“The real experience comes when we can influence a community to congregate in a strange, dark space,” the “E.T.” filmmaker said.

Steven Spielberg shades Timothée Chalamet’s ballet and opera remarks at SXSW

"The real experience comes when we can influence a community to congregate in a strange, dark space," the "E.T." filmmaker said.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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March 13, 2026 7:06 p.m. ET

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Steven Spielberg commented on Timothée Chalamet's opera and ballet remarks. Credit:

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Steven Spielberg is weighing in on the Timothée Chalamet discourse.

The *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* filmmaker made a subtle jab at the *Call Me By Your Name* actor during a broader conversation about the theatrical experience with *The Big Picture*'s Sean Fennessy at SXSW on Friday.

"Netflix is a great company to work with, but the real experience comes when we can influence a community to congregate in a strange, dark space," Spielberg said. "It happens in movies. It happens at concerts. And it happens in ballet and opera!"

Steven Spielberg at the Oscars Nominees Luncheon in February.

Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty

The *Lincoln* director's comments prompted cheers from the crowd, who undoubtedly recognized that last statement as a response to Chalamet's recent comments about the performing arts.

During a CNN/*Variety* town hall conversation with Matthew McConaughey last month, Chalamet discussed the possibility of theatrical filmgoing become a more niche form of entertainment that is constantly on the brink of collapse.

"I've done it myself — go on a talk show and go, 'Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. You know, we gotta keep this genre alive,'" he said. "And another part of me feels like, if people wanna see it, like *Barbie*, like *Oppenheimer*, they're gonna go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it."

Chalamet continued, "And I don't wanna 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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Though the *Dune* star's comments seemed to primarily stem from concern about the mainstream appeal and financial longevity of moviegoing, skeptics saw Chalamet's remarks as a dig at the value and quality of the performing arts, prompting backlash from ballet and opera performers as well as appreciators of both disciplines.

One such responder was legendary dancer Misty Copeland, who was part of the *Marty Supreme* promotional campaign that saw numerous celebrities wear specialty jackets with the film's title emblazoned on the front.

"First I have to say that it's very interesting that he invited me to be a part of promoting *Marty Supreme *with respect to my art form," Copeland said. "But I think that it's important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that's not 'popular' and a part of pop culture as movies are, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have enduring relevance in culture."

Timothée Chalamet at the Actor Awards on March 1.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Others who have responded to Chalamet's comments include the Metropolitan Opera, Nathan Lane, *Jeopardy*, Bradley Whitford, Karla Sofia Gascón, and Doja Cat (who later retracted her criticism).

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Elsewhere in the SXSW conversation, Spielberg revealed that his next directorial project will be a Western. "It's gonna have horses," he promised. "There will be guns."

However, Spielberg noted that his Western will be pointedly distinct from earlier examples of the genre."There'll be no tropes, I can just tell you that," he said. "There are gonna be no stereotypes, no tropes."

*Reporting by Tiffany Kelly and Selena Schorken.*

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