A Complete Unknown is no longer completely unknown, because Searchlight's latest release is on its way to box office success. With a budget of approximately $60 million, the movie follows Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) through the earliest days of his career. It was directed by Logan's James Mangold and is based on Elijah Wald's book, Dylan Goes Electric. Alongside Chalamet, the ensemble Complete Unknown cast includes Edward Norton (Pete Seeger), Elle Fanning (Sylvie Russo) and Scoot McNairy (Woody Guthrie), among others.

According to a report by Deadline, the biopic is expected to become an instant hit in its opening weekend. A Complete Unknown is projected to earn a domestic three-day total of $11.8 million and a five-day total of $23.3 million. It has earned a place at the No. 6 spot at the weekend box office, which could be seen as disappointing for a new release. Still, that would mark Searchlight's greatest opener since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in early 2019. Check out the chart below, which showcases the financial details:

What The Box Office Results Mean For A Complete Unknown

Success Is Still On The Horizon

With a budget of over $60 million, even a $23 million start may not be enough to ensure success. Generally, movies require 2.5x their initial budget to achieve profitability, due to marketing expenses and theaters taking a cut of the profit. For this movie, that would mean needing a $150 million overall gross. The holiday weekend was a massive opportunity to achieve an enormous percentage of that total, but it did not make quite the impression that it needed to. It does have the opportunity to increase its take when it begins its international runs in January and February.

With so much star power behind it, A Complete Unknown needs to boost its performance, or Searchlight will continue to fall behind.

Chalamet has seen immense success lately, having earned over $500 million domestically for his last two movies, Wonka (2023) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Undoubtedly, this movie will not be achieving that enormous milestone, though with such a limited budget, it should not be one of the top box office movies of 2024, even if it does manage to earn a profit. For Searchlight, however, it does mean a record-breaking total after the recent financial disappointments of Nightbitch (2024), Next Goal Wins (2023), and The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (2024).

Our Take On A Complete Unknown's Box Office Opening

Searchlight Should Expect More

Searchlight was once a media giant, distributing Slumdog Millionaire (2008), 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Shape of Water (2017), and more. Its recent slip is likely a result of the acquisition, as Searchlight typically now needs to compete with Disney's other movies. A $23 million box office opening is still somewhat of an accomplishment, but it does not reach the heights of Searchlight's $103 million Birdman (2014) or Slumdog Millionaire's $378 million total. With so much star power behind it, A Complete Unknown needs to boost its performance, or Searchlight will continue to fall behind.

Source: Deadline