Warner Brothers may have purchased the U.S. film distribution rights to adapt and release King Arthur but it is highly unlikely that they will actually make the movie. The studio could barely keep up with the demand for the Harry Potter films and they let the rights to the Percy Jackson series go to Disney, who made a fortune off the movies. King Arthur has been stuck in development hell for years and Robert Pattinson, who has been attached to the project from the very beginning, recently parted ways with Warner Brothers, making his reasons for leaving unclear. While we can’t be certain of the exact reasons why Pattinson left Warner Brothers, it is very likely that he is now free to pursue other projects and options. Regardless of whether or not Pattinson ends up making King Arthur, his time with Warner Brothers was more than likely not what he had in mind when he accepted the role in the first place.
A Long Way From Home
Robert Pattinson’s first big break came when he was cast as Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise, which made him a household name across the globe. For his work in the Twilight films, Pattinson was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. The franchise grossed over $14 billion worldwide and is currently the 7th highest-grossing film series of all time. It’s no wonder that Warner Brothers decided to make him their choice for the role of Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter series. The casting directors at Warner Brothers believed that Pattinson could bring a fresh face to the franchise and make people, especially the young male audience, interested in the story of Harry Potter.
While working on the Twilight franchise, Pattinson had the opportunity to travel the world and gain invaluable experience. After wrapping up work on the second Twilight film, Eclipse, he was off to Italy to shoot The Great Gatsby with Baz Luhrmann. Following the wrap on Gatsby, Luhrmann asked Pattinson to appear in the Wolf of Wall Street, which was released in 2013.
It’s been a busy few years for Pattinson, who, in addition to his acting career, has been keeping busy with music videos, painting, and directing. In 2017, Pattinson wrapped principal photography on the highly anticipated fantasy movie, Dark Phoenix, which is part of the X-Men universe. The film is expected to be released in February of 2019.
Bringing An Edge To The Franchise
Since working with Baz Luhrmann on the Wolf of Wall Street, Pattinson has demonstrated an edge that makes him stand out from his larger-than-life superhero co-stars. For example, in a brand-new interview with The New York Times published yesterday, Pattinson was asked about the pressure of working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He replied, “To some degree, yes, it does feel like pressure because people are trying to top one another. And you’re just going to be another face in the crowd. It’s like being in the Hunger Games; every time you turn around, there’s someone in the next seat who is trying to kill you. It can get very intense. Luckily, though, it’s a joy to work with people whose work you admire. There is no pressure to do anything because what you love is what you get paid for. It’s great when your favorite actor or director invites you to come and work for free. You’re not going to turn this down.”
In the same interview, Pattinson shared that he does not expect to be typecast as a superhero, despite his massive success in the role, because he does not want to limit himself creatively. He feels that while he had a blast working on the X-Men films, now is the time for him to walk away and do something new.
No Regrets
Unlike most Hollywood stars, who often have regrets about their careers, Pattinson has none. When he was asked about his worst role, Pattinson responded, “My worst role would be easy. I mean, if I had to choose, I would probably say Twilight because it was so limiting and such a small role. But, you know, otherwise I don’t really have a bad role. I feel like I’ve played all sorts of different characters and hopefully something good that I’ve helped to define someone’s opinion or perspective on something. So, I don’t really have a bad role. I’ve certainly had bad days, but nothing catastrophic that keeps me awake at night thinking, ‘What if…? What if I didn’t do that? What if I talked like that?’ I don’t know. It’s all good. You can’t live in fear. There will always be something new to learn, something new to contribute, and something new to love.”
Ultimately, it’s clear that Robert Pattinson has not had a dull moment in his 20 years of acting. While he will most likely never be limited by one role or franchise, he has more than proven himself as a versatile and talented actor who is more than capable of carrying his own film and bringing an edge to any project.