Warner Bros. Doubles Down On Timothee Chalamet With Big New Deal Following Dune, Wonka Success
Warner Bros. is making a commitment to stay in the Timothee Chalamet business. The legendary studio has signed the actor to a multi-year, first-look deal, which represents a sizable show of faith in the 28-year-old A-list star. But following the success of monster hits such as last year's "Wonka" and both "Dune" movies, it would be hard to blame WB for going all-in on Chalamet at this point.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, specifics of the deal have not been disclosed, but the deal extends to feature projects that Chalamet would both star in and produce. It also appears the deal is limited to movies and may not extend to TV. Chalamet had this to say about it in a statement:
"Working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and their teams on Wonka and Dune over these last few years has been a deeply rewarding experience. These are studio heads who believe in real movie making, and I'm so grateful for their support as an actor, producer and collaborator. This partnership feels like a natural next step. Let's go!"
Chalamet's track record speaks for itself at this point. "Wonka" became a much bigger-than-expected hit, taking in more than $600 million worldwide. That dovetailed right into "Dune: Part Two," which is about to cross the $600 million mark as well, and will likely finish its theatrical run closer to $700 million. Beyond that, the actor has been starring in huge hits dating back to his minor role in Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar." He can also deliver critical acclaim, which he proved in movies like "Call Me by Your Name" (which was also a commercial hit by the way), a performance that earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars. His star power has only continued to grow as the years roll on.
Warner Bros. is hoarding A-list talent
Well beyond Chalamet, this has become a big strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery under CEO David Zaslav. Yes, Zaslav has made a lot of enemies in Hollywood over the last year and change, largely because he's been willing to scrap movies such as "Coyote vs. Acme" and "Batgirl" for tax write-offs. But one thing that has been appealing to filmmakers about Zaslav's philosophy as it pertains to running a movie studio is that he is a big believer in the theatrical experience. He is actively anti-streaming movies. That has helped him lure a lot of big-name talent to WB in recent months. Warner Bros. motion picture group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy had this to say:
"Over the last few years, we have admired not only Timothée's commitment to his craft, which is evident in the range and depth of his varied roles, but also his unwavering dedication to give 100% of his time and attention to every project he has made here at Warner Bros. and elsewhere. His collaboration on the campaigns for Dune and Wonka is something we all enjoyed immensely, and the results speak for themselves," the statement continued. "We continue to build for the future of the theatrical film business at Warner Bros. Discovery and are thrilled Timothée has chosen our studio to be his creative home."
James Gunn ("Guardians of the Galaxy") is now the co-head of DC Studios and is currently directing "Superman," which will hit theaters next year. Tom Cruise, arguably our last true movie star, signed a deal to make movies at Warner Bros. earlier this year. "The Sixth Sense" director M. Night Shyamalan also set up a new deal at the studio beginning with his next film "Trap," after having built a relationship at Universal over the last decade. More recently, "Knives Out" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson signed a two-picture deal with WB. Chalamet can now add his name to that impressive list.