Monica Barbaro in Final Talks to Join Timothée Chalamet in Bob Dylan Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’ (Exclusive)

Monica Barbaro, who was part of Tom Cruise’s flight team in Top Gun: Maverick, is in final negotiations to join Timothée Chalamet in Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

James Mangold is directing the drama for Searchlight Pictures, with production to begin this summer in New York.

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With a script by Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York) and Mangold, Unknown focuses on a transformative moment for Dylan, the legendary singer-songwriter who made his mark during the civil rights and counter-culture upheaval of the 1960s.

Set at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, the story sees a young Dylan, played by Chalamet, shaking up his act on the folk music scene by going electric. The move divided his fans but set him on the path to record some of his greatest albums and songs.

Barbaro will portray Joan Baez, the folk singer and activist who performed “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the music festival.

Producing Unknown are Mangold, Automatik’s Fred Berger (La La Land), Veritas’ Peter Jaysen (Fahrenheit 451), Alan Gasmer (Vikings) and Bob Bookman (A Spy Among Friends). Alex Heineman (Non-Stop) of The Picture Company and Jeff Rosen are also producing.

Exec producing are Dylan, Automatik’s Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Andrew Rona.

Senior vp Taylor Friedman and vp Richard Ruiz are overseeing the project for Searchlight, reporting to heads of production and development Katie Goodson-Thomas and DanTram Nguyen.

Barbaro starred in drama The Cathedral, which premiered at the 2021 Venice Film Festival and later went on to claim the John Cassavetes Award at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards. She gained notice for appearing opposite Cruise in the Top Gun sequel, which grossed almost $1.5 billion worldwide and earned six Academy Awards nominations, including best picture. She played the pilot with the call sign “Phoenix.”

Barbaro takes a leading role for her next gig, starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Netflix’s global spy action comedy series FUBAR, out May 25. The duo play a father and daughter who, after each learning the other has secretly been working as a CIA operative for years, are forced to team up and tackle some difficult family dynamics.

She is represented by UTA, Range Media Partners and Meyer Downs.

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