It’s official: after a six-year absence, Robert Pattinson is back with a bang! The actor has just landed a major role in the coming-of-age drama, La La Land, and he couldn’t be more happy to be back on the screen.
The 28-year-old is best known for his role as the irreverent and charismatic Quentin Tarantulinu in the Trouble With the Curve movie series. Since then, he’s appeared in small roles in major films like The Martian and X-Men: Apocalypse, and headlined several TV shows.
Now, he’s back with a lead role in a major motion picture! In La La Land, he plays Scott, a charming California man who falls in love with a stunning Mexican woman (Emma Stone). To make matters more complicated, Scott is also the son of a famous Hollywood producer (Ryan Gosling).
The Hollywood legend is known for his extravagant parties and famous friends, and Scott, as the new owner of La Playa Hotel and Beach Club in Malibu, California, has inherited a huge mess. He’s not only got to clean up the hotel but also oversee the renovations of the beach club, which used to be the playground of stars like himself and Stone.
In addition to Stone and Gosling, the cast of La La Land also includes the charmingly mischievous Justin Timberlake, the legendary James Earl Jones, and the delightful Riza Waseem. The film is directed by Damien Chazelle and is set to be released on December 6, 2016.
Why Is He Back?
It’s been a strange six years since Breaking Dawn – Part II, the last installment in the Breaking Dawn film series. After spending more than a decade playing Edward Cullen in the massively successful New Moon franchise, Pattinson took a break from acting and focused on his music career. In fact, he released his first solo album, R.Pattz, in 2013.
In addition to his musical work, he continued to make appearances on screen here and there, but most importantly, he hung out in the Hollywood social circles that had mostly disappeared since his acting days. In an interview with E! News in July 2016, Pattinson reflected on his absence from the silver screen:
“I’m really happy to be back in a movie. It’s been really great to be part of something like that. Once you’re in front of the camera, it feels like you’ve stepped into a different world. Everything becomes possible again. It’s incredible how much you can achieve when you put your mind to it.”
It seems that Pattinson’s star has finally risen. While he was away, the actor has appeared in a number of Hollywood blockbusters, winning fans back home and abroad. So, what are Scott’s biggest challenges?
The first order of business for Scott is to deal with the problems at his hotel. Despite the glamorous location and gorgeous women, the pool doesn’t work, and rooms need to be painted, the menu needs to be updated, and the trash cans need to be emptied. And he has a few other issues that he has to deal with, like the fact that his father insists on coming to live with him and that he can’t figure out how to make money off his new California property.
How Is This Different From The Last Time He Was Here?
The last time that La La Land director Chazelle and co-writer Sean Covey were in California, they shot some scenes for the film in a mansion next to the ocean. At that time, Scott was still portraying Edward Cullen in the final installment of the Twilight series, Eclipse. While the mansion has changed, not much else about the setting is the same. For instance, in Eclipse, the water was almost always visible, but in La La Land, the sky is visible more often. You can also tell that Eclipse took place entirely in the Cullen household while La La Land was shot in a more sprawling fashion, with locations throughout Los Angeles.
How Is This Film Different From The Others In Which He’s Appeared?
Although he only plays a small role in this movie, Justin Timberlake is definitely one of the film’s main attractions. The actor/singer/bass player has a small role as Scott’s friend who helps him navigate his first big Hollywood moment. The friends help bring the reserved young man out of his shell and help him become comfortable around beautiful people. While Timberlake’s character, Chance, doesn’t appear in every scene, he’s in every scene that counts.
Aside from Timberlake, Pattinson’s other leading lady, Emma Stone, also shows up in other films she’s been in. Stone plays an aspiring actress who befriends Scott and helps him navigate the Hollywood scene. While their friendship is a central part of the story, there are actually four different actresses who play Stone over the course of the film. Stone has also been in a number of Woody Allen movies, most notably Irrational Man and Vacation, and appeared in the Coen Brothers’ Burn After Reading and Intolerable Cruelty.
What Else Is He Doing Now?
Besides returning to Hollywood, Pattinson has also been keeping busy with his music career. He’s released two studio albums and toured the world with his band, the Firework Singers. He’s set to release a third album, which he describes as his most personal to date, in the coming months.
Pattinson also has his own clothing brand, which he launched in 2015 with Estee Lauder. His label, ROBERT PATTINSON, features bold prints and vibrant colors alongside classic tuxedos and gowns. The designer has dressed some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence to Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron. The brand’s items are sold in some of the most luxurious department stores around the world, like Bloomingdale’s and Arpels.
What Is The Audience Response To The Film So Far?
As we mentioned, Scott is the new owner of the La Playa Hotel and Beach Club in Malibu, California, but he doesn’t have the best reputation in the town. The guests at his hotel don’t exactly see him as a role model, and the locals really don’t like him. They see him as arrogant and spoiled, which is probably why he feels the need to prove them wrong by fixing up the hotel and renovating the beach club.
Early response to La La Land has been largely positive, but it’ll be interesting to see how the film does in the weeks and months ahead. The fact that it’s a smaller budget film might also hurt its odds of success. This is because small films tend to underperform at the box office, compared to big films made with big budgets. It’s also possible that the small budget could make it more accessible to families, who might otherwise stay away from films that are rated R for “recrudescent” content and language (like Ted, for example).
Is He Worth Collecting?
The good news for La La Land fans is that they can now own a piece of cinema history. The film’s producer, Harvey Weinstein, launched a new limited edition print of Charlie Chaplin’s iconic “golden suit” last year, and the collectible came with a parchment signed by the famed comedian. While it’s not clear if this is meant to be a limited-edition print or if it will be produced in larger quantities, owning a piece of cinema history is certainly a prized possession for any art lover.
Weinstein has been a strong supporter of Chazelle’s work and has helped launch his career as a filmmaker. The producer also produced the actor’s first two films, The Tree of Life and Whiplash, and produced the upcoming Spiderman: Homecoming with Tom Holland. While some might see this as just a coincidence and not a sign of preferential treatment, it’s clear that Harvey Weinstein believes in Chazelle’s vision and skill, and that’s all that matters in the end.