AceShowbiz - Neon has obtained the North American distribution rights for the upcoming drama Paper Tiger, directed by acclaimed filmmaker James Gray. The film features a star-studded cast including Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, and Miles Teller, a company representative confirmed to TheWrap.

Adding to the film’s prestige, Paper Tiger is officially part of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival lineup and will compete in the festival’s main competition, according to a Cannes spokesperson.

Shot last summer, the story centers on two brothers portrayed by Adam Driver and Miles Teller. Their pursuit of the American dream leads them into a dangerous situation involving a scheme linked to the Russian "Mafiya," as described in the film’s official synopsis.

Neon is coming off a successful 2025, having released several Oscar-nominated films such as Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent, and Sir?t. The studio also distributed Park Chan-wook’s critically praised No Other Choice.

This marks the first collaboration between James Gray and Neon. Previously, the director’s 2022 film Armageddon Time was distributed by Focus, and his 2019 sci-fi feature Ad Astra was produced by 20th Century Fox.

Recently, Neon released the video game adaptation Exit 8 and Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers. Upcoming releases include the Adam Scott horror film Hokum and Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters, scheduled for May.

The news of Paper Tiger’s distribution deal and Cannes selection was initially reported by Variety, highlighting the growing anticipation for this new project by James Gray.