Marty Supreme, which has earned nine nominations for the 2026 Oscars, is set to be released across the Chinese mainland on March 20.
On Tuesday night, the national premiere of the film was held at the IMAX Laser Theater in the Beijing Wanda Cinema CBD, with director Josh Safdie and actor Timothee Chalamet in attendance.
Marking Chalamet's first-ever visit to China, the post-screening event was simultaneously livestreamed to 29 IMAX theaters nationwide, drawing thousands of fans to experience the story and witness the star's athletic prowess magnified on the IMAX screen.
Chalamet revealed that he devoted seven years to training in table tennis for the role, starting in 2018. Wherever he was working around the world, he would set up a ping-pong table and just keep playing. He added that the team had great references to draw from, such as other films and real-life figures, and that extensive preparation went into reaching as high a level as possible.
Safdie described Chalamet's performance as intense, driven, and brimming with confidence — much like the character himself.
Loosely based on the real life of Marty Reisman, a legendary American table tennis player, the film is set in 1950s New York. It centers on Marty Mauser, a 23-year-old shoe salesman and table tennis player, as he pursues his dream amid a series of absurd events.
The film has already earned Chalamet the award for Best Actor — Comedy or Musical at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes earlier this year. It currently holds a 93 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 89 on Metacritic, affirming its status as one of the most anticipated films for local audiences this March.
