April 01, 2024
SIPA USA/SIPA USA
'A Complete Unknown,' starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, has been filming in New York City and New Jersey. Above, Chalamet films a scene in Manhattan on March 24.
Timothée Chalamet, who most recently portrayed Paul Atreides in the blockbuster sequel "Dune: Part Two," may soon trade the sands of the fictional desert planet Arrakis for the Jersey Shore to film his next movie.
"A Complete Unknown," starring the Oscar-nominated actor as legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, will reportedly be filming in Cape May next month for scenes depicting the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, according to NJ.com. A casting agency is looking for New Jersey residents to act as extras during filming of the festival scenes.
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The 1965 Newport Folk Festival was the first time Dylan played an electric guitar onstage, angering some fans over his switch from acoustic folk to rock-and-roll. That festival was also the first time he performed his song “Like a Rolling Stone” live, a song from which the upcoming biopic gets its title.
"A Complete Unknown," set in the New York music scene of the early ’60s, follows the Minnesota musician's meteoric rise to the top of the charts, according to Deadline. The film will culminate with that groundbreaking 1965 performance in Rhode Island.
New York casting agency Grant Wilfley Casting has posted a casting call looking for "Cape May locals" to work as extras in a feature film shooting in Cape May from May 12-16. The agency said the scenes would "take place in 1965 at a concert." According to the post, the extras must be OK with wearing period-appropriate haircuts and facial hair, working around smoke and have no allergies to wool.
Grant Wilfley casting director Melissa Braun told NJ.com that the name of the movie filming in Cape May is “Wurtzle Brothers,” which is presumably a stand-in name for "A Complete Unknown." Movies are often referred to by fake names while filming to avoid paparazzi or passionate fans from interfering with production.
"A Complete Unknown" began filming in New York City, where Chalamet was seen in costume filming in downtown Manhattan, in March before moving to New Jersey. The movie is scheduled to film in the state through June, hitting locations in Hudson, Passaic, Essex and Cape May counties. Chalamet was recently spotted filming at the Miss America Diner in Jersey City.
Along with Chalamet, the cast of "A Complete Unknown" includes Edward Norton, Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro. James Mangold, who directed the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," will direct the Searchlight Pictures film, which he co-wrote alongside Jay Cocks ("Gangs of New York"). Chalamet and Dylan are producers on the film.
“I have a script that’s personally annotated by (Dylan) and treasured by me,” Mangold said on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast last year. “He loves movies."
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