Timothée Chalamet may not have got the part of Marvel’s Spider-Man, but he’s progressing in his career at a pace that Tom Holland can only dream of. With the double success of Wonka and Dune: Part Two, Chalamet has set a box office record after decades. He is the lead in the top two highest-grossing films in the domestic market over the last eight months.
Chalamet’s record is second only to John Travolta’s, who set the record at the peak of his career with the films, Saturday Night Fever and Grease, in 1977-78. The musical film, Wonka, defied expectations and went on to gross $628.5 million, while Dune 2 is closing in on the $500 million mark.
Timothée Chalamet’s New Record Is Almost Inaccessible To Other Gen Z Actors Like Tom Holland
After last week’s theatrical performances, Timothée Chalamet‘s Dune: Part Two has joined his other film Wonka as the second film to pass the $200 million mark in the domestic market. These two are the only films to achieve this feat since last July. The new Dune film is expected to cross Wonka‘s domestic market gross by the next weekend. According to Box Office Mojo, Wonka grossed $218 million at the domestic box office.
Dune 2 is expected to easily cross its pre-release domestic gross projection of $250 million. The film may even reach the $300 million mark in the U.S. and Canada. No other films, not even Kung Fu Panda 4, is expected to hit the $200 million mark anytime soon at the domestic box office. With these numbers, Chalamet has set a new box office milestone that hasn’t been achieved in Hollywood for a long time.
He is the actor with the top two domestic-grossing movies, sitting on the achievement for the last eight months. The feat becomes even more incredible when fans learn that it was last achieved by John Travolta in the late 1970s. Even Chalamet’s renowned contemporary Tom Holland cannot achieve this feat easily.
With ‘WONKA’ and ‘DUNE – PART TWO’, Timothée Chalamet has been the lead of the top two domestic grossing films over the last 8 months.
He is the first actor to accomplish that since John Travolta did it with “SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER” and “GREASE” in the late 1970s. pic.twitter.com/pqnaz1G9SI
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 17, 2024
Fans on X hailed him as the greatest actor among the GenZs of Hollywood. One fan noted that Chalamet’s career has been peaking in recent times. Fans also noted that the actor has a great dialogue delivery. The two completely different portrayals in Wonka and Dune 2 also earned him praise for his acting range. Some fans also took a dig at Tom Holland, sharing that he can’t relate to such records. Fan reactions read:
He's one of the most talented Gen Z actors pic.twitter.com/oRIgkpfFu8
— Dennis (@___theMenace) March 17, 2024
His career lately📈📈📈📈
— ش…🥀 (@yourafghangirll) March 17, 2024
He has great dialogue delivery
— 🦋Mikn affiliate Marketing 🦋 (@Mikn44) March 17, 2024
I’ve always felt that he was good actor, but the double whammy of Wonka into Dune: Part Two really showed me that this dude’s got the Sauce and a helluva range. Congratulations Mr. Chalamat, you’re a bona fide Movie Star.
— Tom C. Sullivan (@SomTullivan) March 18, 2024
Tom Holland can't relate
— ☄️ (@dreamsofspriing) March 17, 2024
However, there are caveats to this unique record. Both Wonka and Dune 2 did not have a major competitor in theaters for the past few months. All the big movies that were released during this time ended up being disasters. The SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes may have also influenced this 8-month record as it pushed the release of many major movies.
While Timothée Chalamet Was Busy Setting Records, Tom Holland Took A Break From Acting
Timothée Chalamet has achieved incredible heights in his career, while Tom Holland is taking it slow. Away from Marvel, Holland executive produced and starred in the series, The Crowded Room. The psychological thriller proved way too challenging for the actor. Speaking to Extra, Holland revealed that he had explored certain emotions in the series that he had never experienced before.
He also shared that the additional role of executive producer only added to the pressure. Following the series, he announced taking a break from acting. The Uncharted actor told Extra:
“It was a tough time, for sure. We were exploring certain emotions that I have definitely never experienced before. And then on top of that, being a producer, dealing with the day-to-day problems that come with any film set, just added that extra level of pressure. I’m now taking a year off, and that is a result of how difficult this show was.”
Eight months into his break, he appeared for another interview on Live with Kelly and Mark, where he expressed his gratitude for his fans who supported him through the tough times. While Holland is also exploring his acting range, it appears that he may take longer to reach where Chalamet has positioned himself.
Wonka and Dune (the first part) are now available for streaming on Max. Holland’s The Crowded Room is now available for streaming on AppleTV+.
