Scarlett Johansson didn’t have a great time finding financing for her feature directorial debut “Eleanor the Great.” The indie drama, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, stars June Squibb as a grieving 94-year-old who relocates from Florida to New York City, where she befriends a young journalism student (Erin Kellyman). MCU alum and “Jurassic World: Rebirth” star Johansson told THR that the film took “forever to get made” in part because indies are so difficult to fund.

“It would be easier to make something that was the sequel of a $180 million movie or a genre movie that was subpar,” Johansson said. “To get much, much, much less money for an independent film with an original story that has a lead actor who was 94 was very, very, very challenging.”

Johansson added that there was a “humongous scramble” to even film in New York.