BFI London Film Festival to Close with Premiere of Debut

The 70th BFI London Film Festival will close with the UK premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s new film, The Debut, on October 18, 2026. The festival announced on August 4 that the Closing Night Gala will be held at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, with Eisenberg and cast members expected to attend.

The Debut is a musical comedy-drama that follows a shy woman, played by Julianne Moore, who is unexpectedly cast in a local production of an original musical. Under the influence of an enigmatic director, portrayed by Paul Giamatti, she becomes immersed in the high-stakes world of community theater. Eisenberg, who also stars in the film, wrote, directed, and composed original songs for the project. The cast includes Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Bernadette Peters, Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper, Maulik Pancholy, and Bonnie Milligan.

In a statement, Eisenberg said he was honored to bring the film to the festival and to have it selected as the closing night presentation, expressing his eagerness to share the cast’s performances with a London audience. Kristy Matheson, Artistic Director of the BFI London Film Festival, said the festival was thrilled to welcome Eisenberg back to...