Following Back to Black, anyone waiting for the next music biopic can soon look forward to something new. Timothée Chalamet becomes Bob Dylan for A Complete Unknown.
The life and work of famous musicians has been popular material for films and series for decades. This year, we have already seen Bob Marley: One Love on the big screen, while the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black is currently showing in cinemas.
Anyone eagerly awaiting the next installment can look forward to a real highlight in the near future. A Complete Unknown, a biopic about music legend Bob Dylan, is already in the works. The lead role is played by none other than Dune 2 mega-star Timothée Chalamet
A Complete Unknown: Timothée Chalamet becomes Bob Dylan
Timothée Chalamet is following in high-caliber footsteps. Todd Haynes (Carol) already took on the myth of Bob Dylan in 2007 and filmed individual facets of the music legend’s life in I’m Not There with seven different actors – including Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere.
For Logan director James Mangold’s approach, Chalamet will now be the only Dylan to be seen, focusing on his rise as a musician in New York City in the early 1960s. However, Chalamet is going all out for this and will even be heard as Dylan himself in the film. The Wonka star trained extensively in advance with the vocal team that already brought Austin Butler to peak vocal performance for Elvis. The first set recordings were published via Indie Wire and others:
Timothée Chalamet, as Bob Dylan, and Monica Barbaro, as Joan Baez, were spotted filming a scene together yesterday in New Jersey for James Mangold’s upcoming biopic.
More about the film: https://t.co/rTVnIiGika pic.twitter.com/JSX4ZFcPUb
– IndieWire (@IndieWire) April 16, 2024
In search of his great role model Woody Gurthie, Dylan moved to New York City in 1961 at the age of 19. He became increasingly popular in the city’s folk scene and was soon able to secure a contract with Columbia Records by performing in small clubs. His rise as a musician eventually brought him international fame, which was put to the test when he decided to turn his back on the folk genre and go in a more rock direction.
For A Complete Unknown, James Mangold received the blessing of Bob Dylan
James Mangold co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York) and based it on the 2015 novel Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald*. On the Happy Sad Confused! podcast, Mangold explained that the movie focuses on a specific moment in Dylan’s story rather than his entire life:
I think the best movies based on a true life are never told from cradle to grave, but about a specific moment.
Timothée Chalamet has clocked into his shift as “young Bob Dylan.”
More: https://t.co/0FqOqKc8rS pic.twitter.com/wDaK1FMzxM
– Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) April 18, 2024
This is precisely the reason why Bob Dylan himself gave Mangold’s project his blessing. The director sat down with the music legend over several days to discuss the script for A Complete Unknown:
I spent several wonderful days in the company of [Bob Dylan] and talking to him alone. The script was personally commented on by him and appreciated by me. He loves movies. When we first sat down together, he started off by saying, ‘I love Cop Land.’
