James Mangold is a very busy man these days. Fresh off completing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny for Disney and Lucasfilm, he was unveiled as the new director and writer of an original Star Wars film during Star Wars Celebration Europe, in London today.
Not only that, but he also confirmed exclusively to Collider that he would be penning his own Swamp Thing movie for DC, and now, in an interview with Collider's Steve Weintraub, held at the ExCel Centre after details of his Star Wars film were announced, he has revealed more details about his upcoming biopic of Bob Dylan, the legendary musician, with Timothée Chalamet set to play the lead role - singing and all. Mangold was able to reveal that the currently untitled biopic will likely start filming in "August of this year." In regards to what excites him about this story, Mangold told Collider:
"It's such an amazing time in American culture and the story of Bob, a young 19-year-old Bob Dylan coming to New York with $2 in his pocket and becoming a worldwide sensation within three years first being embraced and kind of into the family of folk music in New York. And then of course, kind of out running them at a certain point as his star rises. It’s so beyond belief, it's such an interesting true story and about such an interesting moment in America, the American scene, different characters from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, to Pete Seeger, to Joan Baez. All have a role to play in this movie."
The Bob Dylan biopic has been a long-gestating project for Mangold, with Chalamet attached for over three years now, but finally, a date for production to begin has been confirmed, which is extremely exciting, to say the least. The film also sees Mangold return to the biopic genre, following exceptional success in the field with the release of Ford v. Ferrari for 20th Century Fox back in 2019.
What Else Does Timothée Chalamet Have Coming Out Soon?
Chalamet has two massive films due for release this year, firstly in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two where he reprises his lead role as Paul Atreides, and then as the titular character in Wonka, the musical fantasy film by Paul King in which he plays a young version of the eccentric chocolatier from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.
Stay tuned to Collider for more information on the Dylan biopic as and when it becomes available. In the meantime, check out our chat with Chalamet on Dune down below.