You might know that Robert Pattinson is one of the highest-paid actors of our time, with an estimated net worth of $150 million. But have you ever wondered exactly how rich and famous he is?
The 27-year-old British actor rose to fame after playing the rebellious and charming character of Edward Cullen in the highly-acclaimed movie series, The Cullen Chronicles . Since then, his fame has continued to grow as he’s become known for his intense stage dives, impromptu concerts, and colorful dance moves.
Pattinson’s success has not gone unnoticed. The actor has been called “the next James Dean,” and “the next Tom Hardy.” In 2019 alone, he had roles in over a dozen movies, earning him over $150 million. Not bad for a night’s work!
It seems that the British actor’s luck is finally changing. After years of focusing on his acting career, Pattinson has started to branch out into producing and writing. He recently launched a publishing house focused on producing fiction and non-fiction books about popular culture.
Pattinson’s new publishing venture, Pattinson Press, is actually part of a larger company he launched with the financial backing of a brand-new billionaire he met while on holiday in Cancun. The British actor’s foray into publishing is a big change from previous his career moves, which have often been made as a temporary measure to fund his next film. It almost seems like destiny.
Pattinson has always been a bit of a gamble-taker, and it seems like this penchant for adventure is continuing with his foray into publishing. The actor recently bought a $12 million Cancun villa (which he then promptly leased back to the hotel for a cool $60,000 per month), and he’s always looking for the next big thing to do. In an interview with Parade magazine, Pattinson said he’s “always trying to keep my options open.”
So, what would a James Dean or a Tom Hardy do?
Well, it’s not what they would normally do. But since chances are you’ve never heard of them, let’s take a crack at answering this question.
What Is the Name of the Publishing House?
To figure this out, we’ll need to identify the house that published Dean and Hardy. Luckily, we know the name of that house. It’s called New Directions, and it was founded by a man named Kurt Wenzel.
Kurt Wenzel was a longtime friend of James Dean, and he helped the young actor start his publishing house. In an interview with Parade magazine, Dean said of Wenzel, “He gave me my first break. Without his help, I would never have become a published author.”
Wenzel went on to publish other friends of James Dean, including Natalie Wood and Rock Hudson. In fact, all of James Dean’s friends became New Directions authors – including his good friend, Henry Fonda.
Dean had strong opinions on publishing, and he often voiced these opinions in his interviews. For example, he once said,
“If you can’t sell a few hundred thousand copies, then you shouldn’t be in business. Not if you want to survive… You’ve got to be realistic.”
Dean also spoke about the value of an author’s anonymity, noting, “I think people should be allowed to write what they want… It should be their own personal views. If they want to publish, then it should be no one’s business but their own.”
This is actually a fairly common philosophy amongst authors – particularly today, as the line between authors and celebrities has blurred.
Anonymity is such a crucial part of an author’s identity, and it’s something that can be hard to come by in today’s world. With social media, it is almost impossible to keep your personal life private. Even if you don’t want your friends, family, and fans to know about your exciting new book (or your bad dating habits), it’s probably safe to assume that they will eventually find out.
This is especially relevant when you consider that today’s celebrities are tomorrow’s novelists. If you’ve ever seen Ryan Gosling’s acclaimed performance in “First Snow,” you know exactly what I mean.
The line between actor and author has blurred, and it’s made it easier for people to follow their passions, so to speak. We see this in movies all the time – especially with indie films, where the financial security of Hollywood blockbusters isn’t an option. These films often rely on the strength of their stories and the characters they play – without the security of a big-name actor, which means those stories and characters often struggle to be recognized.
How Does the Publishing House Differ From Other Houses?
While New Directions is certainly well-known for its friendship with James Dean, it’s not just limited to that. Indeed, Kurt Wenzel’s publishing house was the first to recognize the potential of LGBT writers, and he published groundbreaking books by authors such as Arthur Leonard and Jack Nichols.
So, what makes New Directions different? Besides the fact that it’s probably the most famous publisher of LGBT books, it has also published several modern masters of science fiction and fantasy. Jack Vance is most well-known for his fantasy novels, but he also published numerous science fiction books under the New Directions umbrella. In fact, the publisher once boasted that it had published more novels than most other houses combined.
Some of the authors that you might recognize have also published with New Directions. Ursula K. Le Guin, for example, published some of her most famous Earthsea books under the New Directions banner. The iconic author also credited New Directions with pushing her to write more adult fiction. She once said, “I was feeling a bit hermetic; I didn’t want to do anything except sff and fantasy… New Directions gave me the incentive to try something different.”
Similarly, Ray Bradbury was previously best known for his science fiction stories, and he credited New Directions with helping to make him a bestselling author. In his later years, Bradbury became a prolific horror author, and many of his later works were published by New Directions.
It seems that the friendship between Kurt Wenzel and James Dean played a crucial role in establishing the house’ literary reputation. In fact, it’s often said that if it weren’t for their friendship, New Directions might not even exist today. But beyond publishing great authors, what else does Kurt Wenzel’s house specialize in?
What Is the House’s Lineage?
Like many other publishing houses, New Directions was originally started as a small press. In fact, it was originally started by a group of science fiction fans as a place to publicize their small press efforts. They eventually turned it into a legitimate publishing house, and it continued to grow, primarily because of Kurt Wenzel’s tireless efforts. In his own words, he wanted to create “a bastion of intelligent thought and literature.”
Kurt Wenzel’s house was also one of the first to recognize the importance of female-driven stories. In the interview with Parade magazine, he said, “The future of literature is female-driven… Look at Sheryl Sandberg. Everyone listens to what she has to say. That’s the power of women – getting other women interested in what they have to say.”
It would be hard to overstate the importance of female-driven stories in today’s society. We live in a world dominated by men, with men making the most influential decisions and women often playing a supporting role. Naturally, these prejudices affect stories that are told, and this is something that is often overlooked by male authors.
These days, it’s almost impossible to predict what will become popular or not. It seems that with each new generation, our opinions on what is fashionable and what isn’t change, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what will be in and out-of-style.