In the biographical trailer, Timothée Chalamet performs as Bob Dylan, causing controversy online.
James Mangold, the director of the upcoming Bob Dylan film, discusses in-depth Chalamet’s “acting brilliance” and much more in his first in-depth interview.
The subject of James Mangold’s Bob Dylan film, A Complete Unknown, posed a clear inquiry to him prior to the start of production. “What’s this movie about, Jim?,” The story revolves around a man who is choking to death in Minnesota, runs away from his family and friends, reinvents himself in a new location, befriends new people, begins a new family, achieves extraordinary success, and then chokes to death once more.
Dylan grinned as he processed everything. That’s nice, he said.
Although there isn’t an official release date for A Complete Unknown yet, Mangold suggests it might be out as early as December in the first teaser trailer that was released today. The narrative of the movie starts when Dylan first arrives in New York in 1961 and finishes soon after his electrifying 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance. The film stars Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, Elle Fanning as his lover Sylvie Russo (who, according to Mangold, is just a renamed Suze Rotolo, Dylan’s real-life girlfriend from that era), Edward Norton as folk hero Pete Seeger, and Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez.
The transition of Timothée Chalamet into Bob Dylan for the upcoming biopic A Complete Unknown—which opens in theaters this December—was first seen to the public. Is Chalamet a singer in the movie, and does the teaser trailer feature the actor’s true voice?
Directed by James Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and written by Jay Cocks, A Complete Unknown from Searchlight Pictures is based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric!”.
As per the official description, the film is set in the early 1960s in New York and chronicles the meteoric rise. His songs and mystique became a worldwide sensation, culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
In the first teaser for his upcoming film, Timothee Chalamet portrays folk-rock icon Bob Dylan in his youth, complete with a song.
A Complete Unknown, the biopic, will be released in the US in December, making it a strong contender for the Oscars the following year.
After he controversially “went electric” four years later, the film concludes with Chalamet’s Dylan arriving in Greenwich Village, New York, in 1961, holding an acoustic guitar and carrying $12 in his pocket.
Chalamet performs the 1963 hit song A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall in the teaser, sporting Dylan’s signature disheveled hair.
The actor was praised by director James Mangold, who previously directed the Oscar-winning 2005 Johnny Cash drama Walk the Line, for having the courage to “throw himself at this” and stand out there while being vulnerable.
Was Timothee the one who performed the songs? If so, that’s amazing because it sounds a lot like Dylan. Whoa,” remarked someone else.
Some, meanwhile, were not as impressed. One person wrote, “That singing ain’t it.”
Mangold granted Rolling Stone permission to make any required corrections in post-production, but only after the actors had completed their own singing.
“And Timmy participated in this as well. He was desperate to do so. Timmy truly underwent years of incubation as a musician due to the several years of preparation we had for this film due to false beginnings with Covid and other issues.”
A Complete Unknown chronicles Dylan’s ascent to prominence as the musician whose intimate and lyrical folk-rock tunes transformed American music.
The real Dylan, who is identified as an executive producer, gave the filmmaker his okay.
Chalamet had already acted in Wonka and Dune: Part Two, two of the biggest movies of the previous year.
The 28-year-old, who received a nomination in 2018 for his breakthrough picture Call Me by Your Name, may now be considered for a second Oscar.
Monica Barbaro as singer Joan Baez and Edward Norton as folk hero Pete Seeger are also in the cast of A Complete Unknown.
In the 2007 movie I’m Not There, Dylan was portrayed on screen by Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, and Marcus Carl Franklin.
