Timothée Chalamet has officially ascended to the throne of the Christmas box office, marking his third consecutive holiday season of dominance at the cineplex. This reign began with the family-friendly musical "Wonka" in 2023, continued with the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" in 2024, and was further solidified by the ping pong adventure "Marty Supreme" this year. The latter film notched a stellar $27 million over the four-day frame, and Chalamet's reign is expected to continue with "Dune: Part III," set for release on December 18, 2026.
"Every year, it seems, Timothée has a major hit during the crucial holiday moviegoing period," notes Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore. "Regardless of genre—whether it's a musical, biopic, sci-fi, or comedy—his choice of material and collaborators has made him not just a bona fide movie star but a box-office draw."
"Marty Supreme" confirms Chalamet's status as an actor whose name alone can sell movie tickets. This is a rare distinction, especially for a star who is synonymous with a season for moviegoing. The most recent example is perhaps Will Smith, who was once known as Mr. Fourth of July. Starting with 1996's "Independence Day," several of Smith's biggest blockbusters were released around July 4th weekend.
With $17 million over the traditional weekend, "Marty Supreme" debuted at No. 3 in North America behind "Avatar: Fire and Ash" ($64 million) and "Zootopia 2" ($20 million). Those initial ticket sales stand as the second-biggest debut to date for A24 after Alex Garland's "Civil War" ($25 million over the traditional three-day weekend). The film, which launched a week earlier in limited release, has generated $28.3 million to date.
The movie, which cost $70 million to produce, is expected to remain a box office draw into the new year due to positive reviews (a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes) and great word-of-mouth (a "B+" grade on CinemaScore). Staying power will be crucial, however, as "Marty Supreme" needs to generate a significant amount of coinage to justify its price tag, the biggest ever for an A24 film.
Directed by Josh Safdie, "Marty Supreme" is a frenetic comedy-of-errors that follows the fictional Marty Mauser as he pursues his dream of becoming a table-tennis champ. "This was a gutsy, creative risk—a period sports drama—and it's going to pay off, thanks to Chalamet and great holiday playing time," says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.
In terms of opening weekends, "Marty Supreme" ranks between Chalamet's other Christmastime releases. "Wonka," a fantasy musical about a young, aspiring chocolatier Willy Wonka, opened to $39 million in mid-December and eventually earned $218 million domestically and $634 million worldwide. Then "A Complete Unknown," a drama about the counterculture icon Bob Dylan, bowed to $11.6 million on Christmas Day and ultimately racked up $75 million in North America and $140 million globally. Those films didn't have record-breaking debuts, but they all benefited from playing over the lucrative holiday season. This stretch between Christmas and New Year's is traditionally the busiest week of the year.
Chalamet, who recently turned 30 years old, has elevated his profile through blockbusters such as "Dune" and indie favorites such as "Call Me By Your Name," "Lady Bird," and "Little Women." The projects that followed were commercial risks, even if they appeared like obvious wins on paper. Although "Wonka" benefitted from brand awareness—it's a prequel to the beloved "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"—it's the kind
