Wait… what just happened in Osceola County? A Florida father, Richard Seymour Ferguson, faces decades in prison. And, it’s not for what he directly did, but for a crash his teen son caused that killed four people. The case has left the community reeling as questions swirl about responsibility and the consequences of one fateful decision.

RELATED: Florida Woman Sentenced After Shooting Deputy With Hidden Gun While Handcuffed (VIDEO)

Four Killed After Unlicensed Teens Allowed To Drive

Richard Seymour Ferguson, 69, is now facing 37 years behind bars after being found guilty of four counts of manslaughter. He allegedly allowed his 15-year-old son to drive a car that killed a grandmother and her three young grandchildren. Calling himself “a deeply broken man,” Ferguson wept in court on Wednesday, February 18, as he apologized to the victims’ family. He also added that each day he is “living in grief and regret.”

The tragic crash occurred on September 3, 2023, when Ferguson’s son drove more than twice the speed limit, ran a stop sign, and collided with a gray Honda carrying Trinidad Hernandez, 50, and her grandchildren, 11-year-old Miley Cruz, 1-year-old Anayari Hernandez, and 9-year-old Marvin Cruz. Four of the five occupants were killed, while Angel Hernandez, the children’s grandfather, survived with serious injuries. Investigators said Ferguson allowed his son and three other unlicensed teens to drive that night, even moving a pickup out of the driveway so the boys could leave in a Chevy Impala.

Ferguson Shows Remorse, Victims’ Family Responds

At his sentencing in Kissimmee, Ferguson, stricken with Stage 4 cancer, admitted he let his son back the car out but claimed he didn’t intend for him to drive off alone. “I am sorry that I played a part… I took the easy way out,” he said, acknowledging he could have done more to stop the tragedy. Despite his apology, Sabrina Hernandez, the mother of the victims, called Ferguson “extremely cowardly.” She also claimed that his lack of accountability robbed her children of their lives.

Loved By Family, Yet Held Accountable For Tragedy

Ferguson’s daughter, stepson, and niece spoke in court, highlighting his role as a “gentle giant” and a man who had always been generous and caring to family and friends. But the devastating consequences of his decision seemingly overshadowed those memories, leaving the Hernandez family to grieve what they can never get back. Ferguson’s attorney had requested house arrest due to his terminal cancer, but prosecutors argued a stiff sentence was necessary given the severity of the crash and his role in allowing it to happen.

RELATED: Florida Man Charged After Fatally Stabbing His Brother Following Alleged Dispute Over Shared CashApp Money

Eric Dane spoke candidly about how his ALS diagnosis made him feel in the months before his death at age 53.

“I don’t think this is the end of my story. I just don’t feel like in my heart this is the end for me,” Dane shared in a June 2025 interview with ABC News. “I’m fighting as much as I can. There’s so much about it that’s out of my control.”

While the Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria actor tried to stay positive, the diagnosis — which impacts 5,000 new people every year — made him feel angry at times.

“I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they are very young,” Dane shared with Diane Sawyer. “At the end of the day, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can.”

Dane — who lost his father to suicide when he was 7 years old — shared daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, with wife Rebecca Gayheart.

Although Gayheart, 54, initially took steps in February 2018 to legally end her marriage to Dane, she filed to dismiss their divorce proceedings in March 2025.

During his interview with Sawyer, 80, Dane said his wife is the one he called when life got hard.

“I talk to her every day,” he shared while trying to hold back tears. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents, and she is my biggest champion and supporter. I lean on her.”

One day that proved to be extra challenging for Dane was when he was on a boat trip with his youngest daughter, Georgia.

While he was once a competitive swimmer and water polo star, Dane recalled one instance months before his ABC News interview where he realized his ALS diagnosis was having an impact on his body.

“When I jumped into the ocean that day and I realized I couldn’t swim or generate enough power to get myself back to the boat, I thought, ‘Oh God,’” he recalled. “I realized at that moment I’m not safe in the water anymore. [My daughter] dragged me back to the boat. I was breaking down in tears. I made sure she got back in the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkeling. But I was heartbroken.”

Related: Celebrities React to Eric Dane’s Death at 53: Alyssa Milano and More

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Celebrities are paying tribute to Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane after his death at age 53. Alyssa Milano, Ashton Kutcher and Maria Shriver led the tributes via social media as the stars reacted to the tragic loss. Dane’s family confirmed his death on Thursday, February 19 via a statement to Us Weekly. “With heavy hearts, […]

News broke on Thursday, February 19, that Dane had died at the age of 53. His death also marked 20 years since he made his debut on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Mark Sloan.

In a statement shared with Us Weekly, his family revealed that the actor was “surrounded by dear friends” in his final days.

“Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight,” the statement read. “He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”

If you had said a decade ago that a live-action Spider-Man series was in the works with Nicolas Cage as it’s leading man, just about everyone would’ve told you that you were not thinking clearly. But now, after the success of the Spider-Verse franchise and the forever growing interest in Marvel’s greatest webslinger, Spider-Noir is on its way. Of course, Cage’s Spidey isn’t the typical interpretation. Aside from the 20th-century noir aesthetic, his Spider-Man, referred to as The Spider or Spider-Noir, isn’t even Peter Parker this time around — it’s actually a character named Ben Reilly, who isn’t so far off Spidey’s beaten path.

Nicolas Cage Is Playing Ben Reilly in ‘Spider-Noir,’ Not Peter Parker

For a quick history lesson, Spider-Man Noir first appeared in 2009 in Spider-Man: Noir, a book reinterpreting the Spidey mythology into a Depression-era tale full of intrigue and mystery. The alternate universe Peter Parker counterpart was perfect, of course, for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, where Cage voiced the character in an animated capacity (Milo Ventimiglia had done so previously in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series). Spider-Noir has been so popular with fans that he hasn’t just made his way into animation, he’s now expanding into live-action as well (the first alternate universe Spidey to do so).

Only the Prime Video drama has changed his name from Peter Parker to Ben Reilly. Why? It’s probably something to do with Sony’s live-action rights to the character, hoping to avoid any confusion with the Tom Holland-led franchise that’s continuing this year with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But whatever the reason, Ben Reilly isn’t so different from Peter Parker. As any die-hard Marvel Comics fan already knows, he’s actually his clone.

Who Is Ben Reilly in Marvel Comics?

Image via Marvel Comics

For the uninitiated, Ben Reilly was first introduced as a simple Spider-Man clone way back in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 in 1975. After the Jackal had cloned the wall-crawler, the two Spider-Men fought the villain and one seemingly died in the aftermath, leading the Spidey we’re left with to wonder if he was the real-deal or the clone all along. But that wasn’t the end for the clone. Recognizing that he was the faux Spidey, he renamed himself “Ben Reilly” in honor of Peter’s Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Reilly being May’s maiden surname. For decades, this character was lost until he returned again in the 1990s during the famed “The Clone Saga,” which toyed with the idea that Reilly might actually be the original. Although Reilly primarily went by the “Scarlet Spider” moniker while Peter was still Spider-Man, he eventually took over the main superhero identity — and issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man, The Sensational Spider-Man, etc. — for a time while Peter and Mary Jane Watson-Parker (as the two were married within Marvel continuity at the time) pursued a normal life.

Related

The 20 Best Spider-Man Quotes, Ranked

A hero doesn’t always inspire through their actions.

Eventually, Ben was killed in battle with the Green Goblin in Spider-Man #75 in 1996, though fans had grown attached to the character (despite many hating “The Clone Saga” as a whole) and hoped to see him return for decades. While he eventually did, it was now as a villain, claiming the Jackal identity as his own. This, of course, didn’t last, and Ben eventually returned to his Scarlet Spider identity and became a hero once more — despite having died nearly 30 times and almost losing his mind in the process. So, the fact that Spider-Noir is taking a stab at this tortured version of Spider-Man (wrapped up in the Spider-Man Noir interpretation that’s already a bit tortured as is) is quite fascinating, though certainly an exciting departure for fans who hope to see other interpretations of the wall-crawler on the screen.

Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Shifts the Marvel Franchise Away From Peter Parker

Although the original Spider-Man Noir (and the animated version Cage previously voiced) was a new interpretation of Peter Parker, Spider-Noir takes this whole thing a step further by using it as a means to explore Ben Reilly. By paring Reilly’s unique comic book history with the tragic Depression-era excitement of Spider-Man Noir, Prime Video has the chance to make something that truly stands out by comparison to other Spidey entries. As the fourth live-action television series to feature the wall-crawler (after Spidey Super Stories, The Amazing Spider-Man, and the Japanese Spider-Man) and the second to follow a Spider-Man not explicitly named Peter Parker, Spider-Noir looks like it’s pulling out all the stops to make this Marvel television series stand out.

How the live-action series will reinvent some of Spider-Man’s supporting cast members and rogues gallery remains to be seen, but with Cage at the forefront of this The Big Sleep-inspired detective drama, what could go wrong? If Into the Spider-Verse proved anything years ago, it’s that there are so many Spider-Man stories out there to be told beyond the typical blockbuster fare. Spider-Noir seems to be playing into just that, with a new interpretation of the wall-crawler that will keep audiences locked and loaded and ready for more. With plenty of Spider-Man content slated for 2026, we simply cannot wait.

Spider-Noir is set to air on May 27, 2026, on Prime Video.

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Spider-Noir

Release Date

May 27, 2026

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Network

MGM+

Showrunner

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Oren Uziel, Steve Lightfoot

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In the early 2000s, Hollywood was at a crossroads: Iron Man made nearly $600 million, but 300 made almost $500 million a few years earlier. Was the future of action movies in comic books or in vaguely historical fantasy? Even more confusing was the success of James Cameron’s Avatar, which made infinite money and just had to be the start of a very exciting career for star Sam Worthington. Unfortunately for director Louis Leterrier, his remake of Clash of the Titans managed to bet on almost every wrong horse, despite being a pretty fun movie in its own right.

2010’s Clash of the Titans actually outgrossed 300 worldwide, despite holding just 27 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and it spawned a sequel in 2012 called Wrath of the Titans. Despite that, both movies feel essentially forgotten today, with none of the cultural sway of Avatar, Iron Man, or 300. (People at least still remember the famous quotes from 300, but when was the last time someone said the famous quote from Clash of the Titans?)

What Happens in ‘Clash of the Titans’?

Image via Legendary

A remake of the 1981 movie of the same name starring Harry Hamlin and with iconic Ray Harryhausen special effects (love those skeletons), Clash of the Titans is a loose adaptation of the Greek mythological story of Perseus. Sam Worthington plays Perseus, who is the son of Zeus, as he gets stuck in the middle of a war between the gods and the humans. Now, before we get to the rest of the cast, just keep in mind that this is all true: Liam Neeson plays Zeus, Ralph Fiennes plays Hades, Gemma Arterton plays Perseus’ guide Io, Luke Evans plays Apollo, Danny Huston briefly shows up as Poseidon, and Mads Mikkelsen, Liam Cunningham, Nicholas Hoult, and Rory McCann play some of the soldiers accompanying Perseus.

Hades is mad at Zeus for tricking him into ruling the crummy underworld, Zeus is mad at the humans for losing their faith in the gods (and because a human killed his lover and abducted his son), and the humans are mad at everybody because being a human is hard. Everybody starts fighting everybody, and the only hope is Perseus, who can bridge the gap between the gods and the humans by exposing that Hades is the real bad guy. Unfortunately, along the way, Zeus deploys his ultimate weapon: A monster known as the Kraken. Naturally, he releases the Kraken by shouting, “Release the Kraken” — a scene that constantly appeared in the film’s marketing but is actually a little more understated than you might remember.

Why is ‘Clash of the Titans’ Underrated?

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s less of a clever choice than it was the only possible choice, but Clash of the Titans wisely plays pretty much everything totally straight. It’s all high-stakes melodrama and big, flashy performances, because that’s what fits the material, so if everyone was also winking at it or making little Marvel-y jokes on top of it, the entire thing would deflate and there’d be no weight to any of it. By acting like it’s all really important, the movie doesn’t become good, but it does become fun.

Most of the performances follow this, and the costume design for the gods is pretty cool. They’re all wearing completely over-the-top armor sets like they’re max-level characters in a video game (or like they’re pulled straight out of Saint Seiya). It’s not a secret great movie, but it’s the kind of movie that you can give yourself over to — now that it’s free from the context it came out in — and just enjoy. Even the sequel, which tried to expand on what was good about the first one since there was no classic Clash of the Titans sequel to copy, is the same kind of entertaining nonsense. Unfortunately, by that time, Hollywood had realized that nobody wanted Greek mythology epics and Sam Worthington. They wanted superhero epics and literally anyone but Sam Worthington.

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Release Date

April 2, 2010

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106 minutes

Director

Louis Leterrier

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Eric Dane
Hollywood Celebrates ‘Euphoria’ Star After His Death

Published
February 20, 2026
5:43 AM PST

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To Kick Off Her
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Published
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Feel-good K-dramas are some of the most common Korean series out there, but very few are made to be genuinely feel-good in nature. With genre-bending ideas and premises, a K-drama that feels like a nice love story can also have elements of fantasy, science fiction, history, or heavy drama. K-drama creators may be experts at making all sorts of series for global fans, but sometimes it’s hard to find a show that is, at its core, just a sweet story that feels like an experience of the joy of living.

The best feel-good K-dramas are a blend of romance, comedy, and drama, and these ten know how to do it best while making the narrative uncomplicated. If you’re looking for a series that helps you feel better at the end of a long day, or you want to spend a weekend binge-watching K-dramas without investing any difficult emotions, these shows can undoubtedly help with that.

10

‘She Was Pretty’ (2015)

Image via MBC

In the 2010s, K-dramas that were at the height of popularity revolved around physical appearance in some way. For example, Oh My Venus is an iconic show that could count as feel-good, but might be too much for some because it talks about a woman’s company secretly hiring a personal trainer to get her back in shape for the sake of appearances; My ID is Gangnam Beauty revolves around a woman, who was mocked for her looks, changing her entire face before going to college, etc. Out of all those, seemingly problematic shows, She Was Pretty might be the least problematic, and it’s a great representation of the 2010s K-drama wave.

She Was Pretty follows Hye-jin (Hwang Jung-eum), a woman who sports her natural look everywhere she goes, with her freckles and curly hair; before she started appearing everywhere “unkempt,” she was a pretty and popular girl at school, and she was friends with the underdog, Sung-joon (Park Seo-joon), who is now a very good-looking editor-in-chief of a magazine. Complications arise when Hye-jin gets a job at Sung-joon’s company, hiding her true identity from him, and asking her best friend to pose as her. It’s a fun situational comedy with a lot of misunderstandings, lost opportunities, and funny revelations, and even if the topic doesn’t sound like it, it’s very feel-good.

9

‘Touch Your Heart’ (2019)

Image via tvN

Another K-drama that revolves around romance as the saving grace of its cold, career-oriented protagonists is Touch Your Heart. Lee Dong-wook stars in it, and by 2019, he was already an established name and one of the greatest K-drama male leads of his time; he’s joined by Yoo In-na, and people talk fondly about Touch Your Heart, Yoo and Lee’s chemistry, and the feel-good narrative in which their romance evolves.

Touch Your Heart follows a disgraced actress, Oh Jin-shim (Yoo), who has to prepare for her comeback project by immersing herself in the law world as a secretary for the lawyer, Kwon Jung-rok (Lee). They eventually fall in love, despite clashing at first, and Jung-rok goes from a workaholic who cares only about his reputation to a gentle, loving man. Jin-shim, on the other hand, learns about personal responsibility and taking accountability. Touch Your Heart has some life lessons ingrained, but it’s mostly a gentle and very feel-good series.

8

‘Gaus Electronics’ (2022)

Image via Genie TV

Fans of workplace K-dramas will love Gaus Electronics because it was obviously inspired by The Office, but it has a unique Korean twist on it, with gags, situational comedy, and slapstick, but also personal ambition and romance. Gaus Electronics is one of the best K-comedies that will make you laugh out loud; you know what they say—laughter is the best medicine.

Gaus Electronics follows Marketing Team Number 3 at the famous multinational corporation, Gaus Electronics, which specializes in home appliances. The protagonist is, unofficially, Kwak Dong-yeon as Sang-sik, an ambitious go-getter who can’t seem to get things right around the office; he is joined by Ko Sung-hee, Bae Hyun-sung, and Kang Min-ah, who portray his colleagues, and the show focuses on their private lives, too. As a feel-good, slice-of-life office romance/comedy, Gaus Electronics is an underrated comedy that’s perfect from start to finish.

7

‘Welcome to Waikiki’ (2018–2019)

Image via JTBC

One of the best comedies that is also a slice-of-life series is Welcome to Waikiki. It has two seasons, though the cast changes in Season 2 (except Lee Yi-kyung), and people rarely recommend it. You can watch Season 2 if you want to feel the vibes, but Season 1 is superior, and with 20 episodes, there’s enough to go around. Episodes are between 45 and 60 minutes and are typically divided into two parts; a lot happens, and a lot of it is situational comedy and comedy of misunderstandings. The cast is hilarious and has great chemistry, though the aforementioned Lee Yi-kyung is often the show’s funniest actor.

Welcome to Waikiki follows three best friends and film enthusiasts, Dong-gu (Kim Jung-hyun), Joon-ki (Lee), and Doo-sik (Son Seung-won). They wish to have different careers in film and one day make their own movie, but until they can make their dream happen, they run a B&B called Waikiki, which isn’t very successful, but it’s definitely eventful. Sometimes, Dong-gu’s sister, Seo-jin, and single mother, Yoon-ah, join their daily adventures, and episodes are elevated with great relationships and hilarious events in each of their daily lives.

6

‘Crash Course In Romance’ (2023)

Image via tvN

Another very feel-good show is Crash Course In Romance, a series that combines romance, comedy, and slice-of-life moments. This show became so popular when it came out that it directly impacted fashion trends across South Korea, with many women, in particular, seeking wardrobe pieces that Jeon Do-yeon wears in the show. The show is beloved for its middle-aged protagonists, reflections on society, tender vibes, and beautiful visuals.

Crash Course In Romance follows the former athlete Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon), a shopkeeper raising a teenage daughter, who starts taking courses for college entrance exams. Excellent math tutor Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho) frequently visits Haeng-seon’s store, but when he learns that she’s not trying to get his attention to tutor her daughter, they enter a strained relationship that goes from enemies to inevitably lovers later on. Crash Course In Romance is also a story about familial love and trust, and its 16 episodes go by very quickly because of how fun it is.

5

‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo’ (2016)

Image via Netflix K-Content

One of the most beloved and best K-dramas of all time, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, is definitely feel-good material from start to finish. The show has excellent character development and a fun premise that can be relatable to anyone chasing their dreams. In fact, it was so relatable that the young demographic in South Korea was the show’s biggest audience, turning the show into a cult series with a large following.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo follows the eponymous Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-Kyung), a college freshman who pursues her dream of becoming an Olympic weightlifter. While the show is mostly about college athletes fighting for their way and to achieve their dreams, the story is also a romance when Bok-joo becomes friends with Joon-Hyung (Nam Joo-Hyuk) and his older brother Jae-Yi (Lee Jae-Yoon). The show is fun and heartfelt, and many people cite it as one of their all-time favorites.

4

‘Summer Strike’ (2022)

Image via ENA

Summer Strike is a relatively unknown K-drama, but it’s one of those feel-good shows that gets under your skin very quickly. Visually stunning, with many wholesome moments in nature and with other people and animals, the show delivers a message of taking it easy and taking life one day at a time. Im Si-wan stars alongside Kim Seol-hyun (often known as just Seolhyun), who is the protagonist; she is charming and often goofy and funny, showing off a lighthearted side of her acting. Despite that, the story sometimes becomes heavy when repressed emotions come up.

Summer Strike follows Yeo-reum (Seolhyun), who grows tired of living the same life over and over. She decides to move to a small town by the sea called Angok, where she enjoys herself, takes things slowly, and meets friendly people. Among those people is a reclusive genius, Dae-bom (Im), and they bond and find that they both escaped busy city lives. Filmed on location, Summer Strike is perfect for lovers of rural escapes and living life in lush nature, away from the car horns and skyscrapers.

3

‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ (2021)

Image via tvN

Speaking of K-dramas where the lead moves to a small town, there are plenty, and this kind of plot is quickly becoming one of the greatest K-drama tropes. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is the most popular representative of that particular genre of K-drama; Shin Min-a leads a colorful series filled with wholesome moments, calming vibes, and gentle but necessary character development. If you’re a K-drama beginner, this is also a great series to start with.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha follows Seoul-based dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin), who experiences career problems and decides to move to a seaside town to start over. She opens a dental clinic there and grows closer to a local man, known as Chief Hong (Kim Seon-ho). They go through misunderstandings and confrontations at first, but eventually bond despite those small clashes. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is one of the most-watched K-dramas of all time and one of the most popular shows on Netflix, even now, five years after it was released.

2

‘Business Proposal’ (2022)

Image via Netflix

One of the most romantic K-dramas and one of the greatest office romance shows ever is Business Proposal. Hardcore K-drama fans love it as much as beginners in that drama world do, with the show boasting a widespread appeal with its charming leads, fun humor, and lots of heartfelt moments. Business Proposal might be riddled with tropes and some clichés within the drama world, but it’s still a highly watchable series you will find yourself binge-watching at one point.

Business Proposal follows Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong), who agrees to go on a blind date instead of her friend Young-seo (Seol In-ah), only to realize that the man she is meeting is her current boss, Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop). Tae-moo is the CEO of a food product corporation, and he is pressured into getting married by his family; he asks her to get married immediately to avoid any more blind dates, but Ha-ri is scared to reveal her true identity. The story takes different twists and turns, and it’s a very fun series often filled with slapstick comedy moments; you’ll love watching and relaxing with this feel-good series.

1

‘Hospital Playlist’ (2020)

Image via Netflix

Hospital Playlist is one of those must-watch K-dramas; whether you’re a beginner or a veteran in the K-drama watcher world, you’ll undoubtedly fall in love with this medical drama immediately. It’s an ensemble effort that combines comedy, drama, romance, and slice-of-life moments; it is very feel-good, despite having some heavy-ish medical cases that resonate with real life. Even when rooted in some real-life troubles, a show becomes a lot more entertaining and relatable, so this shouldn’t be a detriment to the show’s appeal.

Hospital Playlist follows five doctors who have been friends since medical school and who have a band they play in their spare time. The five all have different backgrounds that often come into the foreground and provide lessons and obstacles. However, they also have a great time together and help each other get over problems and talk things over, being there when it matters along the way. It’s wholesome, ridiculously funny at times, and a beautiful series about the importance of friendship that you can watch all day long.

A24, following the advice shared on the theatrical poster for Marty Supreme, did indeed dream big. After months of an unorthodox, in-your-face marketing campaign, shepherded by its star and Oscar-nominee, Timothée Chalamet, the sports drama-thriller, written and directed by one of the studio’s staples, Josh Safdie, has become a genuine cultural sensation. It’s not just cinephiles on Letterboxd who are obsessed with Marty Supreme, as the film has just become A24’s highest-grossing film in their 14-year history, passing Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once. Grossing $93 million domestically and $147 million worldwide, the film is validating its sizable budget and onslaught of gonzo promotional tactics. A24 has come a long way since being the little-engine-that-could studio, and their latest hit outlines the strategy all studios should take in selling original, star-driven movies.

‘Marty Supreme’ Helped Certify Timothée Chalamet as a Movie Star

Beginning as a distributor for independent cinema, A24 has evolved into an industry powerhouse as a production company that gives auteur directors the creative leeway often lacking within major studios. For better or worse, A24 has become a brand unto itself, with fans rallying around the company as if it were a singular artistic entity. Without compromising on their standard of quality, which encompasses everything from arthouse dramas and quirky comedies, they have elevated to higher-budget, spectacle-oriented cinema, marked by Civil War and Marty Supreme.

Met with critical acclaim and adoration from the Academy Awards, earning nominations for Best Actor, Director, and Picture, Marty Supreme was a critical test for A24 and its captivating movie star at its center. There was no Paul Atreides or Willy Wonka in sight—Marty Supreme was a champion at the box office thanks to the draw power of Timothée Chalamet. The film’s success assured the faith of movie stars as a pull for mainstream audiences, and not one that’s been a household name since the 1990s. Chalamet is truly the movie star of his generation, as his go-getter, hustler mindset blended with his infectious charm that speaks to Internet sensibilities finally offers something new for younger, film-savvy audiences.

‘Marty Supreme’ Became a Tentpole Event at the Movies

Josh Safdie, who previously directed films with his brother, Benny Safdie, does not make movies that scream “blockbuster.” Marty Supreme shares parallels with the brothers’ earlier efforts, Good Time and Uncut Gems, niche films that never aspired to crack through the mainstream. However, Josh’s latest film has seemingly brushed up against the monoculture without the backing of a superhero or video game mascot. With the right star, a clever marketing campaign that manifests naturally, and a creative angle targeting an eager demographic, Marty Supreme laid the groundwork for how to make an original movie sell. Receiving the lucrative holiday opening weekend slot, the film felt like a moviegoing event, aided by Chalamet’s eccentric media campaign, everything from standing on top of the Las Vegas sphere to supplying film-themed jackets to celebrities, and positive word-of-mouth.

Audiences were rewarded by flocking to theaters for this idiosyncratic black comedy-drama about an obnoxious but admirable ping pong player, as Marty Supreme plays tremendously well with a crowd. Marty’s manic behavior, from his relentless bombast when selling himself as a star to his off-color jokes, elicits awkward but infectious laughs. When the tension runs high, as it routinely does in a Safdie film, you’ll want to share this stress-inducing sensation with another person. The trappings of the conventional sports movie allow casual audiences to engage with all of Safdie’s quirks and oddities to their fullest. At the end of the day, Marty Mauser is the classic sports underdog with the entire world seemingly against him.

There was a general concern that A24 would lose its independent, uncompromising artistic charm by increasing the budget and scope of its catalog, but Marty Supreme is here to show that miracles in the industry can come true. A24 is still a brand for film buffs, and it can also excite mainstream audiences into seeing a movie where Timothée Chalamet gets spanked with a paddle by Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank. While the tide hasn’t completely turned, the uplifting box office results for original movies like Sinners and Weapons suggest that audiences are down to experience something that would’ve been deemed outside the box ten years ago. The studio leaned into the peculiarity of Josh Safdie’s proclivities and the larger-than-life bravura of Chalamet’s performance, and, as a result, this film about ping pong and Jewish empowerment in a post-WWII New York City felt like a blockbuster.

Marty Supreme is now available to watch on VOD services.

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Release Date

December 19, 2025

Runtime

150 minutes

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Director

Josh Safdie

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Producers

Anthony Katagas, Ronald Bronstein, Timothée Chalamet, Eli Bush, Joe Guest, Jennifer Venditti, John Paul Lopez-Ali, Maiko Endo

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