Scarlett Johansson tipped for Oscar win with new role | Films | Entertainment

Stars from the recent blockbuster 28 Years Later and various Marvel films are joining forces for a new cinematic release that promises to leave audiences in tears.

The first trailer for the forthcoming film, Eleanor The Great, was unveiled earlier this week, offering viewers a glimpse into the emotional journey the narrative will embark upon.

According to the brief synopsis, the storyline centres around the sharp-witted and delightfully troublesome 94 year old Eleanor Morgenstein. After suffering a heartbreaking loss, she spins a tale that unexpectedly takes on a life of its own.

As depicted in the trailer, the plot follows her relocation to Manhattan and the blossoming friendship she forms with a young, ambitious journalist.

Eleanor is portrayed by 95 year old actress June Squibb, who received an Oscar nomination in 2013 for her performance in Nebraska. She’s currently enjoying a career resurgence, thanks to her standout roles in 2024’s Thelma and Pixar films Soul and Inside Out 2, reports the Mirror.

Erin Kellyman assumes the role of Nina. Audiences may recognise Kellyman from her performances in the BBC’s miniseries of Les Misérables, Solo: A Star Wars Story and 28 Years Later.

She has also appeared in the Marvel series Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Top Boy, where she played the character Pebbles.

Also featured is British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, another Marvel alumnus known for his role in the Doctor Strange films. His other notable appearances include Triple 9, American Gangster and Netflix’s The Old Guard.

The picture will also mark Scarlett Johansson’s first venture behind the camera as director.

Johansson has made her name performing in front of the lens, most notably portraying comic book heroine Natasha Romanoff, better known as Black Widow, featuring in eight Marvel Cinematic Universe productions.

Whilst cinema audiences must wait until next month to witness the BAFTA-winning star’s directorial bow, preliminary reviews have surfaced following festival screenings.

One respected film critic declared: “Eleanor the Great is really something special. This can’t be denied. Everyone involved should be proud of it. A tremendously moving, sensitive, tender film that shows us how kindness and goodness always matter – at any age.”

Additional reviews have suggested Academy Award recognition for both the picture’s helmsman and lead performer.

One critic noted: “I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a lot about Eleanor the Great during awards season, especially when it comes to Squibb, whose moving performance is simply exquisite; there is no other word for it.”

Another commented: “Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great is exactly the kind of conventional, performer-led film one would expect from an actor. It also has the jackpot combination of being tear-inducing and laugh-out-loud funny.”

While someone else wrote: “It’s a little predictable, a little bizarre, a little funny, and very sad, but it’s also an ambitious swing at what movies can still be, a message and an idea that we expect will lead both the director and writer into quite fruitful new chapters.”

As glimpsed in the trailer, one review forecasts “there won’t be a dry eye in the house”, apparently indicating that viewers are certain to be moved to tears by the film.

Eleanor the Great will release in UK cinemas September 26.