A24 on Wednesday debuted the first trailer for Marty Supreme, one of the year’s great cinematic curiosities, teaming Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) with filmmaker Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems).
An original work set in the world of 1950s ping pong culture, the film tells the story of Marty Mauser (Chalamet), a young man with a dream no one respects, who goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
While never confirmed, sources have long indicated that the project draws loose inspiration from the story of pro ping pong player Marty Reisman.
The trailer opens on Chalamet standing on the bed in his royal hotel suite, phoning a movie star played by Gwyneth Paltrow to let him know that he’s “something of a performer,” as well.
In a later scene, Marty tells his love interest, played by Odessa A’zion, “I have a purpose, and if you think that’s some sort of blessing, it’s not. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through, and with that obligation comes sacrifice.”
Later still, in a scene with Kevin O’Leary (of Shark Tank fame), Mauser says, “I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m telling you, this game, it fills stadiums overseas. And it’s only a matter of time before I’m staring at you from the cover of a Wheaties box.”
Slated for release in theaters on Christmas Day, Marty Supreme has quite the eclectic ensemble. Others appearing include musician Tyler, The Creator, magician Penn Jillette, Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard, and filmmaker Abel Ferrara, to name just a few. Safdie directed from a script written with Ronald Bronstein, with the pair producing alongside Eli Bush, Anthony Katagas, Chalamet and A24.
A24 is next set to debut Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low starring Denzel Washington, which is slated to hit theaters on August 15 and be made available on Apple TV+ on September 5 after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. The studio’s slate for the remainder of the year also includes an English-language dub of Chinese box office smash Ne Zha 2 (August 22), Dwayne Johnson starrer The Smashing Machine (October 3) from Marty helmer Josh’s brother Benny Safdie, and the Rose Byrne-led festival darling If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (October 10).
Check out the trailer for Marty Supreme by clicking above.
