First Look at Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in New Biopic

Chalamet stars in James Mangold's A Complete Unknown.

By Jenna Anderson

From Willy Wonka to Paul Atredies, Timothée Chalamet has now been tied to some larger-than-life characters. Chalamet's latest role is set to be Bob Dylan, with the actor playing the folk pioneer in the upcoming film A Complete Unknown. After years of being in the works and assembling quite an ensemble cast, A Complete Unknown has now begun production — and we now know what Chalamet looks like in a costume.

Over the weekend, a series of set photos surfaced showing Chalamet filming A Complete Unknown, complete with a newsboy cap, a guitar, and layers of clothing. 

What Is A Complete Unknown About?

Directed by Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's James Mangold, A Complete Unknown will star Chalamet as Bob Dylan, as his debut shakes up the world of folk music. The film will also star Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Elle Fanning as Slyie Russo, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, Nick Offerman as Alan Lomax, and Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, replacing Benedict Cumberbatch. As Mangold has previously explained, A Complete Unknown is actually loosely inspired by the events of Dylan's actual life. 

"It's not really a Bob Dylan biopic," Mangold said during an interview last year. "The reason Bob has been so supportive of us making it, is it's about, as in all cases I think of the best true-life movies are never cradle to grave but they're about a very specific moment. In this case, it might sound Altman-esque, but it's a kind of ensemble piece about this moment in time, the early '60s in New York, and this 17-year-old kid with $16 in his pockets hitchhikes his way to New York to meet Woody Guthrie who is in the hospital and is dying of a nerve disease. He sings Woody a song that he wrote for him and befriends Pete Seeger, who is like a son to Woody, and Pete sets him up with gigs at local clubs and there you meet Joan Baez and all these other people who are part of this world."

Will Elvis Appear in A Complete Unknown?

In a recent interview with NME, Chalamet pitched a way for one of his Dune: Part Two co-stars, Austin Butler, to possibly factor into A Complete Unknown. As Chalamet suggested, Butler could reprise his role as Elvis Presley from 2022's Elvis, to play off of the pair's real-life dynamic.

"I wish you were in it!" Chalamet told Butler. "There's an Elvis character in the Johnny Cash biopic [Walk The Line]. It's really brief, it's very brief, but I was kind of wishing we could create a musical cinematic universe."

What do you think of the first look at Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown? Are you excited for the upcoming movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

A Complete Unknown does not currently have a release date.

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