Overview

• Josh Safdie and Timothée Chalamet surprised a packed Alice Tully Hall by unveiling the film as the New York Film Festival’s secret screening, with Safdie noting he finished the cut at 2 a.m. and calling the crowd the first to see it.
• Initial reactions from attendees praised Chalamet’s turn as career-best and reported a standing ovation, fueling immediate awards chatter.
• Set in the 1950s, the sports dramedy centers on ping-pong phenom Marty Mauser and is loosely inspired by table tennis figure Marty Reisman, marking Safdie’s first solo feature since splitting from his brother.
• With a reported $70 million budget—A24’s largest to date—the film is slated for a U.S. theatrical opening on Dec. 25.
• The cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Tyler Okonma, Kevin O’Leary, Abel Ferrara and Fran Drescher, and Chalamet says he trained in table tennis for years; he also shared a new teaser online following the premiere.