Conan O’Brien has criticized the ‘painful’ opening monologue of the 2026 Oscars

Chalamet got into trouble after appearing on CNN Variety town hall chat with actor Matthew McConaughey, where the pair discussed the future of movie theaters and the changing habits of audiences.

During the discussion, Chalamet reflected on the debate over the future of cinema and the pressure some actors feel to publicly campaign for theaters.

He said, “I admire it when actors go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. You know, we gotta keep this genre alive.'”

The Oscar nominee added: “And another part of me, if people want to see it, feels like Barbielike Oppenheimerthey’re going to see it and do everything they can to be loud and proud about it.”

Chalamet continued the comparison by pointing to other performing arts that often rely on public support.

“And I don’t want to work in ballet or opera or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive.’ Even though it seems like no one cares about this anymore,” he said at the time.