One of Britain’s most beloved sons, Robert Pattinson, celebrated a milestone birthday on Sunday, June 9th, a day that holds special significance for his fans and for British-Asian culture in general. The superstar turned 25 years old and, as a result, is now an adult. While some may see this as a cause for celebration, the birthday presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for Pattinson as he enters the next phase of his career. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting things that happened on this special day and how it might affect his future plans.
Why Is It Important To Mark This Day?
If you’re reading this, then you’re most likely already aware that June 9th is a big deal for Pattinson. What you may not know is that this day marks a special and important milestone in his career. For the first time in his life, Pattinson will be an “adult” and, as such, will have to make some important decisions. This is why we should all be paying attention to this day. However, this is only half the story. There are several other intriguing reasons why this day is so significant and why we should all care about Pattinson’s birthday. Here are just a few of them:
The “Lion King” Is Back In Town
To begin with, let’s not forget about King Louis the Lion, otherwise known as “The Lion King.” As the name would suggest, this British actor-turned-director is the son of legendary entertainer, Sir John (Sacha) Gilbert, who played Mowgli in the hit animated series. Born in 1973 and raised in London, Louis began his acting career at the age of four and later made his feature film debut in 2011’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Since then, he has gone on to appear in several other award-winning films, such as 2013’s The Best of Both Worlds and most recently, The King. In The Lion King, Louis plays the titular character, the adult son of Simba (Richard Harris) and Nala (Julia Roberts). Like Simba, Louis also has a twin brother named Judah (Ed Harris), who is also competing for the affections of the titular character, much to the chagrin of their father, Mowgli. The Lion King opened in theaters across the country this week and is set to be one of the year’s biggest hits.
With all the buzz surrounding The Lion King, it’s easy to forget that there is another major movie premiering just a few days later on June 16th. That’s right: it’s the long-awaited sequel to 2012’s The Hobbit, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The movie’s titular character, Bilbo (voiced by Martin Freeman), is now an “older” Bilbo and returns to the land of Middle-earth to help reclaim it from the clutches of the dragon, Smaug (voiced by Frank Langella). Once again, the talented ensemble cast features Peter Jackson’s regular collaborators, Luke Evans (as the Elven prince, Thranduil) and Aidan Turner (as the dwarf, Dwalin), as well as Nicola Pizzolatto, who plays the villainous dragon, Smaug. Bilbo’s travels have now taken him to the bustling metropolis of Middle Earth and, like Louis in The Lion King, he must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of adulthood. On behalf of the residents of Middle Earth, we can’t wait to see how Bilbo fares in this next adventure.
Pattinson’s “Bad Romance”
Another cinematic event happening just weeks after Pattinson’s 25th birthday is the premiere of the long-awaited adaptation of the cult novel, Twilight. Set for release on June 20th, 2015, the movie is the first in a planned trilogy that will follow the journey of Bella (played by 22-year-old Kristen Stewart) as she searches for true love. The film will be followed by installments based on the novels, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. While the film adaptation of Twilight was initially set for release in 2014, it was pushed back to June 20th, 2015, two days before Pattinson’s 25th birthday. This was most likely due to the fact that the script was not finished and the actors were not completely available. As a result, the producers and director, Bill Condon, had to rush to get the movie finished in time for its premiere. Needless to say, they succeeded and, as a result, we are likely to see more movies from Condon in the near future. In general, the director has said that he has “a pretty good idea” of what the final film will look like and has described the first two parts of the trilogy, Twilight and New Moon, as “romantic comedies.” Like many of his projects, Condon’s adaptation of Twilight was a team effort. He directed the actors, wrote the screenplay, and even served as a producer on the film, which also stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
The Birth Of A New Generation Of Performers
Speaking of young performers making an impression on the world stage, the 2015 London Marathon will commemorate the 100th anniversary of British dramatist and writer, Dennis Potter, who penned some of England’s greatest plays, including The Fall of the Romanovs and The Singing Detective. Potter’s most famous creation is undoubtedly, Rupert Bear, the lovable and manicures-loving stuffed bear that comes alive in the novel and subsequent movies, The Tale of Tom Tucker. For fans of Potter, this is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated films of the year. Among the runners participating in the race are many celebrities who are either related to or know of the bear’s creator, including, but not limited to, Sacha Baron Cohen, Martin Freeman, and Emily Blunt. This marks the first time that the London Marathon has included an official running bear, who will be accompanied by several famous faces as he makes his way through the 26.2 miles of the city’s streets. While many may see the bear as just a cute animal doing his weekly tour of London, this actually represents the culmination of a decades-long relationship between Potter and the fur industry. For those interested in the British writer’s career, Potter’s work is considered to be one of the founding texts of “Cultural Studies” and he is often referred to as “The King of British Cultural Studies.” While cultural studies is an area of academic inquiry that examines the interactions between cultures, it can also be used as a general term to describe the results of these interactions. According to Potter’s publisher, the Oxford Dictionary, cultural studies “is here to stay.” If you’re reading this, then you’ll most likely know that cultural studies is a broad area of academic inquiry that examines the way in which cultures influence each other and the way each culture interacts with itself. Put more succinctly, cultural studies is the study of culture, including, but not limited to, literature, history, and religion. Since its founding in the 1920s, cultural studies has become a recognized field and a springboard to academia, with many famous academics, critics, and journalists beginning their career in cultural studies.