James Gray's Paper Tiger will make its North American premiere as the opening night film of the 64th New York Film Festival. The Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller-led crime drama had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where it competed for the prestigious Palme d'Or.
The selection marks Gray's fourth time screening a film at the prestigious festival, following The Immigrant (2013), The Lost City of Z (2016), and Armageddon Time (2022).
Paper Tiger joins a distinguished list of films that have served as the festival's opening night selection. David Fincher's The Social Network (2010) and Gone Girl (2014), Ang Lee's Life of Pi (2012), Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite (2018), Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (2019), and Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door (2024) have all held the honor, with Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt serving as last year's opener.
While the recognition doesn't necessarily translate to Academy Award success, thirteen of the previous opening night selections have gone on to earn Best Picture nominations. But only one, 1981's Chariots of Fire, ultimately claimed the night’s top prize.
Set in 1986 New York, Paper Tiger follows two brothers who, in pursuit of the American Dream, become entangled in a dangerous mafia scheme that threatens both their family and the lives they are desperately trying to build.
Paper Tiger opens the New York Film Festival on September 25 before Neon releases the film in select theaters on November 13, followed by a nationwide expansion one week later.
