Neon has acquired James Gray’s latest feature, Paper Tiger. 

Written and directed by Gray, the film stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller. The story has been described as tense and gritty. The plot follows two brothers who pursue the American Dream—only to become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true. 

The official synopsis reads: As they try to navigate their way through an ever-more dangerous world of corruption and violence, they find themselves and their family brutally terrorized by the Russian “Mafiya.” Their bond begins to fray, and betrayal—once utterly unthinkable—now becomes all too possible.

The film has been produced by Rodrigo Teixeira under his RT Features banner and frequent collaborator Anthony Katagas under AK Productions alongside Raffaella Leone, Gary Farkas, Marco Perego, Carlo Salem, and Andrea Bucko. Executive producers include Lee Broda, Jeff Rice, Riccardo Maddalosso, and Emily Salveson.

Paper Tiger wasn’t announced last week during the official Cannes lineup, but the film has been hotly tipped as one of this year’s late additions. With a U.S. deal locked, the title is expected to be announced imminently by the festival. 

A Cannes regular, Gray’s last feature, Armageddon Time, debuted on the Croisette in 2022. That film was released Stateside by Focus Features. 

Variety first reported news of the Neon deal.