James Gray’s Paper Tiger Will Open New York Film Festival

James Gray’s Paper Tiger is returning home. The film, which is set in Queens and Brooklyn, will open the 64th New York Film Festival, NYFF confirmed today. Starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller, the film premiered at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Now, it’s coming home. The movie, set in 1986, follows the two Pearl brothers, Irwin (Teller) and Gary (Driver), who are aspiring toward middle-class success in the outer boroughs. They end up working with Russian criminals to dump oil into the Gowanus Canal. “Paper Tiger is a tragedy with the momentum of a thriller that proves that neither of the Pearl brothers really understands how times are changing,” our critic Alison Willmore wrote in her review from Cannes.

“I’m immensely grateful to be welcomed back to this remarkable festival,” Gray, a born-and-raised New Yorker, said in a statement. “This deeply personal film is rooted in New York City; from my upbringing to life-changing family experiences. To be here, at the heart of art and cinema, with our cast and crew — many of whom are New Yorkers — is a privilege. Thank you to the entire New York Film Festival team. It is an honor.” 

New York Film Festival begins September 25 with Paper Tiger playing Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. It goes through October 12. If the strength of last year is any indication, many of the movies that will play the festival will go on to be the defining movies of 2026; the 2025 slate included The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Sentimental Value, and Sirāt, all of which ended up with major Oscar nominations. On the other hand, last year’s opening film was Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt, which was not as successful. We’ll hope Paper Tiger has a run more like the 2024 pick, Nickel Boys.