Timothée Chalamet's portrayal of Bob Dylan in last year's award-winning biopic A Complete Unknown did wonders for elevating the folk-rock legend's profile for a new Gen Z audience, and the big cheeses at the International Table Tennis Federation will doubtless be hoping that the New York-born actor's lead role in the upcoming ping pong drama Marty Supreme will give the sport a similar boost.
One musician who's already expressed his excitement for the latest headline-grabbing offering from A24, the white-hot production company which has brought the world Everything Everywhere All at Once, Midsommar, Heretic, Hereditary, Love Lies Bleeding and more, is Peter Gabriel, and not merely because director director Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems, The Curse) has hand-picked one of his '80s deep cuts for the film's soundtrack.
Alongside contributions from Tears For Fears (Everybody Wants to Rule the World), New Order (The Perfect Kiss), Public Image Ltd (The Order Of Death) and The Korgis (Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime), the soundtrack for the 1950s-set comedy-drama will feature Gabriel's I Have The Touch, originally released on his fourth eponymous solo album, from 1982. And the 75-year-old prog icon has admitted that he's chuffed to have been included.
"I was delighted that I Have the Touch was chosen for the soundtrack of Marty Supreme," Gabriel posted on his website. "The song is rarely asked out for a dance and I have always loved table tennis. Now there seems to be a real buzz about the film. Although I have it in my Academy pack we are waiting to see it on the big screen in the Christmas holiday. On tour we always have a table backstage for any of the crew or band to jump on."
In his post Gabriel also pointed out the "curious fact" that his song, plus the tracks chosen from The Korgis and Tears For Fears were all written and recorded around the city of Bath. Keep that trivia in your back pocket for an upcoming pub quiz.
Marty Supreme is set in 1950s New York, and finds Chalamet playing aspiring table tennis star Marty Mauser, a character loosely based on real-life table tennis champion Marty Reisman. The film, which has already earned three Golden Globe Awards nominations, is scheduled for release in the UK on December 26.
Daniel Lopatin's original score for the film will be released on December 25 on A24 Music.
Watch the trailer below.
