There’s never a bad time to be Timothée Chalamet (have you seen his cheekbones?!?), but it was an especially good time to be Timothée Chalamet this weekend. After lengthy delays, Dune and The French Dispatch were both released on Friday. The former is his first attempt at a blockbuster, while he’s part of an ensemble cast in the latter, but Chalamet is excellent in both films. And both films had big debuts at the box office.
Dune opened to $40.1 million the North American box office, which is “the biggest three-day tally for Warner Bros. since the company began its day-and-date strategy on HBO Max,” according to Variety. Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction novel has earned another $180 million overseas, good for a $220 million global total. Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch won’t cross the $200 million mark at the box office (it also didn’t cost $165 million to make), but it is a certified hit in limited release.
The Searchlight Pictures movie grossed $1.3 million from 52 cinemas in 14 U.S. markets, or $25,000 per location. The previous best three-day opening weekend average of the pandemic era belonged to Venom: Let There Be Carnage ($21,309) and, before that, Black Widow ($19,400).
The French Dispatch has a ridiculously stacked cast, including Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson, and it’s Anderson’s best film in a long time. But it would be better if Venom was in it. The French Dispatch is technically a Disney movie; there’s no reason he can’t be in the bathtub with Timmy. Maybe in the director’s cut.
As for Chalamet, he will next appear in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, followed by (sigh) Wonka.
Dune DUne DUNE dUNE dun3 DuNe DuuuuunE Dyune DYuuuuuuune Dyyyyyuuuunnneeeee Doon Duninator Dern Derndonn dernflerf Dernnnnnnnn DUNNNNE Dune DUUUUNE
— Timothée Chalamet (@RealChalamet) October 21, 2021
(Via Variety and the Hollywood Reporter)
