Throwback to Timothée Chalamet’s 2018 Dune moment that captured the internet’s attention

Timothée Chalamet has established himself as one of the most talented actors of this generation. He has impressed critics and audiences alike with his performances in small-budget films like Beautiful Boy, Lady Bird, The King, Call Me By Your Name. Additionally, he has also starred in big-budget films like Wonka, Don't Look Up, The French Dispatch, and Little Women.

However, it was Denis Villeneuve’s pièce de résistance, Dune and Dune: Part Two that cemented the young actor's position as a bonafide Hollywood star.

In 2018, Timothée Chalamet was pictured reading Frank Herbert's novel Dune while going downtown on the F Train in Brooklyn. The picture was taken by Matt Starr, who shared it on Instagram in October 2021, to coincide with Dune's release in theaters.

In the picture, Timothée is seen dressed in all black and wearing a Rowing Blazers bath club hat. The Instagram post has had amassed around 4k likes so far.

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How did Timothée Chalamet sign on to star in Dune?

Timothée Chalamet plays Paul Atreides in the 2021 film Dune (Image via Instagram/@dunemovie)

In an interview with Empire Magazine in August 2021, Timothée Chalamet revealed how he pursued director Denis Villeneuve to star in Dune. He recounted:

"I knew just from the film blogs that Denis had been working on it. I’d already done a good bit of research on the history of the project...... I was feeling a deep desire to be involved. Then when he (Denis) was on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival, he asked me to fly out there to meet with him about it. I had read two or three chapters of Dune, and then in preparation for the meeting busted out the rest of the book."

It was during this time that the actor was rushing to finish the book that Matt Starr likely saw him on the subway and took the picture.

In March 2022, the film's director Denis Vileneuve revealed to Backstage Magazine that he only had Timothée Chalamet in mind for the role of Paul Atreides. He said:

"I needed an old soul in the body of a teenager, and he was the perfect actor to bring that."

Chalamet was finalized to play Paul Atreides in the sci-fi thriller in July 2018. He shot for the film from March 18, 2019, to July 26, 2019. The movie was filmed at locations like Budapest in Hungary, Wadi Rum in Jordan, Liwa Oasis in the United Arab Emirates, Rub’ al Khali desert in the Arabian Desert, and Stadlandet in Norway.

In the movie, Chalamet played the young heir of House of Atreides who is prophesied to be the leader of the Fremen people from the desert island of Arrakis. Dune was released on October 26, 2021. The film grossed over $400 million at the box office and won six Academy Awards in the technical departments.

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Timothée Chalamet reprised his role in Dune: Part Two

Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler as seen in Dune: Part Two (Image via Instagram/@dunemovie)

Timothée Chalamet’s most recent film appearance was in Dune: Part Two, released on March 1, 2024. The sequel saw his character Paul Atreides integrate himself with the Fremen people of Arrakis and start a war against the House of Harkonnen.

He was joined by an ensemble cast comprising Zendaya, Austin Butler, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, and Léa Seydoux.

Upon its release, Dune: Part Two was greeted with overwhelmingly positive reviews. Directors like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron praised the film as a cinematic masterpiece.

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