Timothée Chalamet Takes Marty Supreme to Asia, Film Eyes $200 Million

Timothée Chalamet's promotional machine for A24's ping-pong drama Marty Supreme rolled into Asia this week, with the actor kicking off Japan and China legs of a campaign that has already pushed the film to $172.8 million worldwide and within striking distance of $200 million.

The Asia leg was announced March 5, timed to theatrical openings in Japan on March 13 and China on March 20. The international expansion comes after a U.S. and global run that stacked up some of the more inventive marketing stunts in recent memory for a sports-themed film.

The campaign's most-discussed moments read like a fever dream of cross-platform activation. A blimp video went viral and launched a full U.S. tour. A merchandise truck traced a route from New York to London to Brazil. A stunt atop the Sphere in Las Vegas generated its own headlines, and Chalamet turned up in a music video by rapper EsDeeKid. A Nahmias tracksuit collaboration pulled in a crowd of recognizable names: Tom Brady, Kid Cudi, Bill Nye, and Misty Copland were all spotted wearing it on social media.

A24 also leaned hard into the film's table tennis identity. The studio launched its first-ever popcorn bucket for any film, shaped as a giant orange ping-pong ball, alongside a limited-edition Wheaties box. An Airbnb-partnered table tennis pop-up opened in New York, giving fans a way to physically connect with the film's subject matter before they ever bought a ticket.

The combination of merchandise, physical activations, and celebrity amplification has kept Marty Supreme in conversation well past its domestic release window. With Japan opening this Thursday and China following a week later, the film has a clear path to clearing $200 million before the Asia run is complete. For a ping-pong drama from A24, that's not a stat anyone would have penciled in at the start.