Bob Dylan Biopic Director Does not Know If Dylan Will See ‘a Full Unknown’

• James Mangold spoke to Enterprise Insider about his Bob Dylan biopic “A Full Unknown.”
• Mangold defined why Timothée Chalamet spoke in Dylan’s voice on set even when he wasn’t filming.
• He known as the true Dylan’s willingness to provide notes on the script a “enormous present.”

Author-director James Mangold remembers precisely the place he was and what he was doing 5 years in the past when he determined to make a Bob Dylan biopic.

He was in a resort room in Canada for the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition when he paused prepping for the world premiere of his 2019 film “Ford v Ferrari” to take a gathering with Timothée Chalamet, then a younger actor on the cusp of superstardom.

It did not take lengthy for Mangold to appreciate he’d discovered his Dylan. By the point Chalamet left the room, the 2 agreed to make a film on the life and instances of one of the crucial beloved singer-songwriters in American music.

Issues may not have gotten off the bottom as rapidly as they’d hoped — COVID occurred, Chalamet went and made the primary “Dune” film, Mangold made “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Future” — however all through these 5 years, the 2 continued to remain in touch and made separate pilgrimages to see Dylan.

Lastly, “A Full Unknown,” which depicts Dylan’s rise to fame alongside Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and his controversial change from acoustic guitar to electrical within the mid-Sixties, is in theaters.

Mangold is likely one of the few administrators working in the present day who has the talent and Hollywood studio expertise to tug off a Bob Dylan biopic. After discovering success together with his 2005 Johnny Money biopic “Stroll the Line,” which earned its stars Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar nomination and Reese Witherspoon an Oscar win, Disney’s Searchlight Footage arm knew the venture was in succesful arms.

“A Full Unknown” will not be a carbon copy of “Stroll the Line.” Whereas the latter delved deep into the dynamic between Johnny Money and June Carter, “A Full Unknown,” which Mangold co-wrote with Jay Cocks (“Gangs of New York”), examines the myth-building of Dylan and the way his skills elevated the Sixties folks music scene.

However simply as Mangold used “Stroll the Line” as a showcase for Phoenix’s skills, he is accomplished the identical with Chalamet in “A Full Unknown.” From speaking in Dylan’s voice even when the digicam wasn’t rolling to doing his personal singing and even rising out his fingernails (extra on that later), Chalamet immersed himself within the aura of Dylan, leading to one of the best efficiency his profession thus far.

Enterprise Insider spoke to Mangold over Zoom about Chalamet’s dedication to the function, whether or not the disappointing field workplace for “Dial of Future” has made him hesitant about growing his upcoming “Star Wars” film, and if he thinks Bob Dylan will ever watch “A Full Unknown.”

Enterprise Insider: You have now had sit-downs with Johnny Money and Bob Dylan whereas making their biopics. Have you ever developed a go-to icebreaker for if you first meet legends?

James Mangold: No. I haven’t got one. However the good factor is the script is the icebreaker. They’ve invited me into their houses or their areas as a result of they’ve learn a script I’ve written. So we’ve got one thing to speak about. I imply, once I met with Bob the ice breaker was, charmingly, him waxing poetic about loving my outdated film “Cop Land.” In order that in itself was trippy and flattering. 

Do you assume Dylan will ever watch “A Full Unknown”?

I do not know.

What’s your intestine telling you?

I actually do not know. The fact is I spent plenty of good time with him and I felt like I bought feeling for him. He does issues when he is prepared, he will get concerned with issues when he is prepared, he makes feedback when he is prepared.

I sympathize together with his quandary. Do I ever need to watch a film the place some dude is taking part in me and appearing out important moments in my life? Is that going to be nothing however nice or is it going to be bizarre as hell? So the truth that he took the time to learn my script, give me notes, give me recommendation, chip in concepts, present me the place he would make lifts in some songs, and provides me the good thing about his knowledge and his perception about that interval so I’d even dig deeper into these scenes, that was an enormous present and all of the generosity I might ever count on from him. 

Watching D.A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan documentary, “Dont Look Again,” confirmed one thing that is in your film: Dylan had some gnarly fingernails.

Yeah. 

Did Timmy develop these out or have been faux nails placed on him?

Yeah, he was rising them. Should you look earlier within the film, there are some scenes the place they don’t seem to be as lengthy. By the top, he had some full-on Nosferatu occurring. 

Rather a lot has been written about Timmy being Technique throughout filming, particularly talking within the Dylan voice if you weren’t taking pictures. I’d think about plenty of that has to do with him simply not desirous to lose the voice, proper?

Timmy’s not the one one that’s ever accomplished that, that is true for many of the actors in my films doing dialects, they do not simply do it and fall out of it the second the scene ends as a result of —

There is a concern of shedding the voice.

Properly, you are additionally attempting to make it increasingly internalized. You are attempting to make it one thing you do not have to consider. So, if you happen to’re turning it on and off, you are form of making your self hyper-aware of it. Should you’re simply deciding to stay in it, that is an entire different deal. 

Boyd Holbrook performs Johnny Money within the film. Was there ever a thought to name Joaquin Phoenix to see if he would do the Johnny Money scenes?

The thought occurred to me, however then I spotted he’d be 20-30 years too outdated to be taking part in the half. 

However you recognize film magic, James! The hair and make-up division would have helped him look youthful. 

Okay, however then what am I servicing? This type of meta-movie universe stuff that has plagued us sufficient? I am a giant fan of creating a film and giving the general public the film. Do not attempt to suture the film to a different film, simply personal it. In any other case films simply turn out to be this hyper-expensive tv collection during which we by no means cease making new episodes each couple of years. 

Talking of episodic movies, you are presently growing a “Star Wars” film. Are you much less assured engaged on that seeing what occurred with the reception for “Dial of Future”?

Properly, “Dial of Future” has an 87% viewers rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I imply, sure, they’d have hoped it made extra money, however I truly haven’t got plenty of disgrace a couple of film that is preferred by 87% of its followers.

The difficulty with “Star Wars” is not my worrying about if there’s an offended or resentful group that’s in some way dissatisfied in what I did in “Dial of Future.” Truthfully, that is their prerogative, that is a part of what makes films nice is you possibly can assume they’re superior or you possibly can assume they’re horrible. I can not please everybody and I am sorry they do not prefer it.

However in relation to “Star Wars,” the underside line is I do not even know if that is the following film for me. That is one thing that Beau Willimon and I are engaged on writing and all the opposite tripwires and judgments alongside the way in which. I do not need to make it until it is glorious.

This interview has been edited and condensed for size and readability.