Steven Spielberg takes sly dig at Timothee Chalamet’s controversial remarks

Steven Spielberg is the latest Hollywood movie-maker to weigh in on Timothée Chalamet’s controversial remarks about opera and ballet.

The Jurassic Park director took a sly dig at the Wonka actor’s comment that “no one cares about” ballet and art forms while talking about movie theatres experience at the 2026 SXSW Conference and Festival on March 13.

Steven appreciated working with Netflix but he noted that the “real experience comes when we can influence a community to congregate in a strange, dark space where all of us are strangers”.

Taking a jab at Timothee, the legendary movie-maker further said that at the “end of a really good movie experience, we are all united with a whole bunch of feelings that we walk into the daylight with, or into the nighttime with”.

Jaws director went on saying, “There’s nothing like that. It happens in movies, and in concerts,” reports Variety.

And it happens in ballet and opera, by the way,” mentioned the 79-year-old.

Later, addressing the crowd, Steven added, “We want that to be sustained. We want that to go forever.”

Besides Steven, Whoopi Goldberg, Doja Cat, Nathan Lane, Karla Sofía Gascón, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jamie Lee Curtis, Charlie Puth and other ballet as well as opera stars were some of the celebrities who publicly slammed the Marty Supreme actor over his comments.

Some sources claimed that “Stop Timmy” campaign has gained momentum ahead of the Academy Awards on March 15, as per Daily Mail.

Earlier, Timothee joined Matthew McConaughey during Variety and CNN town hall at the University of Texas at Austin.

The Dune actor’s comment that sparked outrage across the art fraternity, added, “I don't want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive,' even though it's like, no one cares about this anymore.”

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