Robert Pattinson is to take another giant leap away from the mainstream after signing on to play TE Lawrence – better known as Lawrence of Arabia. Pattinson will feature in a forthcoming biopic, by the German director Werner Herzog, of the formidable Middle East adventurer Gertrude Bell entitled Queen of the Desert.
Pattinson, best known for the Twilight films but currently drawing strong reviews for his turn as a billionaire financier in David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis, finds himself stepping into some weighty shoes. The most famous portrayal of Lawrence is Peter O'Toole's Oscar-nominated performance in David Lean's 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.
Yet Pattinson's Lawrence looks set to play second-fiddle in Herzog's production, which instead focuses on the life and times of Bell. Naomi Watts has already signed up to play Bell, often referred to as "the female Lawrence of Arabia".
Bell – an English writer, political administrator, spy and archaeologist – was an influential figure in British imperial policy-making during and after the first world war, because of her extensive knowledge of the Middle East and ability to influence Arab leaders. A traveller and photographer in the region, whose writings gave many British readers their first insight into life in the area prior to 1914, Bell played a pivotal role in the creation of Iraq during the early 20s.
Queen of the Desert has been scripted by Herzog and looks set to continue the director's long-standing interest in larger-than-life figures with impossible dreams. His previous pictures include Aguirre: Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, and the acclaimed documentary Grizzly Man. Queen of the Desert is scheduled to shoot this autumn on location in Jordan and the UK.
Pattinson is also due to appear in futuristic western The Rover for Animal Kingdom director David Michod. Guy Pearce stars as a man who hunts down a crew of thieves who stole his car, with Pattinson as the brother of one of the gang who is left behind when a police encounter goes wrong. He will also appear in Mission: Blacklist, an independent thriller from Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire about Saddam Hussein's capture.
Elsewhere, Hollywood Reporter says that Pattinson's Twilight co-star and former partner Kristen Stewart has been dropped from the sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman after admitting an affair with the film's director Rupert Sanders. Studio Universal plans to proceed with a spin-off focusing on Chris Hemsworth's Huntsman instead.
