“A Complete Unknown,” a Bob Dylan biopic dramatizing the “Dylan goes electric” phase of his career (when he switched from acoustic to electric instrumentation) and starring Timothée Chalamet as the singer/songwriter, has a new date courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. The James Mangold-directed movie will bow on Christmas Day, firmly cementing its place in this year’s awards race.
Mangold directed the movie from a script he co-wrote with Jay Cocks, based on the nonfiction book “Dylan Goes Electric!” by Elijah Wald. The movie features a starry cast of famous people playing real-life figures, like Edward Norton (as Pete Seeger), Elle Fanning (as Sylvie Russo), Monica Barbaro (as Joan Baez), Boyd Holbrook (as Johnny Cash) and Scoot McNairy (as Woody Guthrie).
“A Complete Unknown” was produced by Fred Berger, Alex Heineman, Peter Jaysen, Bob Bookman, Alan Gasmer, Jeff Rosen, Chalamet and Mangold.
Mangold’s last film was last summer’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the fifth film in the celebrated franchise starring Harrison Ford (and the first not directed by Steven Spielberg). Chalamet is, of course, coming off the back-to-back hits of “Wonka” (released at Christmas) and “Dune: Part Two,” which finally came out this spring.
“A Complete Unknown” opens on December 25.
