Hollywood’s rumor mill is in full throttle, with a new report claiming that Timothée Chalamet and director James Mangold, the duo behind the critically acclaimed Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, are revving up to reunite. Insiders say the pair is eyeing a motocross heist movie called High Side, and if even half the rumored plot is true, buckle up, because it’s going to be a wild ride.
According to Deadline, the project is based on an unpublished short story by Jaime Oliveira, and it is being shopped around as a potential reteam for Chalamet and Mangold, who are fresh off eight 2025 Oscar nominations for A Complete Unknown. Chernin Entertainment is attached to produce, while Sugar23—Oliveira’s reps—is currently taking the package out to town, where it’s already generating buzz in both Hollywood and publishing circles.
High Side allegedly follows Billy, a former MotoGP prodigy haunted by a career-ending crash and a legacy of family dysfunction. After walking away from the sport, he’s been scraping by—caring for his addict father and running the family garage—until his estranged older brother, Cole, resurfaces with a dangerous proposition: rob banks using Billy’s unique skills on a superbike. Cole, already on the FBI’s radar, assembles a mismatched crew that includes a mysterious woman who becomes Billy’s lover. Together, they begin targeting small-town desert banks with surgical precision.
As the stakes rise, so does the pressure, especially from Lennox, a hard-nosed FBI agent who has a complicated history with Cole. The climax reportedly centers around the crew setting their sights on the ultimate score: one final bank heist timed to unfold during a massive motorcycle parade.
If High Side turns out to be even half as wild as it sounds—a motocross-powered heist thriller with emotional depth and sibling tension—it could be the perfect next move for both Chalamet and Mangold. Think Fast & Furious meets Point Break by way of Taylor Sheridan's Hell or High Water—a high-octane genre ride grounded in grit, character, and consequences. That blend of action and pathos is right in Mangold’s wheelhouse. We've seen him elevate genre storytelling before, especially in Logan, where he delivered not just thrills, but real emotional stakes. So, I'd love to see him do that with this.
As for Chalamet—more like Timothée Chameleon—he's a total Swiss Army knife of an actor. The guy can play a rock icon, a noble-born space prince, or a lovesick cannibal, and he always dives into each role with surprising intensity and range. Dropping him into a dirt-bike-fueled crime saga could be the kind of unexpected pivot that reminds audiences he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty—literally. If this comes together, High Side might just be one of the most thrilling, genre-bending projects on the horizon.
There’s no word yet on when this project might hit theaters. Chalamet already has a notable 2025 movie schedule, which includes the upcoming A24 movie directed by Josh Safdie, a table tennis drama titled Marty Supreme, set to release in December. On top of that, the climactic shoot for the upcoming Dune: Part 3 is also in progress. As for Mangold, he continues to flex his range as a filmmaker, with the romantic drama Juliet and the upcoming Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi both in the works.
In the meantime, keep your eye on this project, as High Side could be the next great high-speed thrill ride.
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