Upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, has cast Edward Norton to play the role of veteran folk singer Pete Seeger. Originally, Benedict Cumberbatch was set to play the role of Seeger, but he withdrew from the project due to scheduling conflicts, paving the way for Norton to take up the part. The film, which has been long-awaited, stars Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan and Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, with James Mangold directing. The production, which begins in March, will focus on Dylan’s controversial decision in 1965 to embrace the electric guitar, rather than chronicling his life and career.
Pete Seeger played an integral part in Dylan’s career, being an early supporter of the renowned musician and the man who invited Dylan to perform his first-ever electric set at the Newport Folk Festival. Timothée Chalamet will reportedly perform his own singing in the biopic, with Bob Dylan serving as an executive producer. In preparation for his role in the upcoming film, Chalamet had access to a 12-hour playlist of unreleased Dylan songs recorded between 1959 and 1964, thanks to Dylan’s longtime manager Jeff Rosen, who will also be serving as a producer on the movie.
The biopic began as a project announced in 2020, before being delayed indefinitely later in the year without a release timeframe shared. Filming was first expected to begin in August of this year, but the ongoing Hollywood strikes led to delays. Production is, however, reportedly slated to commence early next year. In the meantime, Dylan personally annotated Chalamet’s script and spent several days with Mangold discussing the film
Read the full article on NME here: Read More