Timothée Chalamet stars as Jewish ping pong legend in new Safdie film Marty Supreme

The unconventional sports drama is poised to be one of the most Jewish films of the year: not only is Marty Supreme written and directed by Jews – Safdie shares a writing credit with Uncut Gems collaborator Ronald Bronstein – but it also stars Jewish actresses Fran Drescher as Mauser’s mother and Gwenyth Paltrow as a famous actress who catches his eye.

Not to mention the character on which Mauser is based, who was born in 1930 to an Ashkenazi Jewish family in New York; Reisman, a gambler and a showman who would reportedly measure the table tennis net with a $100 bill before matches and break a cigarette in half from across the table, won 22 major titles over the span of his decades-long career, including World Table Tennis Championships, US Opens and a British Open.

Reisman also performed a comedic table tennis routine as an opening act for the Harlem Globetrotters, earned and lost millions through gambling, and was most often seen wearing a Borsalino fedora.

Chalamet has already proven his ability to portray larger-than-life Jewish legends, with his 2024 turn as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown earning him an Oscar nod and a SAG award for Outstanding Lead Actor. As for director Safdie, Marty Supreme marks his first solo directorial project since 2008, having spent the better part of two decades collaborating with his brother Benny on New York City-set thrillers like Good Time and the über Jewish Uncut Gems.

With a reported budget of $70 million, Marty Supreme is said to be A24’s most expensive film to date.

Marty Supreme hits theaters in the UK on 1 January, 2026.