Timothée Chalamet Just Broke John Travolta's 45-Year Box Office Record
Mentioning Timothée Chalamet and John Travolta in the same sentence feels sort of absurd at first — but the young "Dune" star just shattered a box office mark previously held by the "Pulp Fiction" veteran.
According to a box office report in IndieWire, Chalamet broke a record last set by Travolta 45 years ago; specifically, he starred in two top-grossing films released within a few months of each other thanks to December's "Wonka" and this month's "Dune: Part Two." As the outlet says, "Checking back, we can't find anyone who can claim that (as a lead in a live-action film, as opposed to ensemble Marvel casts) to accomplish that since John Travolta did it for 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Grease' in the late 1970s."
Since it hit theaters on March 1, "Dune: Part Two" has blown everyone away at the box office and earned glowing reviews from critics to boot — and though it's not entirely surprising that it crushed the box office, it does mark an incredible accomplishment for Chalamet. Travolta posted a screenshot of the news on his Instagram, accompanied by the caption, "Congratulations Timothée! It's great to have someone to share my box office record with. Sincerely, JT." (Sadly, we were all robbed of Travolta trying to say Chalamet's name out loud á la "Adele Dazeem.")
Timothée Chalamet's status as a bonafide movie star is definitely beyond dispute by now
With this major milestone, Timothée Chalamet is undeniably an enormous movie star ... which might seem strange if you know him best from independent films like "Call Me By Your Name" or Greta Gerwig movies like "Lady Bird" and "Little Women." (Sadly, he missed out on appearing in another 2023 blockbuster when scheduling prevented Chalamet from making a cameo in "Barbie"). But Chalamet helps drive people to the theater. As IndieWire noted, the massively successful Dune films feature a sprawling ensemble cast that includes heavy-hitters like Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and many more, so calling Chalamet a true movie star based on those could be contested. However, "Wonka" is a Chalamet-centric vehicle, proving that the young star is a major box office draw.
The Oscar nominee has two huge films up next on his plate; photos recently circulated of Chalamet in costume as Bob Dylan for the biopic "A Complete Unknown" (directed by James Mangold), and he's expected to reprise his role as Paul Atreides if Denis Villeneuve decides to make "Dune: Messiah." In an age of myriad streaming services and a plethora of choices, it's clear audiences love Timothée Chalamet.