Peter Jaysen, a seasoned independent producer, chats about his journey in creating the Bob Dylan biopic, ‘A Complete Unknown.’ He reveals the intricacies of securing Dylan’s music rights and the importance of authenticity in filmmaking. Jaysen discusses Timothée Chalamet's casting and Dylan's limited involvement. The conversation also touches on the challenges of depicting Dylan's complex lifestyle while managing product placements. Finally, they dive into box office predictions for the film’s holiday release amidst family-oriented competition.
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Securing Dylan's Rights
Producer Peter Jaysen secured Bob Dylan's music and life rights through a connection with Dylan's manager, Jeff Rosen.
Rosen had a pre-existing script from a turned-around HBO project based on the book Dylan Goes Electric.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Casting Chalamet
Jaysen's team ran into Timothée Chalamet and his agent at the BAFTAs and asked if he’d play Dylan.
Chalamet's agent received the script right there and discussions began shortly after.
insights INSIGHT
Live Singing
The producers weren't initially sure how the music would be handled.
Director James Mangold decided Chalamet should sing live, like in Walk the Line, and they secured the rights to Dylan's isolated vocal tracks.
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An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror
Stephen Kinzer
In 'All the Shah's Men,' Stephen Kinzer provides a detailed and engaging narrative of the CIA's Operation Ajax, the covert operation that deposed Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953. The book explores the historical context, including the nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company by Mossadegh, the British and American interests involved, and the role of key figures such as Kermit Roosevelt and the Dulles brothers. Kinzer argues that this coup had significant and unintended consequences, including the rise of Muslim fundamentalism, anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, and ultimately, the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The book is a critical examination of American foreign policy and its impact on global events, drawing connections between the 1953 coup and contemporary issues in the Middle East[1][3][5].
Bob Dylan
Like a Complete Unknown
David Yaffe
In this book, David Yaffe examines Bob Dylan from four distinct perspectives: his ironic and derisive voice, his mythic film image, his African-American sensibility, and his appropriation of others’ material in the folk-music tradition. Yaffe delves into Dylan's shape-shifting career, highlighting his ability to reinvent himself and his music over the years, and explores his significant contributions to the civil rights movement and American culture.
Dylan goes electric!
Elijah Wald
In 'Dylan Goes Electric!', Elijah Wald delves into the cultural, political, and historical context of Bob Dylan's seminal performance at the Newport Folk Festival on July 25, 1965. The book provides new insights into Dylan’s artistic evolution, his affinity to blues, his complex relationship with the folk establishment and his mentor Pete Seeger, and how he reshaped popular music. Wald breaks down the myth surrounding this event, focusing on the social, cultural, and political changes of the 1960s and how Dylan's decision marked a significant shift from folk to rock music, making it a defining moment of the era.
Matt is joined by producer Peter Jaysen to discuss his latest film, ‘A Complete Unknown,’ and how he managed to get a movie about Bob Dylan made. He details how he secured the rights to Dylan’s musical archive and life, how they chose Timothée Chalamet, how much Dylan was involved, and secrets to finding and developing top-tier IP (02:45). Matt finishes the show with a Christmas Day box office prediction for ‘A Complete Unknown’ and ‘Nosferatu’ (29:49).
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