Film opinion: Timothée Chalamet is becoming this generation’s biggest movie star
Timothée Chalamet is in the race for an Oscar for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.
However, a recent box office record is proving Chalamet has real star material.
Film News Blitz’s David Bason ponders whether Chalamet is this generation's biggest movie star.
Are movie stars an old-fashioned concept?
Old Hollywood was built on movie stars: Carey Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Marilyn Monroe.
The Golden Age of cinema used the biggest names of the day to draw audiences into movie theatres.
This was a tried and trusted method that endured for decades.
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In the 80s, action stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger took precedence and through the 90s and 2000s stars like Brad Pitt and George Clooney emerged.
Film executives enjoyed banking their films on stars, but the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe represented a shift away from movie stars into franchises.
The MCU now has studios scrambling for IP and franchise material to make a buck and as such the idea of the movie star is slowly fading, with Tom Cruise perhaps one of the few enduring thespians left in this category.
Or is he?
As franchises like the MCU go through a midlife crisis, a new wave of movie stars including the likes of Glen Powell, Austin Butler and Paul Mescal are starting to emerge with Chalamet at the forefront.
A Complete Unknown is propelling Chalamet’s success
Director James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic is clearly geared towards gaining critical acclaim and awards recognition.
Rotten Tomatoes has handed it a positive 80% critics’ score with audiences landing it a near-perfect 96%.
Moreover, A Complete Unknown has been nominated for Best Film at the BAFTAs and Critics Choice Awards.
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Chalamet has been nominated in leading actor categories for both awards shows and has received an Oscar nomination as well.
In addition, the modest budget of $70 million is set to be returned once A Complete Unknown has toured through international theatres.
Opening in US theatres on Christmas Day, A Complete Unknown’s domestic gross has reached $58 million.
It has since moved to international markets from January 09 and has grossed an extra $4 million since.
Chalamet’s box office milestone
So, what does all this mean regarding Chalamet’s stardom?
Well, despite being regarded as one of the most talented young actors working today Chalamet is proving to be a big hit at the box office.
With A Complete Unknown passing the $62 million mark globally, Chalamet’s cumulative box office return for all of his films has passed the $3 billion mark.
Collider reports that this figure means Chalamet has surpassed the efforts of Steve Martin and is hot on the heels of the legendary Al Pacino.
His bit-part role in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar makes up the biggest portion of the $3 billion draw at $743 million, but a large chunk is comprised of leading roles.
Dune: Part Two ($715 million), Wonka ($634 million), and Dune ($430 million) account for $1.78 billion of Chalamet’s career gross at the box office with him the leading star of each film.
The combined prowess of acting in film award favourites and leading grand blockbusters for mainstream audiences is a gift reserved for the Hollywood elite.
Chalamet has risen to this ranking before hitting his 30s.
Most of his contemporaries succeed in one or the other.
For instance, Spider-Man Tom Holland is a young figurehead of mainstream cinema but has yet to break through into the awards faction of Hollywood.
Paul Mescal, meanwhile, has just started to toe the line between his staple indie features and the world of blockbusters with his success in Gladiator II.
Chalamet has mastered both arenas of cinema with aplomb.
With a potential Oscars win and a third Dune instalment in the works, Chalamet’s star looks set to rise further still.
The question remains, what projects will Chalamet pursue moving forward: awards favourites, blockbusters, or both?
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