James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown” is hitting theaters on Wednesday. As a Bob Dylan fan, Mangold’s biopic hit all the right notes, and then some. The film is eyeing a Best Picture nomination, and Timothee Chalamet is a cinch for Best Actor recognition.
There’s only been rumors about how much “A Complete Unknown” cost to produce. Some of the trades were guessing a $70M budget. Over the weekend, a report surfaced indicating that it could turn out to be the most expensive movie in Searchlight history.
NJ.com is reporting that “A Complete Unknown” spent $80M in New Jersey alone. That does not include shooting in New York City, nor does it take into account the music rights and talent involved, which if added in would amount to a $100M movie. I'm guessing that this isn't factoring in any tax credits they got for filming in the state. Still, this movie did not come cheap.
I just spoke to IndieWire’s box office expert Tom Brueggemann, and he’s saying that if the NJ.com report is accurate then we could actually be looking at a $125M budget for ‘Complete Unknown.’ It all sounds preposterous, and Searchlight has never been known to spend that much on a project — I gather we’ll get a clearer number soon — but here’s hoping the film gets an audience in the coming days and weeks. It deserves it.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.