Edward Norton has gone green, turned into a Neo-Nazi, hunted a serial killer, studied the stars, and more, but for his next performance, he’ll be transformed into a legendary rocker. Deadline reveals that the Academy Award-nominated actor will be stepping in for Benedict Cumberbatch to appear as musician Pete Seeger in James Mangold’s upcoming Bob Dylan biopic. The film, titled A Complete Unknown, will star Wonka’s Timothee Chalamet as the mumbling folk star and will also feature Elle Fanning (The Great) as Dylan’s love interest and artist, Sylvie Russo. Cumberbatch was initially tapped for the project in May of last year before backing out due to scheduling conflicts.
A Complete Unknown will stick with the most transformative days of Dylan’s career. Following the young folk singer and his guitar around the streets and stages of New York City during the year 1965, Dylan traded in his acoustic for an electric and brought a new sound to the industry. The love story between Dylan and Russo will also be tied into things, as the pair were seemingly inseparable during this time in their lives and served one another as muses. We can expect a good chunk of the film to focus on the creation and release of Dylan’s fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home, as that was when his electric sound really took the front seat with the classic tune, “Like a Rolling Stone”, changing everything people expected from him.
As for Norton’s portrayal of Seeger, a true pioneer of the folk sound, Seeger would often be seen singing from behind his banjo or acoustic guitar. Although many may not realize it, songs like “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?”, “If I Had A Hammer,” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” were all penned by Seeger before bands like Peter, Paul, and Mary and The Byrds made them the hits they’d become. As for his relationship with Dylan, the pair’s paths would cross at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, with Dylan having recently faced criticism surrounding his switch from acoustic to electric. Dylan idolized Seeger, but a reportedly negative reaction that Seeger had towards Dylan’s performance that day would forever leave a mark on Dylan’s heart.
Edward Norton’s Sprawling Career
From horror to comedy, drama to romance, Norton has covered just about every genre under the sun during his decades-spanning time in the business. Always keeping busy, A Complete Unknown is Norton’s return to the craft following his most recent collaboration with Wes Anderson in 2023’s Asteroid City and his leading role in Rian Johnson’s 2022 comedic whodunnit, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Known for playing complex characters, as can be seen in titles such as American History X, 25th Hour, and more, Norton will feel right at home in the Mangold-helmed biopic.
As of right now, no release window has been announced for A Complete Unknown, but you can stream Norton’s most recent performance in Asteroid City now on Amazon Prime Video. Check out the trailer below.
via Collider