Jesse Eisenberg’s “The Debut” With Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti Set to Close the BFI London Film Festival

The BFI London Film Festival has announced that Jesse Eisenberg’s musical comedy “The Debut” will serve as the festival’s closing film when the event runs in October, with the film’s UK premiere scheduled at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on October 18, according to Deadline.

The project stars Academy Award winner Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, with Eisenberg leading the cast while also writing and directing the film. Deadline described the release as a musical comedy, positioning it for a major late-festival slot in London following its first screenings earlier in the fall awards cycle.

Before reaching London, “The Debut” will have its first international unveiling at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, giving the film a back-to-back North America and UK festival path. The scheduling means London audiences will see the film shortly after its TIFF bow, though the timing of public screenings beyond the Oct. 18 premiere was not detailed in the announcement.

The London event, organized by the BFI, typically uses its closing-night selection to spotlight a high-profile title and concentrate press and industry attention on a single screening. With “The Debut” listed as the closing film, the festival is set to end its October program with the Eisenberg-led project featuring Moore and Giamatti.

For the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, the Oct. 18 premiere provides a notable cultural moment during the festival run, with the venue hosting the UK debut of a film expected to draw audience interest because of its leading performances and mainstream festival visibility.

Deadline’s report framed the festival rollout as part of the film’s wider release and publicity timeline, moving from TIFF to London as the next step for UK audiences. No additional distribution dates for the film in the United Kingdom were included in the report.

The festival announcement does not specify additional programming details such as associated events or panel discussions tied to the Oct. 18 screening, but the closing-film designation generally increases the likelihood of expanded coverage around the film’s cast and creative team as the October festival approaches.