Scarlett Johansson on Developing Her Accent for ‘Paper Tiger’

Showers in the southeast. Snow developing in the northeast. Expect thunderstorms from New Orleans to Atlanta. Heavy rain developing in the northwest. Three to eight inches of rain. Look for one to three inches of snow from western Pennsylvania to southern New England. And that's your latest weather report. Here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. How it started, how it's going. I just, that's what I should have pursued. It's truly weather girl. That's right. I should have pursued the weather. I know. Imagine what could have been sliding doors, Scarlett Johansson. What could have been? That was, of course, one of our big moments. That was actually when our 70, we're celebrating our 75th anniversary. I know. I'm so excited. So you are our 75th memory today. Every day we're doing a memory. It's you, Scarlett. That was back in 2012. Well, guess what? The two-time Oscar nominee is back with us this morning. She has not one, but two new films premiering before the end of the year, including Paper Tiger. This is a thriller, a family drama crime thriller set in 1986 New York. Scarlett plays a mother whose family gets caught in the crosshairs of the Russian mafia after her husband's new business venture takes a dark turn. And it starts with a simple invitation. Why are you bothering them? What's the issue? It's not an issue. It's an opportunity. I got to go back down to the canal for a little bit, and I want to bring the boys with me. Now? Dad, I got a lot of homework I need to do, college stuff. It is just as important for you two to learn about the real world. I think this is a very silly idea. They have school tomorrow. Honey, they're not five years old. They'll get to see it from the ground up. I don't want to. I'm staying out of it. Scarlett, good morning. Good morning. This movie is, I mean, it's a thriller. It has some family drama. It feels like, I don't know, just like from the opening frame, it's like an instant classic, I think. I think it, I mean, it definitely, if you like, it has sort of a Mean Streets vibe. I mean, it's singular. It's its own thing. And, you know, I think it, James Gray, you know, is, he's... This is his, you know, love language. This this this film, you know, really, I think, encompasses all of his work up until this point. And yeah, it feels it feels like a very important film for him personally. And, you know, I feel very proud of it. I really, really do. Yeah. I mean, you've got this this family loyalties that kind of raises all of these. Deep, profound issues to brothers and then also the loyalty a man has to his family. Yeah, it's I mean, at the end of the day, I think the move that. Overall theme of the movie is really, is really the unconditional love that you have for your family. And, you know, it is, has this propulsive, you know, thrilling pace. Yeah. A lot of my friends who came to the premiere afterward, they were like, wait, you, you didn't prepare us for this because you're really at the edge of your seat the whole time. Yeah. It's a thriller. It's a, you got, by the way, it's talking about the premiere. It premiered at Cannes. You got a seven Standing ovation. And now it's all time. I know, it's time. Who is timing it? I want to know. When does it start? When does it end? When does it end? We taped it, but you didn't get to see it. No, well, I was in New York. I was working because we were, I was, I shot The Exorcist when the movie was in Cannes. And then I got, I was at my daughter's dance recital and then I saw that I missed a call from James and then there was this whole. Backslash, I don't know what it was, flack I got from not picking up the phone. Oh, he tried to FaceTime you during the ovation? I was watching my daughter at a dance recital and that was the whole story of it, but that never... Now, now, you know, now we can be told, well, you have an incredible New York accent in this in this film. Thanks. And you come by it honestly. I do. Yes. Yeah. I mean, I was born and raised in New York. My my mom and is, you know, she she's has a. She's got, she earned her accent. You know, she, she really did. She's got a Bronx accent. My grandmother came from Brooklyn. So it's definitely, it's, you just scratch, scratch a little bit of the surface. It's right there. But I read that James said that like, sometimes you got too into it. Yeah, I know. Sometimes he was like, that's, I don't know. I think maybe it was in a way for him. It was almost so specific that it was, it didn't, you know, it was it. Took you out of the movie because it was so specific. specific. But, you know, again, it's like something it's just like slipping on an old an old coat. It's putting on an old coat, except for you're very good at these accents because we did a little. I was like the last time you were here, I interviewed for Fly Me to the Moon and you had a Louisiana accent. I have a little montage I made you of all of your various Look at the accent you've done. Let's do the montage. Oh, you probably don't remember me, but you spoke at my sophomore year of college, Georgia Tech, 55. in Phoenix, it's a pain. My ass hurt, in your tummy. This is like torture. It actually is such a mistake. You didn't have a birthday. This is my nightmare. It is, it is. I know, you're dying. Wait, I thought it was, I was trying to do an homage. I'm like, here, it's like looking through your yearbook. It's like, I know, and then all I can think to myself is like, is every accent coach watching that and just critiquing it? Yes, they are! No, well, let me tell you, you have another movie, Ray Gunn, which you're going to talk about in the fourth hour, which is animated, and you sing in that, too. I do, I do. It's an animated film that is written and directed by Brad Bird, and it is a, I think it's an animated film that skews a little bit more of the adult audience. Yeah, this isn't for kids. Yeah, I mean, I would say it's for mature kids, just because the themes are maybe a little bit more complex, but it's an incredible world, it really is. It's kind of got this noir, you know, thought. Also kind of thriller, mystery vibe, yeah. How's the Staten Island Ferry going? Um, how's it going? In which way? Like, in what? Well, for those who don't know. It's still around. Okay. For those who don't know, your husband, Colin Jost. Purchased the Staten Island Ferry. He and Pete Davidson purchased a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry. There he is on it. It looks like he's superimposed on it. Yeah, it does. It looks like AI. Yeah, that totally does. Maybe it is. But so far, it's available for bat mitzvahs, if you have an engagement party. Yeah, okay. So yeah, we need help for the ferry. What we need is dollars. Yes. It needs dollars. The docking fees are steep, it turns out. But someday that ship is going to come in. I really, you know. Or it could be like an insurance, maybe an insurance claim. Yeah, yeah. Something like that. Who knows? Okay, you have a tradition here, as we showed at the top of this piece, that you like to do the weather with Al. Would you like to do the weather with Al? Oh, my God. That we never ask. Al. And we have a special we want to honor that this is the fifth time. This is your fifth time. So much like they do on SNL. What is this? We got you your fifth weather robe. Five-timers club. Five-timers, the five-timers club. My God, look at me. There you go. And we even have a little thunderbolt on the back for you. Oh, ----. My God, can I wear this out? Yes. Yes. Wear it well. Like a little dinner robe. All right, so are you ready to come do your fifth weather? We are. Part of the Five Timers Club. My gosh, you guys, look at all this. It's all happening. There's a bunch of rain happening. That's right, along the coast there. Along the coast there, there's some rain. That's right. There's these little orange pieces. Boom. Oh, my gosh, look at. Florida is where you want to be right now. There you go. That looks nice and roasty toasty. Roasty toasty. You'll see oh nice mild weather happening all up in this situation. Yeah all up in that sitch. Yeah, in the Western Plains, yeah. What's that all about? It's about fall. Fall is the 30s? Yes. Okay, you guys, it looks like there's going to be a bunch of rain. Oh, my gosh, there's a lot of rain happening over here. But there's also a little bit of sunshine and clouds. This seems like lots of rain. It does. Oh, my gosh, this is very, this is, this looks really, you need, you've got to stay inside. We need the rain. Yeah. We need it. We do. Has it been dry? It's been very dry. It's been so dry. We're so happy that there's rain up there. This was the best fifth. Whether ever it's getting less specific and I love that about me that's what's going on around the country and here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. Hey thanks for watching and don't forget you can catch the Today Show every morning on NBC or take today when you're on the go just follow the today podcast on apple podcast spotify or wherever you listen.