Bob Dylan deliberately added an inaccurate scene to his upcoming biopic, and rejected the concerns of director and co-writer James Mangold over the moment.
Dylan was highly proactive throughout production of A Complete Unknown, which arrives on Dec. 25 with Timothee Chalamet in the leading role.
Rolling Stone reported that Edward Norton, who plays Pete Seeger, revealed Dylan’s act of mischief while the film was being made.
READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Bob Dylan Album
“Norton… says Mangold told him Dylan insisted on [adding] at least one totally inaccurate scene,” the report reads. “When Mangold told Dylan he was worried about viewers’ reactions, as Norton tells it, Bob stared at him. ‘What do you care what other people think?,’ he asked.”
The article continued: “There are several possibilities for the scene in question, including the moment when an infamous shout of betrayal from the crowd — which actually happened a year later — is placed at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.”
Bob Dylan is ‘Such a Troublemaker,’ Says Actor
Norton went on to say Dylan took “obvious pleasure in obfuscation and distortion,” adding, “He’s such a troublemaker.”
In the same report, Chalamet recalled telling Mangold he was impressed with a particular piece of dialogue, to be told: “Bob put that in.” The actor noted: “Bob would [insert] these one-off lines that were so fantastic. [Mangold] has an annotated Bob script lying around somewhere. I’ll beg him to get my hands on it. He’ll never give it to me.”
Mangold said he’d met Dylan a number of times before shooting began, explaining: “I felt like Bob just wanted to know what I was up to. ‘Who is this guy? Is he a shithead? Does he get it?’ … the normal questions anyone asks when they’re throwing themselves in league with someone.”
Bob Dylan ‘Bootleg Series’ Albums Ranked
His many studio and live albums tell only part of his story.
Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
