Croisette Triple Threat: Johansson, Stewart, and Dickinson Debut Bold Visions at Cannes

At this year's Cannes Film Festival, three well-known actors—Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Stewart, and Harris Dickinson—are taking a bold leap behind the camera with their directorial debuts. All three films are being showcased in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section, renowned for highlighting innovative and risk-taking cinema, according to The Guardian. Johansson's Eleanor the Great, Stewart's The Chronology of Water, and Dickinson’s Urchin are drawing significant attention, especially as none of the filmmakers star in their own works. "If I do my job well, I can imagine June walking the Croisette at age 95, starring in this incredible dramatic role," Johansson said, referring to the film’s lead, June Squibb, who plays an elderly woman in the drama.

Stewart’s The Chronology of Water, based on Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir, explores themes of trauma, sexuality, and physical transformation. The film, which stars Imogen Poots, is a personal passion project for Stewart, who famously vowed in 2024 to make the film before working for anyone else again. Meanwhile, Dickinson’s Urchin delves into the lives of the homeless and the vulnerable, based on his experiences volunteering at a shelter in East London. “It’s where I started to understand how many people in that community were incredibly vulnerable,” he said.

While many actors have ventured into directing, the results have been mixed—Ryan Gosling’s Lost River in 2014, for example, was widely panned. However, there’s hope that Johansson, Stewart, and Dickinson can follow in the footsteps of successful actor-directors like Clint Eastwood and Sean Penn. Johansson’s film has already been picked up by Sony and is generating early buzz, adding to the excitement surrounding these fresh voices on the Croisette.