Paper Tiger is a 2026 crime drama written and directed by James Gray, following two brothers who pursue the American Dream in 1980s Queens only to become entangled in a dangerous Russian mafia scheme that threatens their family. The film stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller, with the movie premiering at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, where it competed for the Palme d’Or. It is set for a limited theatrical release on November 13, 2026, followed by a nationwide expansion a week later, courtesy of Neon.
From here on, this article focuses entirely on the film’s music: who composed it, how critics have described it so far, and what is and isn’t officially confirmed about a soundtrack release.
Paper Tiger Soundtrack Details (At a Glance)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Film | Paper Tiger |
| Director | James Gray |
| Distributor | Neon |
| Premiere | Cannes Film Festival, May 16, 2026 |
| Theatrical Release | November 13, 2026 (limited); November 20, 2026 (wide) |
| Composer | Christopher Spelman |
| Score Album Label | Not yet announced |
| Score Album Release Date | Pending |
| Total Tracks | Pending |
| Runtime | Pending |
Paper Tiger Soundtrack Overview
As of this writing, no standalone score album for Paper Tiger has been announced or released. The film had its world premiere at Cannes in May 2026 and is scheduled to open the New York Film Festival before its Neon theatrical rollout in November 2026, so a wider commercial soundtrack release, if one materializes, would most plausibly land close to the film’s theatrical debut. This article will be updated once official tracklist and label information become available.
What is confirmed is the score’s authorship and its critical reception out of Cannes. Reviewers highlighted Christopher Spelman’s unsettling, heavy score as one of the film’s standout technical elements, alongside its cinematography.
Who Composed the Paper Tiger Soundtrack?
The score for Paper Tiger was composed by Christopher Spelman, who was James Gray’s high school Latin teacher and has since become one of the director’s most consistent collaborators. Spelman previously scored Gray’s “The Immigrant” and “The Lost City of Z,” and consulted on other films by the director. Through his original score for “Two Lovers” and music consultation work on “We Own the Night” and “The Yards,” Spelman established himself as Gray’s go-to composer. He also composed the score for Gray’s 2022 drama Armageddon Time.
Describing their working relationship, Spelman has said he enjoys the “open conversation” he shares with Gray, noting that the director never hesitates to share his honest opinion.
Critics at Cannes were largely complimentary of his work on Paper Tiger. Sight and Sound described the score as a downbeat orchestral work that supports Gray’s ambition for the film to read as a Greek tragedy, while The Hollywood Reporter called it a magnificently unsettling, full-bodied score, blended with occasional passages of somber Russian choral music. Time magazine described the score as lilting and cautious, closing the film with a complex mix of gratitude and unease.
Paper Tiger Official Tracklist
Status: Pending. No official tracklist has been published for Paper Tiger as of this writing. Film Music Reporter’s coverage of the project to date has been limited to confirming Spelman’s scoring assignment; no soundtrack album announcement, track listing, or label credit has appeared on Film Music Reporter, FMDB, or SoundtrackCollector.com. Given the film’s wide theatrical release is not until November 20, 2026, this is consistent with normal pre-release timing rather than a confirmed absence of a future album. This section will be updated with full, verified track titles and durations as soon as an official tracklist is released.
Score Highlights
Because no tracklist or cue sheet is currently available, the following is based on descriptions from critics who have seen the film at Cannes rather than confirmed track-by-track breakdowns, and should be read as an early impression of the score’s overall character rather than a verified list of individual cues:
- Overall tone: Critics consistently describe the score as somber and tension-driven, likely reflecting the film’s Greek-tragedy framing and its story of a family drawn into the Russian mafia’s orbit.
- Choral elements: At least one reviewer noted passages of Russian choral music woven into the score, suggesting the music may draw on Eastern European choral traditions to underscore the film’s antagonists and setting.
- Emotional register: Another review characterized portions of the score as lilting and cautious, suggesting a more restrained, intimate quality in scenes centered on the central family rather than the criminal plot.
Specific cue titles, scene placements, and timings are not yet confirmed and will be added once verifiable source material is available.
Paper Tiger Licensed Songs / Needle Drops
Status: Pending — likely minimal or none. No confirmed needle drops have surfaced for Paper Tiger on Tunefind, WhatSong, or SeekerTune as of this writing, which is expected given the film has not yet had its wide theatrical release. Notably, Sight and Sound’s review explicitly contrasted Paper Tiger with Martin Scorsese’s needle-drop-driven crime films, characterizing Gray’s approach here as built around Spelman’s original orchestral score rather than licensed music. This suggests the film may lean primarily on original score rather than a substantial needle-drop soundtrack, though this cannot be treated as confirmed until the film’s wide release and any accompanying scene-by-scene coverage. This section will be updated with verified songs, artists, and scene context as they become available.
Christopher Spelman Filmography (Selected)
| Year | Title | Director | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Yards | James Gray | Music Consultant |
| 2007 | We Own the Night | James Gray | Music Consultant |
| 2008 | Two Lovers | James Gray | Composer |
| 2013 | The Immigrant | James Gray | Composer |
| 2016 | The Lost City of Z | James Gray | Composer |
| 2022 | Armageddon Time | James Gray | Composer |
| 2026 | Paper Tiger | James Gray | Composer |
Where to Listen to the Paper Tiger Soundtrack
No soundtrack album for Paper Tiger is currently available on streaming platforms. Once a score album or single is officially released, it will likely appear on services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, in line with how Neon and other distributors typically handle awards-season releases. In the meantime, the film’s teaser and trailer, both released by Neon, offer a preview of Christopher Spelman’s score ahead of the movie’s November 2026 theatrical run.
FAQs
Who composed the music for Paper Tiger (2026)?
Christopher Spelman composed the original score for Paper Tiger, marking his fifth scoring collaboration with director James Gray.
Has the Paper Tiger soundtrack album been released?
No. As of this writing, no soundtrack or score album has been officially announced or released for the film.
When is Paper Tiger released in theaters?
Paper Tiger opens in limited theaters on November 13, 2026, before expanding nationwide on November 20, 2026, through Neon.
Does Paper Tiger have licensed songs or needle drops?
None have been confirmed yet. Early reviews suggest the film relies primarily on Christopher Spelman’s original orchestral score rather than a licensed-song soundtrack, though this may be updated once the film reaches wide release.
Has Christopher Spelman worked with James Gray before?
Yes. Spelman has scored several of Gray’s films, including Two Lovers, The Immigrant, The Lost City of Z, and Armageddon Time, and previously consulted on We Own the Night and The Yards. He was also Gray’s high school Latin teacher.
Where did Paper Tiger premiere?
Paper Tiger premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2026, and is set to open the New York Film Festival later that year.
Will this article be updated with the official tracklist?
Yes. This article will be updated once an official tracklist, album release date, and any confirmed needle drops are announced.