Johansson’s role was reportedly originally earmarked for a different actress before landing with her instead, adding another layer of behind-the-scenes intrigue to the production’s path to the screen.
With its Cannes pedigree, star-studded cast, and Neon’s clear confidence in its awards prospects, ‘Paper Tiger’ looks positioned to be one of the season’s more closely watched dramatic releases. Audiences won’t have to wait much longer to see whether the finished film lives up to the acclaim it’s already generated on the festival circuit.
Are you excited to see Paper Tiger after its strong Cannes reception?
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