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Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘The Debut’ Raved at Telluride! Julianne Moore “Astonishing” Performance in Best Picture Contender

Julianne Moore plays a housewife who becomes a method actor, while Paul Giamatti’s director pushes a community-theater production into surreal territory.

  • Director Jesse Eisenberg's third feature film, 'The Debut,' world premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on Saturday, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti in a community-theater comedy.
  • Moore plays Mona Friedman, a meek suburban housewife who unexpectedly lands a role in 'Nosy Neighbors,' directed by Jerry Blankenbuehler, a tyrannical figure attempting to mold her into a performer.
  • Blankenbuehler's intense 'Method' training pushes Mona to shed her passive nature, resulting in wild improvisations—including obscenities—that earn the film an R rating and balance farcical, 'Twilight Zone of Sub-Broadway' energy.
  • Spontaneous applause erupted during Saturday's screening, positioning the film as a major Academy Award contender; analysts suggest both Moore and Giamatti are strong candidates for nominations.
  • A24 plans to release the film this December, banking on the audience appeal of Moore and Giamatti to drive its awards season campaign as a 'playable contender.
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The MOVIE hits theaters on December 11th.

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Variety broke the news in Los Angeles, United States on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
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