After Timothée Chalamet took aim at the ballet and opera communities, that was pretty much all the 2026 Oscar attendees could speak about.

“Security is extremely tight tonight,” host Conan O’Brien opened his Sunday, March 15, monologue. “I’m told there’s concerns about a tax from both the opera and ballet communities.”

Chalamet, nominated for leading actor for his role in Marty Supreme, recently proclaimed that he wasn’t interested in either art form.

“Some people want to be entertained quickly. I’m really right in the middle because I admire people [saying], ‘Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. We gotta keep this genre alive,’” Chalamet told Variety in February. “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.”

Related: 2026 Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals: Stars Bring Their Fashion A-Game

The 2026 Oscars red carpet was as glamorous as ever. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Deal of the Day Taylor Swift’s Exact Kendra Scott […]

Chalamet, whose grandmother and mother are retired ballerinas, quickly walked back his comments and gave “all respect to the ballet and opera people out there.”

“Damn, I just took shots for no reason,” the actor quipped.

Chalamet didn’t further address the controversy in the lead-up to the Oscars or at the ceremony itself.

Keep scrolling for a guide to all the ballet and opera mentions at the 2026 Academy Awards:

Conan O’Brien’s Monologue

Oscars host Conan O’Brien couldn’t resist adding in a joke about Timothée Chalamet’s comments in his monologue.

“Security is extremely tight tonight. I just got to mention that,” O’Brien said. “I’m told there’s concerns about a tax from both the opera and ballet communities.”

O’Brien paused as the camera panned over to Chalamet, who coyly laughed off the reference.

“They’re just mad you left out jazz,” O’Brien added.

A Ballet Pioneer

During the Sinners musical tribute, the cast was accompanied by Misty Copeland for its rendition of “I Lied To You.” (Copeland was the first Black principal at the American Ballet Theatre before her retirement in 2025.)

“That’s definitely how it seems, but it was not at all,” Copeland told Vogue ahead of Sunday’s performance, denying her performance was a rebuttal to Timothée Chalamet. “I had agreed to do this before any of this stuff was happening and had blown up the way that it has.”

Ballet and Opera Can Change the World

The Best Live Action Short Film was awarded to The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva. During the latter’s acceptance speech, Alexandre Singh touched on the two art forms.

“We believe that art can change people’s souls,” Singh said in his speech. “Maybe it takes 10 years time but we can change society through art, through creativity [and] through theater and ballet … and also cinema.”

Kevin O’Leary Is Still All-In on Timothee Chalamet

On the red carpet, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary speculated that Timothée Chalamet’s comment wouldn’t have an impact on his chances at winning an Oscar.

“I just put 1,000 bucks on [betting app] Kalshi walking in here that he’s gonna win,” O’Leary told Variety. “Because I know the voting stopped long before that controversy happened. He’s a really great guy, his mother’s really nice. The kid is a great kid. He took a bum rap on that. By the way, he gave a lot of promo to opera houses and ballet.”

For months, One Battle After Another looked like the movie to beat. It had the reviews, the momentum, the pedigree, and the kind of across-the-board support that usually signals a Best Picture winner before envelopes are even opened, and now it is official.

One Battle After Another has won Best Picture at the 2026 Academy Awards, giving Paul Thomas Anderson the night’s biggest prize and closing out one of the strongest awards runs of the season. Written and directed by Anderson, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a former political radical and single father, with a cast that also includes Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Chase Infiniti.

The film entered the ceremony with 13 Oscar nominations, making it the second-most-nominated movie of the year, behind only Sinners. It was widely seen as one of the top contenders all season long, with major outlets and prediction-market coverage all pointing to it as a major frontrunner heading into Oscar night. By the time the Oscars arrived, the movie had already solidified itself as a consensus prestige heavyweight, with outlets repeatedly describing the Best Picture race as essentially a showdown between Anderson’s film and Sinners.

Related

Strap on Your Hockey Masks; It’s Friday the 13th — The Collider Movie Quiz!

Because today is Friday the 13th, let’s march our way through the iconic slasher franchise. Ch-ch-ch-ch. Ha-ha-ha-ha.

Advertisement

How Good Is ‘One Battle After Another’?

Collider’s review stated that One Battle After Another finds Paul Thomas Anderson working on his largest canvas yet — and proving that even at blockbuster scale, his filmmaking instincts remain as sharp as ever. Known for ambitious, character-driven films like Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and Licorice Pizza, Anderson has spent decades refining a style that blends humor, emotional depth, and sweeping storytelling. With this sprawling new project, loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, he delivers something unexpected: a politically charged action film that still feels unmistakably like a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, as Ross Bonaime opined.

“Anderson has executed an unbelievably rare feat: a big-budget studio action film that maintains his specific tone and style, with a film that feels essential to our troubled modern times. One Battle After Another is the type of film that only comes along a few times a generation, a masterfully crafted work that speaks to our present as a defining work of what it was like to live in our present era. Anderson does that with humor, tension, fear, and care, in a film that’s both one of the director’s and 2025’s best.”

One Battle After Another is streaming now on HBO Max. Stay tuned for more updates.

Advertisement

Release Date

Advertisement

September 26, 2025

Runtime

162 minutes

Advertisement

Director

Paul Thomas Anderson

Writers

Advertisement

Paul Thomas Anderson, Thomas Pynchon

Producers

Adam Somner, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Prince William is not missing any opportunity to share his love for his mom, Princess Diana, out loud!

The Prince of Wales celebrated the late humanitarian on Mother’s Day, Sunday, March 15, 2026, on Instagram, 29 years after she lost her life in an auto crash at the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.

Prince William’s post comes amid reports that nothing positive has developed in his estranged relationship with his younger brother, Prince Harry, despite Princess Diana’s wish that they must always be there for each other.

Inside Prince William’s Emotional Mother’s Day Post 

The official handle of the Prince and Princess of Wales shared an adorable image of the young Prince William, then two years old, and his loving mother in a field of flowers at Highgrove in 1984. Diana was dressed in a bright pink sweater, a collared shirt, and denim pants, as she squatted behind William, who wore a white-and-blue shirt and pink pants. 

The photograph, which was taken over four decades ago in the open field, was accompanied by the caption that read, “Remembering my mother, today and every day. Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother’s Day. W.”

The post gathered nearly 500k likes and thousands of comments from people who fondly remembered the late princess alongside the future king. Commenters described Diana as a wonderful woman who left behind a legacy that her kids have carried on with honor.

The Mother’s Day Post Unlocked Years Of Pleasant Memories In The Comments

Prince William’s touching post drew heartfelt comments in the comment section, with most attesting to the bond between the mother and son. “Such a tender and beautiful memory. The love between mother and child shines through this moment in nature- truly touching and timeless,” this fan declared.

Other commenters assured William that his mother is very proud of him from up above while extending heartfelt wishes to the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, who shares three kids with the royal. “She would be so proud of you, PW. You are a credit to her legacy, your family, your country, and the commonwealth,” this fan acknowledged in the comments.

Prince William was born on June 21, 1982, at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, nearly one year after the late Princess Diana and King Charles tied the knot in their fairytale wedding on July 29, 1981.

Prince William Vowed To Do Things Differently As Regards His Family Exposure To The Media

The Prince of Wales and his brother practically grew up in the eyes of the media, which made the aftermath of their mother’s death difficult, as they were just teenagers at the time of her death. As shared by The Blast, Prince William spoke about the importance of learning from his troubled history with the media and channelling that into creating a safe space for his children to grow up in.

He referenced how difficult it was to navigate life as a child while his parents dealt with such a public divorce and haunting headlines from tabloids. William emphasized that he is determined to ensure his kids do not carry the trauma of a controversial childhood into adulthood.

Advertisement

“If you let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family. And so, I take a very strong line about where I think that line is, and those who overstep it, I’ll fight against,” the royal declared. He also spoke about the conscious decision he and Kate make to reduce their kids’ access to phones and find other ways to engage, such as playing their favorite outdoor sports.

Princess Diana’s Sons Have Strayed From Her Primary Wish For Them

The royal, who died tragically at the age of 36, was reportedly very elated at the thought of birthing two boys because she believed the older would protect the younger in the turbulent waters of ruling the monarchy. Unfortunately, both boys were struck with the tragedy of losing her, and decades after that, the bond between them has dwindled.

According to Andrew Morton, Diana’s biographer, she might have been able to avert the ongoing feud between William and Harry if she were still alive. As shared by The Blast, the strained bond between the once inseparable brothers has reportedly also spilled over to the next generation due to the geographical distance. Harry and his family moved to America in 2020, while stepping down from their position as senior working royals.

They subsequently expanded their family when they welcomed Lilibet in 2021, and hopped right into building their empire on American soil. Morton stated that these dynamics now mean there is no relationship between William’s children and Harry’s kids. He added that things were said when their feud began shortly after Harry’s wedding in 2018, and they never healed, nearly a decade later.

Prince William Reportedly Carrying The Larger Load In Feud With Prince Harry

Royal author Omid Scobie weighed in on the state of Harry and William’s relationship against the backdrop of alleged reconcilatory efforts by Harry behind the scenes. The author noted that in 2023, when Harry released his controversial memoir, he did all he could to get in touch with William both directly and through mutual friends, but he was iced out.

Scobie added that, even with a few instances of reunion between Charles and Harry, little could be said about any progress between the two brothers. The author continued that for a while, the ball has been in William’s court to reach out to Harry or give him an audience, but he has chosen to look the other way.

Advertisement

The royal author then declared that William’s way of handling this feud may haunt him in the long run, especially when he becomes king and heads an even more complex system. In Scobie’s words, “There’ll be a lot of things that he stands for, or will seemingly stand for. And if he’s unable to mend a fracture, for all the reasons that we know are behind it, with his brother, I think that also says something about him as a future monarch that may not work in his favor.”