A Complete Unknown, Starring Timothée Chalamet Is Out This Weekend
One of Hollywood’s biggest stars is taking on the role of one of music’s biggest legends- Dune and Wonka actor Timothée Chalamet has been attached to the role of Bob Dylan for several years now, and we’ve finally got the release this week.
The trailer for A Complete Unknown shows the Oscar-nominated Chalamet morphing into Dylan, with the film charting his mid-60s career, and his musical innovations. Starring opposite him is Elle Fanning (The Great) and Edward Norton (Glass Onion)- here’s all we know…
What is A Complete Unknown about?
Like many music biopics of the last few years, A Complete Unknown takes a music icon, in this case, the beloved songwriter Dylan, and tells their story- but this film zeroes in on a specific part of his career. Chalamet plays Dylan as he was rising to fame and reverence in the ’60s, with albums like The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and songs like The Times They Are a-Changing becoming emblematic of a generation. The singer decided to make the controversial choice to move away from his folky roots and begin using an electric guitar, with crowds at his shows heckling him. It’s based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! which analyses this period.
Who stars?
But of course, while we can’t wait to see how this all unfolds onscreen, for now, the hype is Chalamet’s Dylan himself. Does he sound like him? Can he sing with his inimitable vocals? From the first trailer, it seems like he can, as well as certainly looking the part – glasses, dark hair and all. Meanwhile, other key members of the cast include Edward Norton playing Pete Seeger, who has the opening lines in the trailer, recalling an early performance by Dylan that was “a glimpse of the future”. Elle Fanning stars as Suzie Rotolo, Dylan’s girlfriend in the early 60s who’s immortalised on the cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, and will feature prominently in the story.
Also in the mix are Monica Barbaro (Top Gun: Maverick) as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as Johnny Cash, Dan Fogler (The Offer) as Albert Grossman and P.J Byrne (The Wolf of Wall Street) as Harold Leventhal. In the director’s chair is James Mangold, who made films like Ford V Ferrari and Logan.
When does it release?
You’ll be able to see exactly what Chalamet brings to the role of the legendary musician when A Complete Unknown arrives in cinemas on 17th January 2025.
