‘A Complete Unknown’ Delivers Historic Debut For Searchlight
While the battle between Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at the holiday box office has grabbed all the headlines, Searchlight’s A Complete Unknown has quietly put together the studio’s best debut in years.
Directed by James Mangold and starring Timothy Chalamet, the film tells the story of Bob Dylan’s rise from obscurity and transformation into perhaps the most influential musician of all time.
“New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music,” the film’s synopsis reads.
Edward Norton and Timothée Chalamet in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
“As he forms his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement and, refusing to be defined, makes a controversial choice that culturally reverberates worldwide.”
A Historic Debut
While Searchlight has long been known for its artistic movies, A Complete Unkown is showing the kind of commercial success that has eluded the studio since it was acquired by Disney in 2019.
Timothée Chalamet in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
After hitting theaters on Christmas, A Complete Unkown is now looking at a $12 million 3-day debut and a $24 million 5-day opening. Those numbers would give the film Searchlight’s best opening since 2019.
Photo: 20th Century
According to Deadline, the three best Searchlight debuts are 2009’s Notorious ($20 million), 2006’s The Hills Have Eyes ($15.7 million), and 2018’s Super Trooper 2 ($15.1 million).
A Sign of Things to Come?
With former Searchlight head David Greenbaum now heading Walt Disney Pictures, the success of A Complete Unknown could be a harbinger for things to come for the studio.
Photo: Variety
Between blockbusters like Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, and Moana 2, Disney has found success this year with smaller films like Young Women and the Sea and A Complete Unknown. Not only do these movies cater to a different audience than the typical Disney fare, but they also give the studio an important level of prestige.
Photo: IMDB
A Complete Unknown is in theaters now.
