Timothée Chalamet seemingly made a subtle dig at Warner Bros during his Saturday Night Live hosting stint.
The studio caused controversy after announcing it would release every one of its films simultaneously on streaming service HBO Max in the US throughout 2021.
This means that many films that were guaranteed to be blockbuster hits, including The Matrix 4 and a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, will be available to watch at home as well as in the cinema.
Legendary Pictures, who financed Dune and Godzilla vs Kong, which will also be included in the same deal, received no warning ahead of Warner Bros’ decision.
Bosses are said to be considering legal action against HBO Max as a result of the announcement.
In what could be seen as a reference to the drama, Chalamet – who stars in Dune – wore a Legendary Pictures hoodie in the final part of his guest appearance as host of Saturday Night Live (12 December).
“We’ve all been through a crazy year,” he told the audience while wrapping up the show, adding: “We could do a little bit of kindness. Every bit of kindness counts.”
While he didn’t mention the controversy while wearing the outfit, many viewers assumed it was a pointed reference – especially considering he would originally have been booked to appear on the sketch show to promote Dune, which was originally set to be released on 18 December.
It will now come out on 1 October 2021 after being delayed due to the pandemic.
"Timothée Chalamet pointedly wearing a Legendary Pictures sweatshirt at the end of his SNL appearance, which was probably initially booked as Dune promo," one viewer wrote.
A fan account added: "This is Timothée's way of supporting@Legendary in the backstabbing that Warner Brothers has done to prop up HBOMAX.
Someone else called it “a power move”, stating: “We all know where he stands on this. Respect.”
