Timothée Chalamet & Josh Safdie Say Marty Supreme Goes Beyond The Pursuit of Greatness

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This Christmas, prepare for Marty Supreme, a new film starring Timothée Chalamet and directed by Josh Safdie. Premiering December 25, 2025, the movie tells the story of Marty Mauser, a talented ping pong player in 1950s New York City. It’s a complex and dramatic look at his ambition, his struggles with success, and the price he pays chasing his dreams.

I recently interviewed Timothée Chalamet and Josh Safdie for Ebaster before their panel at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil. We discussed their new film, Marty Supreme, and how its themes of striving for success connect to their overall career goals. Considering how central the pursuit of greatness is to the story and characters in the positively-received Marty Supreme, I was curious to learn how they believe the movie fits into their own ambitions and the legacies they hope to create.

At the SAG Awards, Timothée Chalamet shared his desire to become a truly legendary actor, looking to performers like Viola Davis, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Marlon Brando for guidance. However, he described his role in Marty Supreme not as a step towards that goal, but as simply practicing and honing his craft. He also spoke highly of the other talented people involved in the film. Director Josh Safdie, on the other hand, sees a parallel between his character Marty and his own ambitions – specifically, the hope that his work will resonate with audiences.

Jordan (Ebaster) asked Timothée about his comment at the SAG Awards where he mentioned wanting to achieve greatness. She wanted to know how working with Marty Supreme helps him reach that goal.

I’m not sure if it does. I see making this film as a collaborative effort with Josh, my director – he’s a really strong leader and a great person to work with. We started with a fantastic script, and he assembled an incredible team.

Working with incredibly talented people like production designer Jack Fisk, costume designer Miyako Bellizzi, and cinematographer Darius Khondji, alongside a fantastic cast, makes filmmaking a truly creative journey. You’re always striving to make something special that connects with viewers, but it’s hard to know when you’ve achieved that. The demanding schedule of a film shoot can be so overwhelming that it’s easy to lose track of everything.

Jordan asked Josh how he thought Marty Supreme would build on his previous work, now that Josh was directing on his own, and what his plans were for the future.

I believe Marty and I share a desire to create something truly great – a pursuit of what you might call ‘glory.’ When I was making Uncut Gems, even when only a few people came to see it, those viewers meant the world to me, and they still do.

Whenever I go to the movies, I always think about how amazing it feels to connect with the audience. That feeling is what truly matters – it’s a core part of being human, and it’s why movies are so important to me. In fact, that’s why Lenin believed film was the most powerful art form – it has a unique ability to connect us all.

Alongside collaborator Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme is just one lap in Timothée Chalamet’s larger marathon in his pursuit of greatness in the film industry. However, as he emphasizes by listing out those who worked on the film, like the production designer, costume designer, and cinematographer, Chalamet credits the success of Marty Supreme to being the sum of its parts.

Surrounded by the talented team behind the film, Timothée Chalamet explains that Marty Supreme is more than just aiming for excellence – it’s about connecting with viewers. He notes that making a complex movie like this makes it hard to predict how audiences will react, and the film’s lasting impact on his career won’t be clear for quite some time after its release.

Just like the main character in his film chases success in table tennis, director Josh Safdie sees a parallel between that drive and his own desire for his movies to be seen and appreciated by audiences. This is Safdie’s first solo feature, and he connects with the character’s ambition on a personal level.

The situation surrounding the release of Marty Supreme is a little different than it was for his last film, Uncut Gems. Uncut Gems, which he made with the Safdie brothers, was a big hit with both critics and audiences in 2019, bringing the Safdies more attention after their 2017 film, Good Time, had a smaller but still positive reception.

This film is special for Josh Safdie – it’s his first time directing a feature without his brother. Plus, with a wider release planned for this month, it has the potential to reach a much larger audience. The excitement surrounding the movie is already building, and the positive attention it’s received before even premiering suggests great things for Safdie’s future work and his connection with viewers.

Critics are loving Marty Supreme, giving it a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This makes it the second highest-rated film starring Timothée Chalamet (after Lady Bird, which has a 99% rating) and the best-reviewed movie yet from director Josh Safdie. While reviews aren’t everything, the incredibly positive reaction before the film’s release suggests Marty Supreme is already connecting with audiences, which is exactly what Chalamet and Safdie were hoping for.

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2025-12-06 07:39