Johannson and Meyers star at Cannes premiere

Hollywood starlet Scarlett Johansson and Irish co-star Jonathan Rhys-Meyers stepped out at the Cannes Film Festival tonight at the premiere of their latest film.

Johansson has the lead role in Woody Allen’s London-set movie Match Point.

The 20-year-old actress arrived in Cannes earlier in the day dressed down in ripped jeans and a T-shirt.

But for her red carpet moment she wore a vintage-style, pale gold lace dress which showed off her enviable curves.

She was joined by co-stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers from Cork and Emily Mortimer, along with Allen and his wife Soon-Yi.

“Appearing in a Woody Allen movie was amazing,” Johansson said. “I had always wanted to work with Woody and we had such a fun time. It was a thrill.”

She added: “I don’t know about being his muse but it’s certainly nice to work with him again.”

Allen also heaped praise on his leading lady.

The director is so taken with Johansson that he has signed her up already for his next film, also to be shot in London, which he is making this summer.

She was drafted in as a last minute replacement for Kate Winslet, who dropped out because she wanted to spend more time with husband Sam Mendes.

Set among London’s wealthy elite, Match Point stars Irish actor Rhys-Meyers as a tennis pro who has affairs with two women – an English rose played by Mortimer and a struggling American actress played by Johansson.

The ensuing love triangle ends in tragedy.

Rhys-Meyers , 27, played the football coach in Bend It Like Beckham and last week starred as Elvis Presley in a US mini-series.