Neon Locks in Awards Season Dates for James Gray's 'Paper Tiger' and Palme Winner 'Fjord'

Neon has set release dates for two high-profile films, positioning them for the 2025 awards season. James Gray's drama "Paper Tiger" will debut in select theaters on November 13 and expand wide on November 20, while Cristian Mungiu's Palme D'Or winner "Fjord" is slated for an October 9 release, according to Variety and Deadline.

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VarietyNeon Sets November 2025 Release Date for James Gray's 'Paper Tiger' Starring Johansson, Teller, DriverDeadlineNeon Sets November Release for James Gray's 'Paper Tiger', October Date for Palme Winner 'Fjord'

"Paper Tiger" stars Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, and Adam Driver in a story loosely inspired by Gray's own life. As Variety reported, the film follows two brothers in 1986: Irwin (Teller), who becomes entangled with the Russian mob after a get-rich-quick scheme to clean the Gowanus Canal, and his former cop brother Gary (Driver), the only one who can help. Deadline noted the film is "loosely based on Gray's real-life family encounter with the Russian mafia in 1980s New York."

"Fjord," which won the Palme D'Or at Cannes, stars Oscar nominees Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve. Deadline highlighted the timing of its release: "October release date mirrors the successful Oscar campaigns of previous Palme winners 'Parasite' and 'Anora'." The strategy reflects Neon's pattern of using fall release windows to build awards momentum.

Both films represent major plays for Neon as the distributor continues to establish itself as a force in prestige cinema. Variety characterized "Paper Tiger" as "positioning it for awards season," while Deadline noted the dual announcements underscore Neon's focus on high-caliber festival titles. With a star-studded cast led by Johansson, Teller, and Driver, Gray's drama is expected to draw significant attention during the fall festival circuit.

James Gray, known for films like "Ad Astra" and "The Lost City of Z," reunites with Neon after their collaboration on previous projects. The November release window for "Paper Tiger" and the October date for "Fjord" give both films room to campaign ahead of year-end award nominations, following the model that has worked for past Palme winners.