New York's Elite Gather to Celebrate Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme'

On Tuesday, New York’s elite showed up in force for the Big Apple premiere of Josh Safdie’s propulsive, Timothée Chalamet-led ping-pong drama, “Marty Supreme.” The film screened at Regal Times Square, followed by a star-studded after-party at The National Arts Club.

Ahead of the event, the Empire State Building was lit up in “Marty Supreme” orange to mark the premiere of what A24’s head of film, Noah Sacco, described in his opening remarks as “a very New York movie.” A frigid 42nd Street filled up with young fans hanging over security barriers to get a glimpse of their favorite celebrities, erupting in screams when someone with Gen Z or Alpha appeal, like Jack Harlow, appeared flanked by security. And Regal staff set out limited-edition “Marty Supreme” ping-pong ball popcorn buckets in anticipation of the crowds.

Several theaters were showing the film simultaneously, but number 13, nestled at the back of the top floor, was filled with tastemakers like Anna Wintour and Nina Garcia, cultural titans like Annie Leibovitz and Elvis Costello, and social media stars like “Subway Takes” host Kareem Rahma and Brittany Broski. New York icon Julia Fox and eternal “it” girl Chloë Sevigny were also in attendance, along with a host of Gen Z musicians and creators.

And, of course, there were plenty of actors, including André Holland, Darren Criss, Cooper Hoffman, and Dylan O’Brien, as well as “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” director Mary Bronstein, filling the seats to remind people that this was actually a film event.

Luke Manley, Tyler The Creator, Kevin O’Leary, Gwyneth Paltrow, Timothée Chalamet, Odessa A’zion, Josh Safdie, Fran Drescher, Koto Kawaguchi, Sandra BernhardJason LowrieBFA.com

As the start time for the screening dragged on — likely in no small part because of the eager mob partially blocking access to the Regal entrance — the attendees left their seats to mingle or go get another themed popcorn ball from concessions. Wintour and Leibowitz sat side by side making small talk, while Busy Phillips, Padma Lakshimi, and others worked the room. When the lights finally dimmed 45 minutes later, Safdie took the front of the theater after an affectionate introduction from Sacco, giving a somewhat bemused apology about the delay before diving into his remarks.

“This movie is about belief — belief in others, belief in self, more than anything. It’s about dreams. It’s a heist film in some ways. It’s about how a dream can, you know, take a heist on faith,” Safdie said, pausing to direct the crew to kill the spotlight. “It’s about trying to control your fate, and A24 really, really, really, from the very beginning, were one of the believers. … They were one of the squad cars that helped, you know, try to heist the ‘bank of faith.’”

After reflecting on what it meant to show the film in New York, where part of “Marty Supreme” was shot and where his previous films had been made guerilla-style, Safdie rattled off a lengthy list of crew, praising each individually — often because of their ability to work with him. The director then called to the front the film’s co-writer, Ronald Bronstein, and its cast, including stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, and Kevin O’Leary, who lined up one by one as Safdie gave his colorful introductions.

Fran Drescher, Josh SafdieJason Lowrie/BFA.com

“And last, but not least, the young man who I met… who, in 2017, before I saw the film that sent him on a skyrocket, he had these eyes that were bigger than his face. He was in the corner of a room, and he was there, but he wasn’t where he wanted to be yet. And he had this supreme vision of himself; he was Timmy Supreme. And I’m so happy to be here, sharing this moment with him,” Safdie said, as Chalamet, wearing a bright-orange suit, joined his co-stars and the tiring crowd erupted in applause.

Later that evening, when the cast, crew, and premiere attendees who hadn’t departed the screening early decamped to a festively decorated National Arts Club, both Safdie brothers could be seen celebrating with their inner circle, while icons like Sissy Spacek and Sandra Bernhard held court, and newly elected NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani wandered around, causing a thrill. For the most part, the massive spread of food was ignored in favor of the bar and the step-and-repeat area, which seemed to always be hosting someone from “Shark Tank.” (Nearly the whole cast of the reality series, along with their family members, turned out to support O’Leary, who has a surprisingly significant role in the film.) But the servers did their best to push pass hors d’oeuvres and literal mounds of charcuterie all the same.

Atmosphere at the ‘Marty Supreme’ partyJason Lowrie/BFA.com

As the after-party stretched into the early hours of Wednesday, the crowd sustained a jovial mood, taking in the venue’s many branded bits of decor — from a ping-pong table that served as a buffet to arrangements of oranges stamped like balls and promotional Wheaties boxes bearing Chalamet’s face.

Younger members of the crowd, like Apple Martin, could be seen hanging around even after it would have been acceptable to depart, indicating, along with a growing number of empty glasses, that people were genuinely having a good time. And when it was time finally time to leave, A24 took advantage of one last promotional opportunity, sending guests into the freezing night with a black hat embroidered with “Marty Supreme” in orange.

See more photos from the New York premiere of “Marty Supreme” below.

Chloë SevignyJason Lowrie/BFA.com