This year has been an eventful one for ‘The Rover’ actor, Robert Pattinson. Besides starring in the highest-grossing film of all time, Dunkirk, and being named Best Actor at the Oscars, this year has also seen Robert take on an array of challenging and exciting projects. In fact, in September, the star received an Academy Award nomination for his role as an eccentric philanthropist in Woody Allen’s new film, Wonderful Wife (more on that later).
The Master
If you’ve been following the news this year, you’ll know that Robert is currently shooting the hotly-awaited sequel to this year’s most successful film, The Master. Directed by Joachim Roenning and based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Knut Hamsun, The Master follows the journey of a modern-day Lothario, Freddie Quell, as he snares a succession of women. With it being the sequel, it’s clear that the makers of this film have kept some of the original story intact, but they’ve also infused it with modern sensibilities. Despite the character being a cad, the audience still rooted for him, which the filmmakers capitalised on. The first film was an adaptation of Hamsun’s novel Growth, which was banned in Nazi Germany due to its explicit sexual content. Interestingly, the German title of the book is actually Der Eigenthuiskönigin, which translates to ‘The Mad Queen of Bohemia’. This indicates that even during World War II, the novel was considered shocking and scandalous.
Another Woody Allen Film
When asked about his next film, Robert revealed that he’d landed another part in Woody Allen’s soon-to-be-released film, Wonderful Wife. The movie is set to be released on May 12th. According to reports, the film centres on an odd couple on a cruise ship who become obsessed with each other. Based on an award-winning play by George Furman, Woody Allen’s latest film will showcase an ensemble cast, headlined by Robert and Owen Wilson. The film also marks a reunion between Woody Allen and his longtime screenwriter, Allen Kurland. Wonderful Wife is another dark comedy for the 85 year old director, who continued to prove that he was still the master of romance in 2019 with his latest film, A Beautiful Day. The romantic comedy stars Sandra Bullock and Tim Robbins as an aging Hollywood couple who decide to end their respective marriages and spend their remaining time together travelling the world. Fuelled by a desire to explore and grow as a couple, Sandra and Tim’s story is both touching and funny. As well as being his best romantic comedy yet, A Beautiful Day was also his most commercially successful in China, where it became the country’s highest-grossing film of 2019. In addition to Woody Allen, Robert is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix film, The House of Gucci. The historical drama is set in 1970s Italy and tells the story of four maverick brothers who go against the grain of society by running a successful fashion house. Gucci will be another challenging role for Robert, who’s previously starred in biopics such as Kurt Cobain: No Quarter and Amy. In fact, the actor has described his characters in these films as ‘iconoclasts’, which is exactly what these roles are – despite whatever society thinks. With his eclectic cinematic resume, it’s no wonder that Robert has been described as ‘the most in-demand actor of today’.
A Dangerous Adoption
While we’re on the topic of Woody Allen, it’s worth mentioning that Robert was one of the stars of the upcoming Netflix film, The Daughter. The movie explores the true story of John and Rebecca Wrenn, a married couple who, in 1974, decided to adopt a child. After a year of trying, the couple became foster parents and took in a daughter named Adriana, who was at the time abandoned by her birth mother. Despite the trauma of losing their first child, John and Rebecca stayed together and adopted another daughter, Maya. The film is based on Rebecca’s memoir, Adoption Papers, and marks a reunion between Woody Allen and his frequent collaborator, Robert. The film also stars Javier Bardem, with whom Robert has worked in five of the director’s films. With a running time of just under two hours, The Daughter will be released on May 7th on Netflix.
A Film Adaptation Of Louis Verneuil’s 1869 Novel
If recent years have proven anything, it’s that Robert is quite the accomplished actor. Not only has he starred in some of the biggest films of this year, he’s also starred in a number of critically acclaimed films. Besides The House of Gucci and Wonderful Wife, Robert will next be seen in the highly anticipated film adaptation of Louis Verneuil’s 1869 erotic novel, Les Amantes. Starring alongside Robert will be Isabelle Huppert and Kristen Stewart. The stunning French actress will play the female lead, while the ‘Scoobert’ star will play opposite her on a desert island. Verneuil’s novel centres around two lonely travellers who are stranded on a desert island and forced to fend for themselves. The cast of Les Amantes will be accompanied by none other than Alfred Molina, who starred in director Michael Curtiz’ Casablanca. In fact, Curtiz chose Molina as the film’s English-speaking lead (Rick Blaine) because he considered him to be one of the greatest Spanish-speaking actors of all time. In the novel, Molina’s character is known as ‘the Major Domo’, which is an ironic nod to one of the play’s most famous monologues, in which Major Roger Domo discusses his role as the servant of two masters, the Count and Countess Valancourt. Interestingly, the book’s original title is Two Masters. While we wait for the film version of Les Amantes to be released (tentatively set for November), the novel itself is something of a racy read and has been compared to Madame Bovary for its mix of romance and politics. It’s safe to say that Verneuil’s novel will not be for the faint-hearted.
A Cinematic Adaptation Of Gustave Flaubert’s 1880 Rouleau Novel
In addition to the spotlight that this year’s awards have shone on Robert, it’s also been a big year for his cinematic adaptions. Aside from Woody Allen and Louis Verneuil’s Les Amantes, Robert will next be seen in the highly anticipated film adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s 1880 novel, The Romance of Brigands. Directed by Michael Curtiz and starring alongside him will be Uma Thurman and Arseniy Budrevich, as well as a stellar ensemble cast. On the surface, the film is a period piece set in 19th century Russia, but the narrative is actually structured like a modern-day Bachelor of Paradise. The film tells the story of an aristocratic bachelor, Leo Tolstoy, who falls in love with a dancer named Natalie, played by Uma Thurman. The two spend a weekend away in Florence, pretending to be Bohemians, before returning to Leo’s estate to continue their charade. As in the author’s original work, The Romance of Brigands is not your average romantic comedy, as it also explores the darker side of love. The film’s original French title is Le Roman de Nègre et Blonde, which means ‘The Novel of a Black, Feline Woman’.