Entertainment
This A24 Movie Just Became the Highest-Grossing Film in the Studio’s History
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.
- Release Date
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December 19, 2025
- Runtime
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150 minutes
- Director
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Josh Safdie
- Producers
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Anthony Katagas, Ronald Bronstein, Timothée Chalamet, Eli Bush, Joe Guest, Jennifer Venditti, John Paul Lopez-Ali, Maiko Endo