Joccsh Safdie: A24 Thought Original ‘Marty Supreme’ Ending Was a ‘Mistake'

"Marty Supreme" has earned acclaim from critics and audiences around the world over the last several weeks, and the film looks to be a strong contender during awards season. Director Josh Safdie has been praised for his work on the film, as have several of the cast members.

Many expect Timothee Chalamet to be nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards after his performance as Marty Mauser, and some believe the film will be nominated for Best Picture.

The ending of the film is left to interpretation by the viewer, but Safdie recently revealed that he nearly took the movie in an entirely different direction by calling back to a line given by an important character.

More Focus on Marty In the Original Ending

In the film, Mauser is initially supported by, then embarrassed by Milton Rockwell (played by "Shark Tank" personality Kevin O'Leary). Rockwell tells Mauser that he's a "vampire" in an effort to intimidate him. This line isn't meant to be taken literally, but Safdie's initial vision for the film would have changed that.

During an episode of the A24 Podcast with fellow filmmaker Sean Baker, Safdie revealed the original ending to "Marty Supreme."

“He turns that [shoe store] into the most successful shop on Orchard Street. He changes it to Marty Mauser’s Shoes,” Safdie said, noting that the film initially told more of Mauser's story.

“Franchises, franchises again, leaves New York State, becomes a very rich man. All the metrics of success are there."

Safdie says Mauser would have taken his granddaughter to a Tears for Fears concert, with their hit song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" as a central motif.

“You’re on his eyes, we built the prosthetics for Timmy and everything, and Mr. Wonderful shows up behind him and takes a bite out of his neck, and that was the last image. And he hasn’t aged," Safdie said, taking the vampire line to its natural conclusion with the ending payoff.

The Original Ending Confused the Studio

Studio executives at A24, who distributed the film, asked Safdie if his original ending was a "mistake." In the end, Safdie reworked the ending to focus on Mauser's return from Japan and his decision to embrace the life and responsibility he spent much of the film trying to avoid.

O'Leary said that he was in favor of the original ending, telling Variety that Safdie was committed enough to the idea to “make digital teeth.”

“I know that sounds nuts, but to me that would be the right punishment."

An Oscar victory for "Marty Supreme" would be a first for both Chalamet and Safdie. Chalamet has been nominated in previous years - twice for Best Actor on the films "Call Me By Your Name" and "A Complete Unknown," and Safdie is seeking his first nomination after working on multiple highly-acclaimed films.