With 'Marty Supreme', Timothée Chalamet Proves Movie Stars Can Still Matter at the Box Office

Marty Supreme, A24

When you think of a movie that can potentially make over $100 million at the domestic box office, what do you think of? 

Judging by 21st-century standards, it would be wise to choose something involving capes. If that guess was off the table, IP that had previously been successful–i.e., Jurassic Park, Star Wars, animation–would also be a fantastic guess. Or, if you really want to get in the weeds, you could choose something in the horror genre, which always has a low-risk/high-reward element.

Now, imagine if someone pitched you this: a ping-pong movie set in the 1950s, highlighting a petulant man in his 20s making bad decisions every step of the way.

Somehow, in the hands of Timothée Chalamet, it’s working.

According to Box Office Report, Marty Supreme added another $12.8 million over the weekend, bringing its theatrical total to an estimated $56 million. If the film keeps its current pace, it is set to become the first A24 movie to surpass the $100 million milestone.

If Marty Supreme can accomplish this feat, it will be Chalamet’s fourth straight film to do so, following Wonka, Dune: Part Two, and A Complete Unknown. (And the first of which to come from original IP.)  

Much has been made about the lack of modern-day movie stars. It’s a different world, after all—one in which movies have become less a part of the zeitgeist, and only the “event films” seem to put butts in seats.

Over the past decade, studios have tried to market new stars using the traditional format—a good trailer, ads, late-night show appearances—but audiences haven’t proven to go for that anymore. With so much to command one’s attention nowadays and audiences craving authenticity more than ever, non-traditional methods are needed.

Chalamet, our most “online” Gen-Z star, understands this in spades.

Through this marketing tour, Chalamet has been the first to scale The Sphere in Las Vegas, hosted a table tennis tournament, discussed pro wrestling history with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on his podcast, released a rap song, appeared on Druski’s show, and even hit the Soulja Boy in front of an adoring crowd in Brazil.

All of these moments went viral. They touched upon something audiences look for every day through their personal algorithms and user-generated content: true, unadulterated authenticity.

The success of Marty Supreme has turned Chalamet into the star of his generation. With his uncharacteristic marketing methods, he has proven that it is still possible to sell a movie based on the name on the poster. When Chalamet makes a movie in the future, he now has the power to sell it as the “new Timothée Chalamet movie”, even if audiences know nothing about it going in.

Will it be replicable for other stars? That remains to be seen. However, Chalamet has shown that it is possible.

Will Hollywood take the right lessons? They rarely do (see studios rushing to put other Mattel properties into production after the success of Barbie, instead of making more films targeted towards women). But in this case, it is imperative they try.

2025 proved that people are still hungry for original storytelling and the stars that make them. Studios need to fish in the right pond to reel in audiences and keep them engaged, rather than on their phones.

Chalamet drew the blueprint.

Now it’s up to the film industry to follow it and build up other stars in similar ways.