LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Bob Dylan performs on a double bill with Neil Young at Hyde Park on July … [+]
While A Complete Unknown director James Mangold is unsure Bob Dylan will ever see the movie, he at least had the pleasure of hearing Dylan read the script aloud, said one of the film’s producers.
A Complete Unknown—starring Timothée Chalamet as Dylan during a crucial time in his life and career from 1961 to 1965—opened in theaters on Christmas Day.
In a recent interview with Business Insider, Mangold said, “I honestly have no idea” in response to the question of whether he thinks Dylan will watch the movie.
“I sympathize with his quandary,” Mangold added. “Do I ever want to watch a movie where some dude is playing me and acting out significant moments in my life? Is that going to be nothing but pleasant or is it going to be weird as hell?”
Mangold also told Business Insider that Dylan not only took the time to read the script he wrote with Jay Cocks, the legendary musician gave him notes, ideas and showed him “where he would make lifts in some songs.”
“[He would] give me the benefit of his wisdom and his insight about that period so I might even dig deeper into those scenes, that was a huge gift and all the generosity I could ever expect from him,” Mangold further noted.
But, as A Complete Unknown producer Peter Jaysen noted in a recent appearance on The Town With Matthew Belloni podcast (via Consequence), Dylan went so far as to do a table read of the script with Mangold.
“He met with Jim Mangold multiple times,” Jaysen told Belloni. “At one point they sat there and they read the entire script out loud, with Jim Mangold reading every part and stage direction, and Bob Dylan only reading lines of dialogue for himself.
“Through that process, [Dylan] sat there writing notes on the script,” Jaysen added. “At the end of the last session with Jim Mangold, he signed the script and said, ‘Go with God.’”
The Bob Dylan Biopic Is Winning Over Critics, Audiences And Awards Season Voters
Rotten Tomatoes critics to date have collectively given A Complete Unknown a 78% “fresh” rating based on 202 reviews.
The RT Critics Consensus reads, “Charged by Timothée Chalamet’s electric performance, this ballad of Bob Dylan might not get under the enigmatic artist’s skin but will make you feel like you’ve spent time in his company.”
Even more complimentary of A Complete Unknown are RT’s users, who have given the film a 96% “fresh” rating on the site’s Popcornmeter based on 2,500-plus verified ratings.
But the positive reception for A Complete Unknown doesn’t stop there. The film has also earned Best Picture nominations from the Golden Globes (Motion Picture Drama) and the Critics Choice Awards, as well as Best Actor nominations from the organizations for Timothée Chalamet.
Since the film’s release on Dec. 25, A Complete Unknown, per The Numbers, has earned $25.6 million from 2,835 theaters.
Also starring Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro and Boyd Holbrook, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown is playing in theaters.
