A24 is pushing a Julianne Moore song from Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut for a best song Oscar
Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut could put him in the running for an all-new Oscar category — one that would land him alongside some of the industry’s biggest names.
Well, here’s one you might not have picked from the betting sheets: Jesse Eisenberg – yes, him of Batman v Superman and perpetual onscreen anxiety – could end up in the running for a music Oscar. It’s all down to his latest project, which isn’t content with merely being a film, but fancies itself as a showcase for original tunes as well.
The Debut features seven songs performed by cast, including one singled out by awards strategists for an Oscar push.
Singing Outsiders: The Story So Far
The film in question, The Debut, sees Eisenberg not only behind the camera as writer and director, but slotting himself into the cast alongside a pretty heavy line-up: Julianne Moore (who leads the thing), Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Cara Buono, Craig Bierko, Eldar Isgandarov, and Bernadette Peters. Eisenberg himself pops up, so it’s very much one of those passion projects all-round.
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But it’s the music here causing most of the fuss. Out of the seven original songs scattered through the runtime, A24 – the studio behind it – has got all ambitious and decided one track in particular might fancy a tilt at awards season. That would be ‘This City May Have Chewed Me Up (But It Hasn’t Spit Me Out),’ belted out within the film by Julianne Moore herself.
Oscar Hopes and Musical Heavyweights
Studios are allowed to put forward up to three original tracks for Oscar consideration, but only two actually go through to a potential nomination. A24’s made it clear this Julianne Moore number is the horse they’re backing above the rest. So if the campaign sticks the landing, Eisenberg could see his name up there in the very same technical bracket as Taylor Swift (for Toy Story 5’s ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’), Travis Scott (‘When I’m Home’ from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey), and the ever-present Diane Warren (‘By Any Means’), to name a few of the current runners.
This one’s not hitting cinemas till 11 December 2026 stateside. For anyone over here in Britain wanting to see what all the singing’s about, Lionsgate brings it to UK screens from 15 January 2027.
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