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Robert Pattinson rose to stardom in 2008 after starring in the romantic fantasyTwilight. The engrossing love story between enigmatic vampire Edward Cullen and misfit high-school teen Bella Swan gained so much popularity that it transformed into a five-chapter long saga that dominated pop culture between 2008 to 2012.
The franchise played a big role in putting Pattinson on the map, but its popularity also put him in a box. The Englishman’s dreamy eyes attracted more headlines than his acting prowess, forcing the on-screen vampire heartthrob to look for something different. Pattinson started seeking out challenging roles in ‘daring dramas.’
In 2015, he came across a promotional still forHeaven Knows What,which eventually paved the way for an intriguing collaboration that helped him break theTwilightcurse.
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How Robert Pattinson Found His Ideal Role After The Twilight Saga
Heaven Knows Whatis a 2014 thriller about a homeless drug addict, who also struggles to seek forgiveness from her addict boyfriend for infidelity. The gritty indie is directed byBenny Safdieand Josh Safdie.
At the time,Robert Pattinsonhad no idea about the Safdie brothers’ work. He hadn’t even seen a trailer ofHeaven Knows What. However, the still image of actress Arielle Holmes (Harley inHeaven Knows What) covered in pink neon light was enough for him to know he had to work with these filmmakers.
“It really struck me,”he toldRolling Stone.“You normally see really striking imagery in a lot of European movies. But it’s rare to see that coming out of American independents.”
Accordingly, Pattinson emailed them, and two years later the trio were on the set ofGood Time.
The 2017 crime thriller sees Pattinson portray small-time criminal Connie Nikas, who goes to extreme lengths to get his developmentally disabled brother Nick (Benny Safdie) out of prison after a disastrous robbery attempt.
Read more:“No, it’s disgusting!”: Robert Pattinson Refuses To Label ‘Twilight’ as Romance Despite Its Global Status
How Benny Safdie’s Movie Helped Robert Pattinson
Good Timehelped Pattinson go “dark” and at the same time improved the filmmakers’ commercial profile. The brothers were nominated for Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the pulpy crime thriller. After its premiere, the film received a six-minute-long standing ovation.
In a separate interview (via Rolling Stone), Josh and Benny revealed what Pattinson was looking for at the timeHeaven Knows Whatdropped.
“I noticed that his struggle that he was going through was not a commercial one,”Josh said.“He was after something deeper.”
Pattinson’s brilliant stint inGood Timedid pay dividends. According toIMDb, his performance inGood Timebrought director Matt Reeves to writeThe Batman (2022)script with theTwilightlead in mind for the role of the Caped Crusader.
Vishal Singh
Articles Published :513
Vishal Singh is a Content Writer at FandomWire. Having spent more than half a decade in the digital media space, Vishal specializes in crafting engaging entertainment- and sports-focused stories. He graduated from university with an honors degree in English Literature.
