Scarlett Johansson addresses her directorial debut’s ongoing delays

Scarlett Johansson has recently explained why it took her time to make directorial debut, Eleanor the Great.

The actress turned director opened up that the indie drama, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, told The Hollywood Reporter that the movie took “forever to get made in part because indies are so difficult to fund”.

“It would be easier to make something that was the sequel of a $180 million movie or a genre movie that was subpar,” said the Black Widow star.

Scarlett stated, “To get much, much, much less money for an independent movie with an original story that has a lead actor who was 94 was very, very, very challenging.”

The Asteroid City actress pointed out that there was a “humongous scramble” to even film in New York.

““Every day the movie fell apart in 400 different ways,” she continued.

Scarlett noted, “It once looked like we were going to be able to get the majority of our money from an independent financing company.”

“And then right down to the wire, in order for them to make it, we would’ve had to completely dismantle the entire plot device that was driving the narrative engine of the movie,” explained the Fly Me to the Moon actress.

Scarlett further said, “It was crazy. At that point, everything just fell apart.”

However, the actress added Sony Pictures Classics got on board and “they really got [‘Eleanor’], and they came in and saved the day so that we could make our start date”.

“I am so grateful that there are companies out there that are still making original ideas and putting faith in first time directors,” she said.