Timothée Chalamet's table tennis dramedy Marty Supreme generated $2 million in previews on Christmas Eve, nearly tying with Sony's Anaconda. The film, directed by Josh Safdie, is loosely based on the life of 1950s ping pong champion Marty Reisman. It follows a strong limited release and targets over $20 million for the holiday weekend.
On Christmas Eve 2025, A24's Marty Supreme achieved a solid start with $2.01 million in previews from 2,668 North American theaters, according to box office reports. This performance placed it just behind Sony's Anaconda, which earned $2.1 million from 2,808 venues, in a holiday frame led by Disney's Avatar: Fire and Ash at $10.7 million. The total box office for the day reached an estimated $27.6 million, up 24% from 2022's Christmas Eve but down from the 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home peak.
Marty Supreme, with a $70 million budget, had already grossed $3.15 million in its initial limited release. Projections estimate it will collect more than $20 million over the four-day holiday weekend starting December 25. The R-rated sports dramedy stars Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a fictional hustler and ping pong prodigy inspired by Reisman, known as "the game's most celebrated hustler" by Sports Illustrated. Reisman, who died in 2012, authored The Money Player, which sparked Safdie's interest. "When I read that the sport was filling stadiums in the U.K. and throughout Europe, I realized that it was entirely plausible for a kid in 1952 to actually believe he could parlay the game into a life of fame and glory," Safdie said in press materials.
The film recreates 1950s table tennis scenes in New York and abroad, featuring real elements like Reisman's tours with the Harlem Globetrotters using frying pans and sneakers, and his loss to Japanese player Hiroji Satoh in 1952 using innovative sponge rubber paddles—though the movie alters details, such as the match location to Japan instead of India. Supporting cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow as a faded Hollywood star, Kevin O'Leary in his acting debut as her husband, and cameos from David Mamet and others with ping pong ties. Chalamet, who trained for six years, earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role. Audience scores stand at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics at 95% certified fresh.
While Marty Supreme blends fiction and fact, experts like Steve Grant of Table Tennis History magazine note Reisman's showmanship: "He was very good at marketing himself... But don't take everything in [his book] as the word of truth. He liked to exaggerate things." The film's kinetic style echoes Safdie's Uncut Gems, focusing on Mauser's hustles amid debts and romances.
