Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’ to Screen a Week Early in IMAX
Chomping at the bit to see Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in the James Mangold-directed biopic “A Complete Unknown”? Well, IMAX just cut a week off of your wait time.
Searchlight Pictures and IMAX have put together an exclusive deal that will allow the premium premium-large-format company to put on “sneak screenings” of the film. Dubbed “A Complete Unknown: IMAX Early Access,” the screenings are set to begin in 30 “select” IMAX theaters on December 18, 2024, the Wednesday announcement reads.
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Tickets for the IMAX screenings are available now; for the rest of us, “A Complete Unknown” is a Christmas Day release.
“A Complete Unknown” is not your classic IMAX-tailored flicked. As far as we know, there are hardly any dragons in it at all. So… why?
“This early access event offers fans an unforgettable chance to witness ‘A Complete Unknown’ in the world-class IMAX format, showcasing the film’s groundbreaking visuals and immersive sound on the big screen,” the press release reads, in part. “IMAX’s cutting-edge technology promises to enhance the moviegoing experience, allowing audiences to fully engage with the film’s cinematic scope and depth.”
Beyond just the opportunity for Chalamet super fans to catch his new film early, the “immersive sound” part may be the real draw here — after all, this is a musician’s biopic. Counterpoint: Bob Dylan is not exactly known for rich, “Pet Sounds”-esque instrumentals — nor possessing the voice of an angel. Chalamet sings “live” (but, you know, recorded) for the biopic.
“A Complete Unknown” underwent IMAX’s proprietary DMR process, in which filmmakers personally help calibrate the digital print’s visuals and sound.
Here’s another piece: “A Complete Unknown: IMAX Early Access” ticket holders will get a “commemorative mini poster & lanyard,” the release continues, and “can stay after the film for a pre-recorded Q&A with the cast.” Because if any experience is truly enhanced by the biggest of the big screens and the best sound systems known to mankind, it is pre-recorded Q&As.
Those select IMAX theaters include AMCs, Regals, Cineplexes, and Cinemarks across Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Montreal (QC), Nashville, Phoenix, Toronto (ON), San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington D.C.
“A Complete Unknown” is set in 1961 New York City, “against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval,” per the Searchlight synopsis.
The film follows “an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota who arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music,” it continues. “He forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.”
“A Complete Unknown” also stars Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, and Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie. Written by Mangold and Jay Cocks, it is produced by Fred Berger, Mangold, Alex Heineman, Bob Bookman, Peter Jaysen, Alan Gasmer, Jeff Rosen, and Chalamet.
Just this week, Mangold and Chalamet received the Visionary Tribute at the Gotham Awards for the film.
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