Josh Safdie’s Scrapped Vampire Finale for ‘Marty Supreme’ Unveiled

Josh Safdie, the creative force behind the much-talked-about sports drama Marty Supreme starring Timothée Chalamet, has let slip a rather unexpected detail about the film’s original ending. While punters who’ve seen the final cut know it wraps up with a moving look at the circle of life, Safdie’s first plan was a fair bit stranger—he wanted to finish with a full-blown vampire moment.

During a recent chat on the A24 Podcast with fellow filmmaker Sean Baker, Safdie opened up about the early drafts of the script. The conversation turned to the oddball casting of real-life business mogul Kevin O’Leary, better known to telly fans as Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank. In the film, O’Leary plays Milton Rockwell, a cutthroat executive and the main antagonist to Chalamet’s Marty Mauser. At one point, Rockwell tells Marty,

‘I was born in 1601. I’m a vampire. I’ve been around forever’

—a line meant to show his dominance, not to be taken at face value. But as it turns out, Safdie originally wanted to take that line quite literally.

Behind the Scenes: A Supernatural Twist

Safdie described how the initial ending would have seen Rockwell ambush Marty during a concert with his granddaughter. The director explained,

‘You’re on his eyes, we built the prosthetic for Timmy and everything, and Mr. Wonderful shows up behind him and takes a bite out of his neck, and that was the last thing in the movie. And he hasn’t aged. And I remember A24 and everyone was like, “This is a mistake, right?”’

The studio, not keen on mixing horror with sports drama, decided to steer the story in a different direction, leaving the vampire prosthetics unused.

Instead, the film now closes with a reflective sequence, showing Marty observing the ebb and flow of life, a choice that’s been praised for its emotional punch. Still, the idea that the film nearly ended with a supernatural shocker has left fans and critics alike wondering what might have been.

Chalamet’s Standout Performance and Awards Buzz

Timothée Chalamet’s turn as Marty Mauser has been widely recognised as a career highlight. He’s already picked up a Critics Choice and a Golden Globe for the role, and many reckon he’s a strong chance for his first Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards. The awards circuit is always a bit of a lottery, with plenty of upsets in recent years, but Chalamet’s performance has been hard to ignore.

Odessa A’zion also features in the cast as Rachel Mizler, adding depth to the story. The film, running for a solid 150 minutes, was penned by Ronald Bronstein and Safdie himself, with Chalamet also taking on a producer’s role. Marty Supreme hit cinemas on 19 December 2025, quickly becoming a talking point for its bold storytelling and unique casting choices.

Unusual Casting and Creative Choices

The decision to cast O’Leary, a bloke more at home in the boardroom than on a film set, raised a few eyebrows. His portrayal of Milton Rockwell, a ruthless executive, is a far cry from his reality TV persona. The line about being a centuries-old vampire was originally just a bit of bravado, but in Safdie’s first vision, it would have taken on a whole new meaning.

While the supernatural ending never made it to the big screen, the story behind it adds another layer to the film’s already colourful production history. It’s a reminder that even the most grounded dramas can have a few surprises lurking in the wings.