After the film was announced in 2020 with “Ford v. Ferrari” helmer James Mangold directing, “Going Electric” was shelved amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The feature follows musician Dylan (Chalamet) as he skyrockets to fame in the folk music scene. “I haven’t stopped preparing, which has been one of the greatest gifts for me,” Chalamet said in a Variety cover story. “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 revealed in a GQ cover story that he rented a home in Woodstock, New York, to prepare to embody Dylan. The “Call Me By Your Name” star also went to Dylan’s previous homes in New York City and read the memoir “Chronicles: Volume One,” plus met with “Inside Llewyn Davis” director Joel Coen for more insights on the 1960s folk scene.
In terms of fictionalized features, the life of Bob Dylan was last explored in Todd Haynes’ 2007 experimental “I’m Not There.” In 2019, Martin Scorsese directed the documentary “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese,” chronicling Bob Dylan’s 1975 tour. “Going Electric” cinematographer Phedon Papamichael previously told Collider in October 2020 that the biopic “didn’t happen” due to the pandemic. “I don’t think it’s dead, but it’s a tough one to pull off in a COVID-era because it’s all in small clubs with lots of extras in period costumes so you’ve got lots of hair and makeup,” Papamichael said. Audiences will be able to hear Chalamet’s singing voice sooner with the musical prequel to Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” titled “Wonka” after the famed fictional chocolatier Willy Wonka. Chalamet plays the title role, opposite Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Matt Lucas, Rowan Atkinson, Natasha Rothwell, Rufus Jones, and Simon Farnaby. The film is set for a March 17, 2023, release. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
