The film follows 19-year-old Bob Dylan’s arrival to New York City in 1961 seeking to find his hero, an ailing
Woody Guthrie. He is embraced by the New York folk scene (Guthrie,
Pete Seeger,
Joan Baez and others) who recognize his talent. He finds gigs in downtown clubs and soon becomes a sensation, under contract at
Columbia Records. The film follows Dylan's ascendance into a cultural phenomenon, his strong relationships in the folk music world and his ultimate transition away from folk music, forming a band, confusing his fans and disappointing the music community who first took him in.[3]
It was announced in January 2020 that
James Mangold would be writing and directing a biopic about
Bob Dylan, specifically centred around the
controversy surrounding his switch to electric guitars, with
Timothée Chalamet cast as Dylan. At this time, the film was referred to as Going Electric.[8] By October, cinematographer
Phedon Papamichael stated that the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic had put the project into doubt.[9] Chalamet regardless spent time researching Dylan during the pandemic, visiting former homes of Dylan in
New York City and consulting director
Joel Coen during this time.[10][11] Mangold had also met with Dylan about the film, and stated that he annotated the script while also providing notes to Chalamet.[12] In an October 2023 interview, Chalamet stated he was working with the same team of vocal and movement coaches that worked with
Austin Butler for his performance in Elvis (2022).[13]
In November 2022, Chalamet stated he was still attached to the film and actively preparing for it, the project having gained momentum again after stalling.[14] In February 2023, the film was officially titled A Complete Unknown, and it was stated that Mangold would begin work on the project following his obligations to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.[15]Monica Barbaro would enter final negotiations to portray
Joan Baez in April.[16] In May,
Elle Fanning was cast to play Sylvie Russo,[17] with Mangold announcing
Benedict Cumberbatch would be portraying
Pete Seeger in the film.[18] Barbaro would also be confirmed for her role, beginning singing and guitar lessons to prepare.[19] Mangold would state in July that the film wasn't necessarily focused on being a Dylan biopic, but an
ensemble drama in the vein of
Robert Altman.
Boyd Holbrook and
Nick Offerman would also join the cast in that time.[12] In October,
P.J. Byrne was noted as being amongst the cast.[20] In January 2024,
Edward Norton was revealed to portray the role of Seeger, replacing Cumberbatch who left due to scheduling issues.[21] Additional casting including
Scoot McNairy,
Dan Fogler and
Charlie Tahan was announced in March.[1]
Filming
In April 2023, Mangold stated that
principal photography would likely begin in August 2023 in
New York City and
Montreal,[22] but filming was postponed in July due to the
2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[23] By early 2024, filming was scheduled to begin in late March 2024, and was expected to occur throughout
New Jersey.[24] Filming eventually began on March 16.[25]