A Complete Unknown

Like a Complete Unknown
New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. On his meteoric rise, he forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village. The story culminates in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates around the world. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history.
by James Mangold (Director, Screenplay), Jay Cocks (Screenplay)
with Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Scoot McNairy
USA 2024 English 140' Colour German premiere Rating R 6

With

  • Timothée Chalamet (Bob Dylan)
  • Edward Norton (Pete Seeger)
  • Elle Fanning (Sylvie Russo)
  • Monica Barbaro (Joan Baez)
  • Boyd Holbrook (Johnny Cash)
  • Dan Fogler (Albert Grossmann)
  • Norbert Leo Butz (Alan Lomax)
  • Scoot McNairy (Woody Guthrie)

Crew

Director James Mangold
Screenplay James Mangold, Jay Cocks
Cinematography Phedon Papamichael
Editing Andrew Buckland, Scott Morris
Music Nicholai Baxter, Steven Gizicki
Sound Design Ted Caplan, Tod A. Maitland, Paul Massey, David Giammarco, Donald Sylvester
Production Design François Audouy
Casting Yesi Ramirez
Producers Fred Berger, James Mangold, Alex Heineman, Bob Bookman, Peter Jaysen, Alan Gasmer, Jeff Rosen, Timothée Chalamet
Executive Producers Michael Bederman, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Andrew Rona

Produced by

Veritas Entertainment Group

White Water

Range Media Partners

The Picture Company

Turnpike Films

World Sales

Searchlight Pictures

James Mangold

Born in New York City, USA in 1963. He studied film at the California Institute of the Arts and at Columbia University. His versatility as a screenwriter and director is evidenced in his sophisticated work in a wide range of genres: from his debut film, the drama Heavy, to the thriller Cop Land and the highly praised biopic Walk the Line, which won numerous awards including a Golden Globe and was nominated for five Oscars. His work was first presented at the Berlinale in 2017 with Logan, the third installment in the sci-fi action series The Wolverine. His most recent film A Complete Unknown has been nominated for eight Oscars.

Filmography (selection)

1995 Heavy 1997 Cop Land 1999 Girl, Interrupted (Durchgeknallt – Girl, Interrupted) 2001 Kate and Leopold 2003 Identity (Identität) 2005 Walk the Line 2007 3:10 To Yuma (Todeszug nach Yuma) 2010 Knight & Day 2013 Wolverine (Wolverine: Weg des Kriegers) 2017 Logan 2019 Ford v Ferrari 2025 A Complete Unknown (Like A Complete Unkown)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025