Adam Driver and Miles Teller are mixed up with the Russian mob in Paper Tiger trailer

James Gray's latest New York period drama will open the 2026 edition of the New York Film Festival.

By Drew Gillis  |  August 10, 2026 | 1:00pm
Image courtesy of Neon
Film News paper tiger
Adam Driver and Miles Teller are mixed up with the Russian mob in Paper Tiger trailer

Director James Gray loves a period drama set in New York City. Most recently, it was Armageddon Time, which paired Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway together in 1980s Queens. Now, Gray is heading back to 1980s Queens with Paper Tiger, reuniting Marriage Story leads Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in the process. The two lead the new film, which, appropriately, will open the 2026 New York Film Festival, along with Miles Teller. 

While Armageddon Time was a fairly subdued drama directly inspired by Gray’s own childhood, the first footage from Paper Tiger looks much more explosive, positioning Driver and Teller as brothers who, seemingly foolishly, believe they can go up against the Russian mafia in New York. They “become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true,” reads a plot synopsis, with danger that quickly spirals beyond just the two of them, based, at least on Scarlett Johansson’s reaction to the events in the trailer. 

Paper Tiger premiered at Cannes in May and will open the NYFF on September 25. It’ll then open in a limited release on November 13 before expanding wide on November 20.

 
Join the discussion...
Keep scrolling for more great stories.