Timothée Chalamet Will Play Bob Dylan In His Next Oscar-Worthy Role

It looks like Timothée Chalamet will be the next Hollywood leading man to take on the persona of a music legend. Multiple outlets report that the actor is deep in talks to play Bob Dylan, with Ford v Ferrari’s James Mangold set to direct. Dylan himself is also executive producing the film from Fox Searchlight.


The movie — which doesn’t have an official title nevertheless, however has been known as Going Electric — will relive the musician’s transition from folk prodigy to electric rocker in the mid-1960s. At the time, plugging in was a blasphemous move. Yet, luckily for us, Dylan was able to disregard the booing and naysayers to make some of the most celebrated music of all time.


Deadline reports that Chalamet has already began guitar lessons to make for the role, nevertheless there’s been no word either way as to whether he’ll sing in the film. Most importantly, Timmy’s beloved ‘do should be safe; his famed flop is needless to say similar to Dylan’s signature look.


The role could mark a new milestone in Chalamet’s career. Critics like movies about beloved musicians. Last year, the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody won four Oscars (including one for star Rami Malek), making it the most awarded film of the night. Malek also won the Golden Globe for his efficiency, and the film took residence the best prize for Best Motion Picture — Drama. This year, the Elton John-produced Rocketman has already won two Golden Globes, including Best Actor for lead Taron Egerton. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Chalamet has been in the awards season conversation for the past few years, thanks to roles in Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, Beautiful Boy, and Little Women.


As far as accolades go, Mangold also brings a lot to the table. He’s currently in the thick of awards season, with Ford v Ferrari occupying a near-constant spot in the conversation. He previously wrote and directed the 2005 Johnny Money biopic, Walk the Line, which won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, and earned Reese Witherspoon a Oscar. Before that, Mangold had written and directed Girl, Interrupted, which turned Angelina Jolie into a Oscar winner in 2000. More recently, he broke new ground at the Oscars any time his script for 2017’s Logan became the opening superhero movie to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.


Chalamet’s annual awards season buzz combined with Mangold’s winning track record and Dylan’s illustrious life story sounds like the exact recipe for film excellence.