Very rarely do I hear of a movie casting that elicits a visceral reaction, but this morning I awoke to the news that Timothée Chalamet will be playing Bob Dylan and involuntary let out a full-body “hrrrnnngh.” Is that good? Is that bad? How many hairstyles can one young man possibly pull off? Am I completely terrified of the fans of both parties involved here? Let’s just move on to the facts.
Deadline reports that Chalamet, fresh off the heels of his role as the littlest man in Little Women, will be portraying the legendary folk musician in a new biopic by Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold. Tentatively referred to as Going Electric, it’ll be set in 1965, around the time Dylan controversially decided to switch from playing an acoustic guitar to an electric one, much to the chagrin of his fan base. So if you’ve ever wanted to watch Timothée Chalamet get booed by a crowd of thousands of people, you’re in luck. (If, like me, you wanted to see 24-year-old Timothée Chalamet play a 78-year-old Bob Dylan, no dice.)
Per Deadline reporter Mike Fleming Jr., Timmy somehow did not already know how to play guitar, but he's working on it:
I am not sure if he will sing Dylan’s great songs, but I’ve heard that Chalamet already is taking guitar lessons so he can familiarize himself with the acoustic and electric guitar.
Coincidentally, Luca Guadagnino—the director of Call Me by Your Name, in which Chalamet had his breakout role—is currently working on a movie based on Dylan’s 1975 album Blood on the Tracks. (It’s unclear if Dylan will eat the peach there.)
Chalamet is joining a storied lineup of actors who have portrayed Dylan, including Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, and, my personal favorite, John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox as Bob Dylan.
Our March 2018 cover star, Call Me by Your Name’s Timothée Chalamet, is a once-in-a-generation talent.
