Timothee Chalamet Demands Reshoots in Bob Dylan Biopic After Being Outshone by Edward Norton’s Vocals

Timothée Chalamet insisted on reshoots for his upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, after being outshone in the singing stakes by costar Edward Norton, according to an insider with ties to the project.

“Bottom line here is that the reshoots were put together to work out issues with Timmy's acting, to give his big moments more strength and purpose, and to iron out the issues with his impersonation of Bob Dylan,” the source exclusively tells Life & Style. “The concern at the studio was that Edward Norton, who gives a career-best performance as Bob's key mentor, the gentle and soft-spoken folk singer Pete Seeger, was outshining Timmy's work in early internal screenings of the film, to the point that millions of dollars were spent to mount some reshoots.”

However, the insider said that the Don’t Look Up star “wanted the reshoots too.”

“He wanted a second chance to tweak his performance and turn it into his best shot at a Best Actor. Did it drive him up a wall that Ed turned in such a seamless, soulful performance? I don't think he would have participated in the reshot scenes if it didn't, that's for sure,” the source says. “Just doing a second pass on these scenes threw Timmy's schedule into total chaos because he was booked to start his next film during the same time period.”

The insider explains that Timothée, 28, “definitely wanted to be there and he definitely wanted the chance to improve his work.”

Continuing, the source tells Life & Style, “What everybody is still waiting on is Bob Dylan's reaction to the finished film, because that will determine how much Bob will participate in the publicity and awards campaign for the film. It's very important to Timmy that his finished work wins as much approval from Bob as his original casting did. I don't think this movie is going anywhere without Bob in Timmy's corner.”

Private screenings of the Bones and All actor’s upcoming biopic were met with a lackluster response, according to an article published by World of Reel in August. The publication reported that “too much” of the film focused on Bob’s relationship with Sylvie Russo, a character based on the real-life Suze Rotolo, who’s played by Elle Fanning in the film. Plus, viewers felt that the movie showcasing the “Like a Rolling Stone” singer’s rise to stardom was “overlong.”

However, Timothée’s determination to be Hollywood’s top leading man is nothing new. On August 16, a source exclusively told Life & Style that the Wonka star’s No. 1 goal at the moment was to surpass his role model, Leonardo DiCaprio.

“Timmy is open about his admiration for Leo and even about the times he has directly sought Leo’s advice, but there’s definitely a double-edged sword to this kind of obsession he has to be aware of,” the insider said.

A separate source later told Life & Style that Timothée’s friends really want him to relax and enjoy his time in the spotlight instead of always focusing on being the absolute best.

“He’s good looking, he’s talented, people like his work, and big time filmmakers want him on their sets. But there’s a dark side to his personality that also played a part in his rise to the top,” the insider revealed. “Timmy is utterly paranoid about the competition, the other young actors out there, who have gone after the roles that Timmy ultimately won.”