Jesse Eisenberg says Razzie cost him studio acting roles

Jesse Eisenberg says winning a Razzie for playing Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice cost him roles in studio movies, comments he made as his new film, The Debut, closed the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday.

“I couldn’t get into movie studio parts anymore because I had won a Raspberry Award from (being in the) ‘Batman’ movie … and I saw the trajectory,” Eisenberg said during an on-stage talk at the festival, Variety reported. He said the industry “did not want me to be in a superhero movie.”

Eisenberg won the Golden Raspberry for worst supporting actor for the 2016 film, which starred Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill. He said the experience pushed him to focus more on writing and directing, according to Variety.

That shift has paid off. His second feature as director, A Real Pain, earned him a BAFTA for best original screenplay, and The Debut, a musical comedy he wrote and directed, has played fall festivals on both sides of the Atlantic, including opening the Vancouver International Film Festival on Oct. 1, The Canadian Press reported.

The film stars Julianne Moore as Mona Friedman, a shy New Jersey woman who is cast in a local community theatre production of an original musical, and Paul Giamatti as its director. Eisenberg wrote seven original songs for the film, Reuters reported.

Eisenberg told Reuters he wrote the lead role with Moore in mind and shaped each scene around her strengths. The two previously worked together on his first feature as director, When You Finish Saving the World, in 2022.

Moore called The Debut “one of the best scripts I’ve ever read in my entire life” at the closing-night gala at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, Variety reported. Giamatti did not attend because he had COVID-19, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Eisenberg also used the London appearance to discuss a television series he is developing with producer Peter Rice, which A24 is set to shop to buyers, Deadline reported.

Lionsgate will release The Debut in British cinemas on Jan. 15, 2027, according to the BFI. A Canadian release date has not been announced.

Eisenberg’s comments drew more than 5,000 Google searches in Canada over the past day, according to Google Trends. Canadian moviegoers looking for more festival titles can read about Margaret Qualley’s TIFF film Love of Your Life, now streaming.

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Sources: Variety; Reuters via Yahoo; The Hollywood Reporter; Deadline; BFI; The Canadian Press.