James Gray’s crime drama “Paper Tiger,” starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, will make its North American premiere as the opening night film of the 64th New York Film Festival on Sept. 25.
This is Gray’s fourth film to screen at the prestigious festival, following “The Immigrant” (2013) and “Armageddon Time” (2022), both official main selections, and “The Lost City of Z” (2016), which was the closing night film.
“Paper Tiger,” Gray’s first film since 2022’s “Armageddon Time,” joins a long lineage of opening night selections such as RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” (2024), Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” (2019) and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” (2018) over the last decade.
Thirteen of the 64 films chosen to open the New York Film Festival between 1963 and 2025 have gone on to earn Academy Award nominations for best picture. Only one opener has claimed the top prize: Hugh Hudson’s “Chariots of Fire” (1981). The dozen other best picture nominees span six decades: “The Big Chill” (1983), “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “Secrets and Lies” (1996), “Mystic River” (2003), “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005), “The Queen” (2006), “The Social Network” (2010), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Captain Phillips” (2013), “The Favourite” (2018), “The Irishman” (2019) and most recently, “Nickel Boys” (2024).
