Timothee Chalamet as Marty Supreme
www.goldenglobes.com

Timothée Chalamet's 'Marty Supreme' pulled in £21 million ($27 million) over the four-day Christmas weekend, landing in second place at the box office and beating Jennifer Lopez's 'Anaconda' remake, according to Deadline.

The A24 ping-pong drama finished behind only the 'Avatar: The Way of Water' re-release but ahead of 'Anaconda', which managed £17 million ($22 million) despite its massive promotional budget.

Christmas Day alone brought in £7.4 million ($9.5 million) from 2,668 theatres. Not bad for an R-rated film about table tennis.

The Marketing Campaign That Took Over Everything

Chalamet's been everywhere lately, pulling increasingly wild stunts to promote the film.

He stood on top of the Sphere in Las Vegas wearing a neon orange tracksuit. The video racked up 1.3 million views in two days. Then came the giant orange blimp floating over major cities. A24 scheduled 128 special screenings across just four days in December, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Social media reach hit 197 million impressions. Fans scrambled to get tickets to the limited screenings, with some selling out within minutes.

Turns out the chaos worked.

Limited Release Numbers Were Ridiculous

Before expanding widely for Christmas, 'Marty Supreme' played on just six screens. Those six locations brought in £684,000 ($875,000).

That works out to £114,000 ($145,933) per theatre, said The Wrap. Best per-screen average of 2025. Best for A24 ever. Best limited release since 'La La Land' in 2016.

Those numbers convinced A24 to expand widely for Christmas. Smart move.

'Anaconda' Couldn't Keep Up

Jennifer Lopez's 'Anaconda' was supposed to dominate the holiday weekend. The studio poured money into marketing. Early tracking suggested a £25 million ($32 million) opening.

Instead, it landed in third with £17 million ($22 million), behind both 'Avatar' and 'Marty Supreme'.

Industry analysts told Deadline that Chalamet's current popularity is driving audiences to theatres regardless of genre. When he's attached to a project, people show up.

The film scored a B+ CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences and sits at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Performing Way Above Expectations

Industry forecasts had 'Marty Supreme' opening to about £15 million ($19 million) at best. The £21 million ($27 million) haul represents a 42% overperformance against those projections.

Production costs came in at £50 million ($65 million), relatively modest for a star-driven drama. The film's already halfway to breaking even domestically before international markets kick in this January.

A24 plans to keep it in cinemas through awards season, banking on Oscar nominations to drive continued business into early 2026.

Josh Safdie's First Solo Effort

'Marty Supreme' marks the first time Josh Safdie has directed without his brother Benny, who worked on a separate project this year.

The Safdie brothers built their reputation on tense, anxiety-driven thrillers like 'Uncut Gems' and 'Good Time'. 'Marty Supreme' shows Josh can handle different material whilst keeping that signature intensity.

According to Hello!, Chalamet portrays Marty Reisman, a real ping-pong champion from the 1950s and '60s known for his flamboyant personality and unconventional playing style. The character work leans more dramatic than the brothers' previous collaborations.

The Christmas weekend performance suggests audiences want adult-oriented dramas that don't involve superheroes or established franchises. Whether 'Marty Supreme' maintains momentum through January remains to be seen, but it's started strong.

Writer's pick