New details have emerged from Telluride Film Festival coverage of Jesse Eisenberg's "The Debut," including confirmation that distributor A24 will release the comedy in cinemas this December, and a fuller picture of the plot and its place among community-theatre comedies such as "The Producers" and "Waiting for Guffman." The film had its world premiere to strong acclaim, with critics highlighting go-for-broke comic performances from Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, and it is being tipped as a potential awards contender.

Moore plays Mona, an overlooked New Jersey housewife who auditions on a whim for a local production of a musical called "Nosy Neighbours" and unexpectedly lands a role after the original cast member drops out. Giamatti plays Jerry, the exasperated director who tries to shape her into a usable performer, only for Mona to spiral into increasingly obsessive, "Tootsie"-style method acting that pushes scenes into farce dark enough to earn the film an R rating. Eisenberg, directing his third feature, also gives himself a small supporting role, and reviewers noted the packed premiere audience broke into sustained applause during one of Moore's rehearsal scenes.