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3w ago

Royal Ballet and Opera Says Chalamet Remarks Drove Ticket Spike

The company reports a social media surge that quickly translated into higher box-office sales.

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Chalamet attends the "Little Women" premiere on December 12, 2019 in Paris, France.
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Timothee Chalamet poses on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 2026.

Overview

  • Alex Beard, who spoke to The Times on Tuesday, said the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Instagram post drew about 2.5 million engagements and 500,000 shares, and ticket sales rose at once.
  • Chalamet’s line in a CNN and Variety town hall that he did not want to work in opera or ballet because “no one cares” about them triggered widespread pushback from performers and companies.
  • Opera and ballet institutions turned the moment into outreach, with the English National Opera inviting Chalamet, the Seattle Opera offering 14% off Carmen tickets with code TIMOTHEE, and the Met Opera posting behind‑the‑scenes clips.
  • Director Luca Guadagnino, speaking Monday in Italy ahead of his Death of Klinghoffer staging, defended Chalamet as worried about cinema’s future and said the arts should be united rather than divided.
  • A March TikTok compilation by @coccacocca that resurfaced older clips of Chalamet comparing film to opera and ballet drew millions of views and reframed the issue as a repeated stance, deepening the online criticism.