'A Complete Unknown': Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know About the Timothée Chalamet-led Bob Dylan Biopic (2024)

Hollywood is having a biographical moment. Currently leading the charge is box office hit Oppenheimer, but recently we've seen a slew of films and shows about other familiar famous faces.

In the past five years, we've had biopics on both the big and small screen with Blonde, Judy, First Man, and King Richard. That's not even counting all the recent musician biopics such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Respect, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, George & Tammy, and Pistol.

Coming down the pipeline is the biopic A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet as the iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Originally titled Going Electric, the film is one of the most anticipated musical biopics since 2022's critically acclaimed Oscar nominee Elvis.

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on January 25, 2024.

Is There a Release Date for 'A Complete Unknown'?

Currently, there is no release date for A Complete Unknown, as the film is still in pre-production. If you need a Bob Dylan fix sooner, check out the 2019 film Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese.

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Is There a Trailer for 'A Complete Unknown'?

Because the movie has yet to enter production, there is no trailer for A Complete Unknown. For now, you'll have to put on some Bob Dylan and look at pictures of Timothée Chalamet to get in the mood.

Who Stars in 'A Complete Unknown'?

Chalamet as Dylan isn't the only big name in the upcoming flick. Academy Award Nominee Edward Norton will also star in the biopic as Pete Seeger, a folk musician who helped mold Dylan into the incredible artist he became. Fellow Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch was previously cast in the role but left due to scheduling conflicts.

Also starring in the film are Boyd Holbrook, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Nick Offerman, and P.J. Byrne. Holbrook will be playing the incredibly talented country singer Johnny Cash. This would mark Holbrook's third collaboration with Mangold after starring in Logan and most recently, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Fanning, known for her role as Catherine in the hit Hulu show The Great, is playing possible love interest Sylvie Russo. It is rumored that the Russo character is inspired by Suze Rotolo, the artist that Bob Dylan dated in the 1960s. Top Gun: Maverick actress Barbaro is playing folk music artist Joan Baez, another love interest in Dylan's life. Offerman, most known for his role as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, will play Alan Lomax, while Byrne, who has a memorable supporting role as Adam Bourke on The Boys and Gen V, will play Harold Levanthal.

What Is 'A Complete Unknown' About?

It is reported that the film will center around Bob Dylan's big break into the music industry as a folk artist who took the risk of playing electric guitar at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Chalamet says he will do his own singing in the film, which he also took on in the recently released Wonka.

The other known characters in the film hint at other possible plot scenarios. Cumberbatch's role as Pete Seeger points to a possible storyline that explores Seeger's friendship with Dylan, or possibly Seeger's alleged disapproval of Dylan's electric set at the folk festival. The presence of Holbrook as Johnny Cash is another great character in the life of Bob Dylan, as the two met in 1964 and continued their correspondence for decades afterward. They even once collaborated on a song, "Girl From the North Country," a classic that continues to find new life and audiences today and was featured in the Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook. Including Fanning and Barbaro's characters in the movie suggests several possible love interest plot lines for the film. If Fanning's Sylvie Russo is really paying homage to Suze Rotolo, we can expect some love and loss, as she dated Dylan from 1961 to 1964, right before his big break. While Rotolo went on to marry someone else, her relationship with the folk musician is forever cemented in the cover of his hit album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

Who Is Making 'A Complete Unknown'?

As previously mentioned, the film is being directed by the masterful James Mangold, who is no stranger to directing music-centered projects. He wrote and directed the 2005 film, Walk The Line, centered around the life of Johnny Cash. The film led to Reese Witherspoon winning an Academy Award for her portrayal of Cash's wife, June. Like Walk the Line, Mangold's projects have a habit of being Oscar-worthy, as he's also directed Girl, Interrupted, 3:10 to Yuma, Logan, and Ford v, Ferrari, all of which were nominated or won their own Oscars.

Mangold is also listed as a producer on the film, alongside some other well-known names, like Fred Berger (La La Land), and Bob Dylan himself. Writing the film alongside Mangold is Jay co*cks, whose credits include the screenplay for Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York. Francois Audouy serves as the production designer on the film and has worked closely with Mangold in the past on movies like Logan and Ford v. Ferrari. His other credits include hits like Jurassic World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and most recently, the Ben Affleck-directed Nike flick, Air.

When Will 'A Complete Unknown' Film?

Back in April 2023, Mangold told Collider that filming for A Complete Unknown was set to commence in August. However, with the current SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, filming was delayed indefinitely

Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown' You Can Watch Right Now

Walk the Line (2005) - If you want to check out director James Mangold's style before A Complete Unknown is released, check out the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line, which Mangold also directed. Joaquin Phoenix was met with critical acclaim for playing Johnny Cash, and Witherspoon nabbed an Oscar for playing Cash's wife June. Like Elvis, the movie follows the younger Cash up until his rise to fame and the ups and downs that notoriety brought into his life.

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Elvis (2022) - With eight Oscar nominations and an all-star cast (we're looking at you, Tom Hanks), Elvis took over the box office when it premiered in 2022. The film follows Elvis's childhood through his rise to fame in the 1950s and the complicated relationship he had with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Hanks). The film was directed by auteur Baz Luhrmann, whose other hits include 2013's The Great Gatsby and 2001's Moulin Rouge!

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Rocketman (2019) - For something a bit more fantastical, try the Elton John-centered Rocketman, a dreamy trip through the piano man's career. While the imaginative nature of the film is different from that of Elvis and Walk the Line, Rocketman still packs a punch all its own. Like Chalamet did for A Complete Unknown, the film's star, Taron Egerton, did his own singing as Elton John. The film, which was executive produced by Elton John, was a box office hit and is a great look into the mind and music of one of the best musicians in the world.

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