# ‘The Debut’ Explodes at Telluride With Julianne Moore’s Gonzo, Career-Best Turn, Thanks to a Toolbelt, Unlit Cigarettes and a Faux Musical

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-debut-explodes-at-telluride-with-julianne-moores-gonzo-career-best-turn-thanks-to-a-toolbelt-unlit-cigarettes-and-a-faux-musical/
- Published: 2026-09-06T00:25:38+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-06T04:45:20+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/the-debut-julianne-moore-telluride-oscars-paul-giamatti-1236852947/
- Topics: Americas, Art, Culture, Entertainment, Film, Music, World

## Key points

- Eisenberg's "The Debut" wows critics at Telluride Film Festival premiere
- Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti tipped for Oscar nominations
- A24 releases the film on 11 December as a Best Picture contender

## Summary

Jesse Eisenberg's third directorial feature, "The Debut," premiered at the Telluride Film Festival to a rapturous response, immediately establishing itself as a genuine Best Picture contender. The film stars Julianne Moore as a mild-mannered housewife who lands an unexpected role in a community-theatre production and descends into fanatical method acting, with Paul Giamatti as the tyrannical director overseeing her transformation. The comedy-turned-drama, staged as a faux musical set in a New Jersey rec centre, is being praised as a showcase for both stars and confirms Eisenberg's skill at directing awards-calibre performances, following his earlier Oscar win for Kieran Culkin in "A Real Pain."

A24 will release "The Debut" on 11 December, a date reflecting confidence in a sustained awards push, following the studio's previous Best Picture wins with "Moonlight" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Moore, a five-time nominee with one win (for "Still Alice"), is being tipped as an early frontrunner after drawing spontaneous applause during her Telluride screening, while Giamatti — never an Oscar winner despite acclaimed turns in "Sideways" and "The Holdovers" — is seen as a strong supporting-actor contender. The film also features Bernadette Peters and Halle Bailey, with cinematography by Drew Daniels ("Anora") and a score by Emil Mosseri ("Minari").

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.