Timothée Chalamet Will Do His Own Singing in Upcoming Bob Dylan Biopic, Says Film's Director

James Mangold expects his Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown to begin filming in August

Timothee chalamet; Bob Dylan
Photo: Getty (2)

Timothée Chalamet is prepared to portray Bob Dylan's iconic singing voice himself.

While speaking with Collider at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London on Friday, director James Mangold — who is set to direct the biopic on top of a newly announced Star Wars project — told the outlet that Chalamet, 27, will sing as Dylan, 81, in the upcoming movie.

"It's such an amazing time in American culture, and the story of Bob's — a young, 19-year-old Bob Dylan coming to New York with two dollars in his pocket and becoming a worldwide sensation within three years," Mangold, 59, told the outlet about the untitled movie during an interview. "First being embraced into a family of folk music in New York and of course kind of outrunning him at a certain point as his star rises so beyond belief."

Mangold, who also told the outlet that filming on the movie will begin in August, said: "Of course!" when asked if Chalamet will sing in character as Dylan.

"It's such an interesting true story and about such an interesting moment in the American scene," the director added as he noted that real-life figures like Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger each "have a role to play in this movie."

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director Mangold previously announced in a December Twitter post that the biopic is titled A Complete Unknown, a reference to the musician's 1965 song "Like a Rolling Stone."

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At the time news of the project was first announced in 2020, it was reported that the movie would center around Dylan's controversial transition to the electric guitar in the '60s and his road to becoming a folk music legend.

Chalamet's vocal chords have their work cut out for them; the Dune star is also set to sing and dance as a young Willy Wonka in the upcoming Wonka movie musical, set to release in December.

Timothée Chalamet is seen as Willy Wonka during filming for the Warner Bros and the Roald Dahl Story Company's upcoming movie 'Wonka' on October 11, 2021, in Lyme Regis, England
Finnbarr Webster/Getty

"This movie is so sincere, it's so joyous," the actor told Vogue UK about Wonka back in September as he confirmed that he has seven musical numbers in the movie.

Aside from A Complete Unknown and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, filmmaker Mangold is set to direct one of three movies in a new Star Wars series. Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Ahsoka) and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel) will helm the other two, with Obaid-Chinoy's movie featuring Daisy Ridley's return as Rey.

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