Timothée Chalamet Has Been Prepping to Play Bob Dylan for Two Years - Says Biopic Isn't Dead and Is Heading in a "Positive Direction"

Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Dune) has been preparing for the role of iconic folk musician Bob Dylan for the past two and a half years. The film, Going Electric, was first announced in early 2020 with filmmaker James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari, Walk the Line) attached. Mangold moved on to direct Indiana Jones 5 as the Bob Dylan project started and stopped throughout the pandemic.

But as some have assumed the movie was dead, Chalamet told Variety that it is still moving forward, and is actually headed in a “positive direction.”

“I haven’t stopped preparing, which has been one of the greatest gifts for me. It’s been a wonderful experience getting to dive into that world, whether we get to make it or not. But without giving anything away — because I don’t want to beat anyone to the punch, and obviously things have to come together officially — the winds that are blowing are blowing in a very positive direction.”

Chalamet would say nothing more about the fate of Going Electric, but he implied it’s far from dead. He also said that if the film does go into production, it won’t be until next year at the earliest.

Before Chalamet gets the potential chance to flex his Bob Dylan vocals, he’ll first show the world his singing voice as Willy Wonka in Warner Bros.’ upcoming musical Wonka. Chalamet has at least seven musical numbers in the film. He talked about the film, saying, “That was something I was very excited to jump into right away,” Chalamet said, adding that Paddington director Paul King “built a literal dance studio in one of the lots at Leavesden in London at Warner Bros.” to help him train.

Chalamet’s horror/romance drama Bones and All hits theaters next week, and we will see him in Wonka and Dune: Part Two next year.