Miles Teller, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in a still from Paper Tiger. (Instagram/@neonrated)
Also Read | Ped Chalta Hai, a story woven through Jharkhand’s natural landscape, premieres at 79th Cannes Film Festival
In Paper Tiger, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller star as Hester and Irwin Pearl, a married couple raising their two sons in late-1980s New York while living what appears to be an ordinary middle-class suburban life. However, their quiet existence takes a dangerous turn when Irwin’s brother Gary, played by Adam Driver, unexpectedly re-enters their lives and pulls Irwin into a dubious money-making scheme. As the situation spirals out of control, the family finds itself entangled in a perilous web involving the Russian mafia, putting their safety and stability at serious risk.
Scarlett Johansson on working with Adam Driver
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of Paper Tiger’s premiere on the Croisette at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, Scarlett opened up about her experience working on the crime thriller alongside Miles Teller under the direction of acclaimed filmmaker James Gray. The actor also reflected on reuniting with her Marriage Story co-star Adam Driver for the first time in seven years, sharing her excitement about collaborating with him again on screen.
Although the 42-year-old actor shares only a handful of scenes with Scarlett in the upcoming crime thriller, the actress admitted she would have loved to collaborate with him even more. Reflecting on their reunion after seven years, Scarlett praised Adam as a scene partner and said, “I would’ve loved to have had even more scenework with him, I love working with him.”
Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver famously portrayed Nicole and Charlie Barber in Marriage Story – a couple navigating an emotionally devastating divorce while battling over custody of their young son. In Paper Tiger, however, the dynamic between the two actors is entirely different, with Adam playing the brother of Scarlett’s on-screen husband and, in turn, her brother-in-law.
Scarlett Johansson and her Paper Tiger coworkers
During the conversation, Scarlett Johansson and filmmaker James Gray spoke warmly about their experience working together on Paper Tiger. While discussing Johansson’s character Hester and the similarities he noticed between the actor and her role, James praised her authenticity and instinctive understanding of performance, saying, “Scarlett would never do something that wasn’t real. You have to be careful because it can be totally real, but it will fall outside the realm of the language of the movie. You’re supposed to say this stuff, but I couldn’t be more sincere when I say one of the really great joys I’ve ever had as a director was working with Scarlett. I don’t have to tell her how to come at a scene – she knows what to do.”
The Lucy actor also spoke fondly about the bond she developed with her Paper Tiger co-star Miles Teller during filming. The actor described Miles as “unexpectedly tender” and recalled how the two grew particularly close while working together on the project. Scarlett shared that she had briefly left the set for a couple of weeks to promote Jurassic World Rebirth, and despite feeling guilty about stepping away, Miles made sure she still felt connected to the shoot. She revealed that the Whiplash actor would send her photographs of her empty makeup station, jokingly asking, “Where’s Hester?”, referencing her character in the film.
