(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Erin Kellyman as Nina in ‘Eleanor the Nice’. Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
Opening in theaters on September twenty sixth is the brand new movie from first time director Scarlett Johansson (“Jurassic World Rebirth’) entitled ‘Eleanor the Nice’.
Launch Date: Sep 26, 2025
Run Time: 1 hr 38 min
The film stars Oscar nominee June Squibb (‘Nebraska’), Erin Kellyman (‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’), Jessica Hecht (‘Sideways’), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (‘Physician Unusual’).
Moviefone not too long ago had the pleasure of talking with June Squibb and Erin Kellyman about their work on ‘Eleanor the Nice’, Squibb’s first response to the screenplay, Eleanor and Nina’s friendship, the themes of loss, being directed by Scarlett Johansson, what Kellyman realized from working with Squibb, and what they’ll bear in mind most about making the film.
Associated Article: Film Assessment: ‘Eleanor the Nice’
June Squibb as Eleanor in ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Picture: Jojo Whilden. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics
Moviefone: To start with, June are you able to discuss your first response to the screenplay, and did you acknowledge immediately that this could be a implausible position so that you can play?
June Squibb: Sure. I did. I feel I knew after the second web page or so. It was simply fantastically written, and I started to see Eleanor, and I felt I knew who she was, and I acknowledged her and the way she felt about issues. It was nearly an instantaneous sure.
Erin Kellyman as Nina in ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: Erin, are you able to speak concerning the friendship that Nina types with Eleanor and the way she feels when she realizes that the connection was primarily based on a lie?
Erin Kellyman: Nina’s clearly simply desirous about Eleanor’s story. It is clearly an actual story, nevertheless it’s simply not hers. I feel she’s genuinely simply desirous about that and desires to jot down a bit on it. Then I feel the increasingly more that these two characters hang around and spend time with one another, I feel Nina realizes that Eleanor is an effective buddy and somebody that she actually wants in her life. She’s been isolating herself and never seeing her associates after which alongside comes this one who has a brand new set of eyes on the scenario. I feel in these circumstances, you possibly can nearly open-up extra with individuals which are model new in your life as a result of they haven’t any preconceived concepts about something. I feel Nina finds Eleanor very smart, attention-grabbing, humorous and enjoyable to be round and to study from. But additionally, that’s her rock, she’s probably not talking about her emotions with anyone else. It is solely Eleanor that she’s doing that with. So, she places a lot belief on this lady. I feel clearly when Nina finds out that it wasn’t her story, I feel it is essentially the most crushing factor. As a result of that is the primary time that she’s opened-up to anyone after which to have the person who she’s opened-up to lie about one thing or not lie however inform any person else’s story about one thing that is so heavy. However all Nina is pondering is it is a lie. When she first finds out, she’s simply pondering, that is fully fabricated. So, it is crushing. It is troublesome for her. However there’s forgiveness there as soon as she understands. I feel it nearly is that she understands extra as a result of Nina is presently grieving. So, she will see her buddy can be grieving and she or he simply did this in a technique to be near her and to maintain her story alive as a result of Bessie had defined that earlier than, she’s anxious that nobody’s going to learn about her brother. So, there’s forgiveness and understanding there on the finish.
(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Rita Zohar as Bessie in ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: June, are you able to discuss Eleanor’s friendship with Bessie, how she is grieving that loss, and the way telling Bessie’s story helps hold her reminiscence alive?
JS: I feel Bessie meant extra to her at this level than anybody. I feel much more than her husband did. I feel that that they had so fully simply emerged their lives collectively. I feel that that’s the solely factor she’s serious about. I do not suppose she even thinks by way of, “Why am I doing this or what am I doing?” You understand, I feel it is like, “Oh, I’ve bought an opportunity to inform Bessie’s story. That is nice. Everyone will learn about her brother now.” I feel that is the place all of it comes from.
(L to R) Erin Kellyman as Nina and June Squibb as Eleanor in ‘Eleanor the Nice’. Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: Erin, Nina has additionally misplaced her mom, and her father and her are nonetheless grieving. This film is about how we grieve and navigate loss, isn’t it? Are you able to discuss that?
EK: I feel there’s three individuals on the middle of this movie which are grieving. All of them deal with it in such other ways. Roger (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is retaining all the things in and may’t discuss it as a result of it hurts an excessive amount of. I feel Nina is within the center. I really feel like, Eleanor desires to speak, and she or he realizes that you will need to, and I feel she’s very smart for that. However I feel Nina is caught within the center the place she desires to however cannot as a result of her dad would not need to. She spent six months not speaking about it after which struggles to open-up, however then Eleanor brings that out of her, and she or he realizes that that is in all probability a greater resolution than retaining all the things locked away.
(L to R) Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb on the set of ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: June, what was it like working with Scarlett Johansson on set as a director?
JS: Effectively, it was great. All the things was very relaxed. She was our chief, all the time. I beloved it as a result of she used her performing background to direct me, and she or he knew instantly what I used to be doing, what I wanted, and the way lengthy I wanted issues. I beloved that. It was like a shorthand; we did not have to speak that a lot about issues. She simply knew what I used to be doing.
Scarlett Johansson, June Squibb on the set of ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: Are you able to give me one instance of how Scarlett used her performing expertise on set to present you path?
JS: I feel the scene with the rabbi, after we’re speaking concerning the bat mitzvah. We did it a couple of instances and she or he got here in, and I neglect what she stated to me, nevertheless it all went, “Oh my God, sure”. She stated precisely what I wanted. I do not even bear in mind if it was technical or if it was emotional or what it was. However no matter it was, it opened me up fully.
Scarlett Johansson on the set of ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: Erin, have you ever ever been directed by one other actor earlier than, and what was your expertise like collaborating with Scarlett on set?
EK: No, I do not suppose I’ve. It was attention-grabbing. I feel, as an actor, you perceive what it’s wish to be on set and be attempting to carry a personality to life. I feel Scarlett clearly understands that so nicely as a result of she’s been doing this for her complete life. So, the way in which that she would talk what she wanted from you was so clear. However she additionally had persistence too. Like if one thing did not click on for me right away, she would perceive why it wasn’t clicking after which inform me concerning the notice differently after which it will click on. Simply her persistence in determining what I wanted after which learn how to talk with me was good. She did that for everyone, that wasn’t only for me. She was determining numerous totally different individuals’s communication types and dealing with it.
(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Erin Kellyman as Nina in ‘Eleanor the Nice’. Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: June, are you able to discuss working with Erin and creating Eleanor and Nina’s friendship on display?
JS: It was nice enjoyable. We had fun. I feel we emotionally had fun. You understand, it labored. It actually did. Like in that diner scene, we have been having fun with ourselves immensely being in a diner. We actually have been. I feel we simply saved speaking when the digital camera was off. It made no distinction to us. We simply saved speaking to one another.
(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Erin Kellyman as Nina in ‘Eleanor the Nice’. Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: Erin, what did you study from working with June on this challenge?
EK: I feel what I admired most about June was her capacity to do 110% on each single take, whether or not it was on her, not on her, a large shot, like each single take was 110% and each single take was so spectacular. It is truthfully a disgrace that they’ll solely use one take for each scene. You understand what I imply? There are such a lot of good ones, that we might have one other movie. We might make one other movie with all of the totally different avenues that she went down. However simply the stamina and the vitality, just like the emotional stamina that you simply want to have the ability to do that’s taxing and she or he did it. She did it each single time.
June Squibb as Eleanor in ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
MF: Lastly, June, what is going to you bear in mind most about this filmmaking expertise?
JS: Effectively, having Erin with me for one, and being part of Scarlett’s first movie. I feel that is going to be essential. I feel she’s going to be an important director. If she desires it, if that is what she desires to do.
(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Erin Kellyman as Nina in ‘Eleanor the Nice’. Picture: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
What’s the plot of ‘Eleanor the Nice’?
Witty and troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein (June Squibb) strikes from Florida to New York Metropolis following a devastating loss. She quickly tells a story that takes on a harmful lifetime of its personal, whereas befriending a 19-year-old journalism pupil (Erin Kellyman).
Who’s within the solid of ‘Eleanor the Nice’?
- June Squibb as Eleanor Morgenstein
- Erin Kellyman as Nina
- Jessica Hecht as Lisa
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Roger
- Rita Zohar as Bessie
- Will Value as Max
‘Eleanor the Nice’ opens in theaters on September twenty sixth. Courtesy of Sony Footage Classics.
Listing of Scarlett Johansson Motion pictures:
Purchase Tickets: ‘Eleanor the Nice’ Film Showtimes
Purchase Scarlett Johansson Motion pictures on Amazon