Sometimes, a movie doesn’t need thousands of screens to make noise — it just needs the right star, the right moment, and a packed house. Marty Supreme has done exactly that.
A tiny release with a massive impact
A24’s Marty Supreme, a sports dramedy starring Timothée Chalamet as fictional table tennis prodigy Marty Mauser, has burst into the domestic top 10 with an eye-popping $875,000 opening — despite playing on just six screens.
The limited release ran across four theatres in New York City and Los Angeles, all of which reported 92 sold-out showtimes over the weekend. To put that into perspective, Disney’s political drama Ella McCay earned a lower $480,000 — while playing on a far wider 2,500 screens.
Best per-screen average of the year — and then some
What truly sets Marty Supreme apart is its per-screen average (PSA). The film pulled in approximately $145,933 per theatre, making it:
- The best PSA of 2025 so far
- A24’s biggest PSA ever
- The highest PSA for a platform release since La La Land (2016)
For indie films that rely on slow expansion rather than wide openings, PSA is the gold standard — and Marty Supreme has cleared that bar with ease.
A strong signal ahead of Christmas expansion
Trade analysts see the opening as an extremely positive indicator ahead of the film’s nationwide expansion on Christmas Day — a crucial moment given its reported $70 million budget.
Fandango’s Shawn Robbins described the debut as a strong early signal for sustained success, while also noting that limited-release hype doesn’t always guarantee wide-release domination.
Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian echoed that caution — but added that Chalamet’s star power and Gen Z appeal could give the film a clear edge once it goes wide.
Chalamet’s old-school, high-impact marketing play
Beyond box office math, much of Marty Supreme’s momentum can be traced back to Timothée Chalamet’s unconventional promotional blitz — a rarity in today’s indie film space.
From gifting celebrity friends a retro 1950s-style windbreaker, to deploying a Nickelodeon-orange blimp, advertising on Las Vegas’ Sphere, and turning the phrase “Marty Supreme. Christmas Day” into a viral catchline — Chalamet has leaned fully into spectacle.
The actor even made surprise appearances at NYC screenings, telling one audience he plans to visit 128 screenings in 96 hours, a move that turned regular showings into must-attend events.
The film and the creative force behind it
Directed by Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems), Marty Supreme is an R-rated, high-energy comedy of errors, following a young man’s chaotic rise through the competitive world of table tennis. The frenetic tone and offbeat premise align perfectly with A24’s brand — but it’s Chalamet’s presence that’s turning curiosity into ticket sales.
Industry observers have called the campaign a masterclass in social-first marketing, proving how awareness — not scale — can still drive theatrical excitement in 2025.
Final Words
With sold-out screenings, record-breaking per-screen numbers, and a star fully invested in the theatrical experience, Marty Supreme has pulled off one of the most impressive limited-release launches in recent memory. The real test begins when the film steps outside New York and Los Angeles — but for now, Marty Mauser is winning the opening match by a landslide.
