Robert Pattinson Drops Out of ‘Souvenir’ Sequel Due to Scheduling Conflicts — Exclusive
Robert Pattinson will no longer be able to co-star in Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” sequel due to scheduling conflicts, IndieWire has learned. The British actor was first rumored as part of the cast for Hogg’s 2019 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning feature back in 2017, though he ultimately did not appear in the first film, instead opting for a part in the filmmaker’s planned sequel.
“Despite Rob’s strong desire to do the film, scheduling proved impossible but he very much looks forward to working with Joanna on something down the line,” a representative for the actor told IndieWire. Distributor A24 declined to comment.
Production on Hogg’s film is slated to begin this month in Norfolk, putting it up against Pattinson’s next big movie: Christopher Nolan’s action epic “Tenet,” which started filming late last month and is expected to travel to locations in seven different countries. Pattinson is co-starring in the project alongside John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kenneth Branagh, Clémence Poésy, Dimple Kapadia, and Michael Caine.
Last month, Hogg told IndieWire that her “Souvenir” sequel, which will be produced by “Souvenir” distributor A24, will function as it own film. “It’s another film. It’s another film and it should stand on its own, not just as a two-part thing,” Hogg said. “It’s exciting, and it’s also got a different feeling about it.”
At the time, Hogg declined to offer any details about the role Pattinson was set to play in the film, but it was expected that the actor would play a new love interest for star Honor Swinton Byrne’s character Julie.
After production wraps on “Tenet,” Pattinson is poised to jump into another big role: playing the eponymous caped crusader in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman.” Reeves’ superhero film is due to start pre-production this summer. While the film does not yet have an official start date, it does already have a release date: June 25, 2021.
Beyond that, he’s also attached to another Claire Denis project, which the filmmaker tentatively announced during an April screening of the pair’s “High Life.” That film is an adaptation of Denis Johnson’s “The Stars at Noon,” a suspense story set in Nicaragua in the mid-’80s.
The actor just earned yet another round of acclaim for his recent turn opposite Willem Dafoe in the Robert Eggers’ black-and-white psychological thriller “The Lighthouse,” which debuted at Cannes earlier this month and will be released by A24 later this year. Next up: The actor will soon be seen in “The King,” David Michôd’s ambitious amalgamation of several Shakespeare plays, bound for Netflix and presumably a festival run.
