Three Hollywood Stars Debut as Directors: Some Bet on Their Careers, Some Seek Funding Everywhere

Hollywood actresses Scarlett Johansson and Kristen Stewart, along with British actor Harris Dickinson, have crossed over to directing and participated in the 78th Cannes Film Festival with their directorial debuts, competing in the "Un Certain Regard" section.
Although they did not ultimately win, Dickinson still made a mark in terms of awards. He received the FIPRESCI Award at the festival, and Frank Dillane, the lead of his directed film "Urchin" (hereafter referred to as "Street"), won the Best Actor in "Un Certain Regard".
Apart from the awards, the performance of the three as first-time directors can also be evaluated based on two indicators. First, the duration of the standing ovation from the audience during the Cannes premiere; second, the Freshness Index on the renowned film review site "Rotten Tomatoes" (Tomatometer, aggregating positive reviews from professional critics).
Johansson's "Eleanor the Great" (hereafter referred to as "Eleanor") and Dickinson's "Street" both received a five-minute standing ovation from the audience, but their Rotten Tomatoes Freshness Index scores varied significantly, with the former scoring only 61% and the latter a high 96%, the highest among the three films. Stewart's "The Chronology of Water" (hereafter referred to as "Water") received a six-minute standing ovation, with a Freshness Index of 92%.

Johansson was inspired to pursue directing by Robert Redford, the director of "The Horse Whisperer", when she shot the film at the age of 12, and now achieves her goal with "Eleanor".
"Eleanor" is a drama that touches on themes of friendship, pain, and forgiveness, telling the story of a 90-year-old Eleanor (played by June Squibb) who moves from Florida to New York after her best friend's death and forms an unexpected friendship with a 19-year-old student. Johansson was moved to tears by the script and hopes the story will remind audiences not to judge others hastily.
Known for her role as "Black Widow" in the Marvel movies ("Avengers" series) and "Black Widow", of which she is also the executive producer of "Thunderbolts", Johansson does not rule out directing a Marvel movie in the future.

"Twilight" star Stewart directs the biographical drama "Water", adapted from the memoir of the same name by American author Lidia Yuknavitch, portraying a swimmer (played by Imogen Poots) who finds redemption after experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault, and falls into drug addiction.
Stewart also co-wrote the script and laid the groundwork for the film as early as 2018, though filming experienced numerous setbacks. In January 2024, she bet her acting career on the project, declaring she would not take any other roles until the film was completed. At the Cannes premiere, she likened releasing the film to "sending a child to school", saying, "I've never been happier in my life" when the audience stood up and applauded.

28-year-old Dickinson garnered attention with the 2024 film "Babygirl", where he shares intimate scenes with 57-year-old actress Nicole Kidman. "Street", which he directed, was developed from a script he wrote six years ago based on his related volunteer experiences, in which he also plays a cameo role.
"Street" is a drama about a homeless man trying to overcome drug addiction and reintegrate into society on the streets of London. While at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival with "Babygirl", Dickinson sought funding for "Street", meeting with different filmmakers and financiers every day for financial backing. Determined to complete the film wholeheartedly, he took a year off from acting.