Deadline brings word that Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) has entered negotiations for the lead role in Fox Searchlight’s forthcoming Bob Dylan biopic film titled Going Electric with Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold attached to helm the film. According to the outlet’s sources, even though Chalamet hasn’t officially signed on to play the legendary musician, he has already started preparing for the role by taking guitar lessons to familiarize himself with the acoustic and electric guitar.
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Going Electric will chronicle Bob Dylan’s rise in folk music and sudden transition to rock ‘n’ roll. The film will also see Dylan’s interaction with 1960s’ music legends which include Joan Baez, and Seeger. The Fox Searchlight-produced film includes the rights to the Pop Culture icon’s music rights and to author Elijah Wald’s book titled Dylan Goes Electric.
The film will be executive produced by Dylan along with Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Andrew Rona. Jeff Rosen, who is Dylan’s longtime manager has also signed on as a producer with Mangold, Veritas Entertainment Group’s Bob Bookman, Alan Gasmer and Peter Jaysen, Automatik’s Fred Berger, and The Picture Company’s Alex Heineman also set to produce.
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Chalamet recently starred as Laurie in Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation of Little Women which is still playing in theaters. He will next be seen in Denis Villeneuve’s star-studded epic sci-fi film Dune starring alongside Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. Chalamet is also part of the amazing ensemble cast for Wes Anderson’s forthcoming comedy-drama The French Dispatch.
Coming off from the critical success of Ford v Ferrari, this project will mark Mangold’s second musical biopic as he first directed the award-wining 2005 Johnny Cash-June Carter biopic film Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. His other notable film credits include Girl, Interrupted, Kate & Leopold, and Logan with the latter earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
(Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage and Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images)
