A24 has scheduled a limited release of Jesse Eisenberg's latest directorial effort, The Debut, for 11 December 2026, ahead of a wider expansion over Christmas. The dating positions the film as an awards-season contender, mirroring the platform-release strategy the studio has used for Oscar-winning titles such as The Brutalist and The Whale.

The film stars Julianne Moore as an unassuming housewife who is unexpectedly cast in a community theatre production and loses herself in the role under a strong-willed director. Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Cara Buono and Eisenberg also feature, and it marks a reunion for Eisenberg and Moore, who starred in his 2022 debut feature When You Finish Saving the World. The Debut is expected to appear at one or two autumn film festivals, and follows Eisenberg's A Real Pain, which earned two Oscar nominations and a win for Kieran Culkin.