There has been quite a lot of uproar in recent weeks regarding the decision by Warner Bros. to release their entire slate of 2021 movies both in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously, and one project very much at the center of the controversy is Denis Villeneuve's Dune. The movie, which was originally supposed arrive this month, was pushed back to October 2021 a couple months ago so that it would potentially have the opportunity to play on the big screen in a post-pandemic world, and the filmmakers and stars since have expressed feelings of having the rug pulled out from under them following the big streaming announcement.
Villeneuve made his feelings known via a Variety column; actors Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa have let their thoughts be known via social media; production company Legendary Entertainment may be contemplating legal action; and now Timothee Chalamet has entered the fray with what seems to be a very specifically-chosen T-shirt.
The Call Me By Your Name star was the host on Saturday Night Live this past week, and while there was no mention of Dune or the HBO Max streaming situation in the actual show, it was hard not to pay attention to what the actor wore at the end while delivering thank yous and saying goodnight to the crowd. As you can see in the still at the top of this article, Timothee Chalamet chose to don a black hoodie with Legendary Entertainment's logo on it for the moment, and it doesn't take a huge leap in logic to guess that it's his way of showing solidarity with the production company while they try and make Dune a big screen only blockbuster again.
Frankly, it's not hard to see why Timothee Chalamet would choose Legendary's side in the on-going battle – if that is in fact the statement he's trying to make with his sartorial choice. While the young actor certainly has garnered a lot of respect and attention from the film industry thanks to films like the aforementioned romantic drama with Armie Hammer and Greta Gerwig's Little Women, Dune marks the first time that he has played the lead role in a massive blockbuster, and when that happens to a young star they typically don't envision audiences watching the film for the first time in their living rooms. He surely wants people to have the full big screen experience with the massive sci-fi feature, and if things don't radically change in the next year that's not really going to be possible... unless the movie gets moved from the 2021 slate and/or is made an exception to the HBO Max plan.
As things currently stand, Dune – which also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, Zendaya, and Charlotte Rampling in addition to all of the names mentioned earlier – is slated to be released on both HBO Max and in theaters on October 1, 2021. If the situation changes, you can be sure that we'll be reporting on it, so stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates.
