Jesse Eisenberg premieres comedy The Debut at San Sebastian with Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti

Premiere in San Sebastian

Jesse Eisenberg presented his third feature film as director, The Debut, in the Official Selection of the San Sebastian Film Festival on 23 September 2026. The comedy competes for the Golden Shell award and follows Mona Friedman, played by Julianne Moore, an overlooked housewife who auditions for an amateur community theater musical. When the primary actress departs from the production, the theater director, portrayed by Paul Giamatti, reluctantly casts Mona as a replacement despite her initial lack of stage polish. Under demanding rehearsal pressure, Mona descends into an obsessive method-acting approach to escape a domestic life where her husband and children largely ignore her. Eisenberg wrote the screenplay, composed the internal musical numbers, directed the feature on celluloid using long takes, and took a supporting acting role.

Community theater origins

The 42-year-old filmmaker drew directly from his childhood memories when designing the film's fictional company and domestic settings. In 1990, at age seven, Eisenberg joined a community theater troupe in New Jersey after experiencing severe childhood shyness and social isolation, finding immediate acceptance among fellow performers. When designing Mona's residence for the film, Eisenberg modeled the set on his mother's kitchen. To maintain the film's comedic tone, Eisenberg wrote an intentionally silly musical for the troupe rather than having the amateur actors attempt a serious classical play.

I just love this job and I love how a community is built. There is a passion in that mission. I love seeing groups in action. Look, I am fascinated watching children play Dungeons and Dragons, and they enjoy it with crushing seriousness. That is why, for the comedy to work, the musical had to be silly. Imagine if they launched into Shakespeare: its drama would not allow laughter to be born.

Career trajectory and upcoming releases

The Debut follows Eisenberg's second feature, A Real Pain, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and brought Kieran Culkin the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Eisenberg also received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network over 15 years earlier, a performance that shifted his career from innocent character roles to antagonistic figures. A sequel to The Social Network is scheduled for release in October 2026, with Jeremy Strong taking over the lead role after Eisenberg opted not to participate. Eisenberg noted that portraying Zuckerberg previously caused him insomnia, drawing parallels to Moore's character becoming possessed by her stage role.

Festival reception and awards buzz

Screenings on the festival's fifth day placed Moore in early contention for the Silver Shell acting prize and the Academy Awards, following strong praise for her scenes opposite Giamatti. The story depicts Giamatti's character balancing professional exasperation with genuine encouragement as Mona navigates the amateur production. The festival program also hosted David Ayer's In the Heart of the Beast, an out-of-competition screening featuring Brad Pitt. Eisenberg stated during festival press conferences that he wrote the screenplay specifically for Moore, expressing relief that she agreed to join the project.