Bob Dylan is such an iconic, influential musician that filmmakers keep looking for new aspects of his life to turn into movies. James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown focuses on Dylan’s controversial transition from a folk music pioneer to the use of electrically amplified instrumentation, which many of his fans considered a betrayal.
The film stars Timothée Chalamet as a young Bob Dylan, as he makes the unexpected rise from a 19-year-old Minnesota musician to headlining concert halls and sold out stadiums. The film is based on Elijah Wald’s book, Dylan Goes Electric!, adapted for the screen by Mangold and Jay Cocks.
Also in the cast are Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Eriko Hatsune, Big Bill Morgenfield, Will Harrison, and Scoot McNairy.
SYNOPSIS: New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. As he forms his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement and, refusing to be defined, makes a controversial choice that culturally reverberates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history.
Searchlight Pictures releases A Complete Unknown in theaters on Christmas Day.
