In The Works: Pattinson Lands Lawrence of Arabia Role in Herzog’s Gertrude Bell Biopic, Starring Naomi Watts, Talks to Jon Stewart

Good news for Robert Pattinson. He’s set to play a young T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) in Werner Herzog’s “Queen of the Desert.”  Naomi Watts will co-star as Gertrude Bell in Herzog’s biopic, which is set to kick off production this fall. The movie follows Bell’s life as a writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer and political attache for the British Empire. Army officer Lawrence was a close friend of Bell’s;  the pair helped to establish the Hashemite dynasties in Jordan and Iraq. Lawrence’s writings were brought to life in the 1962 David Lean epic starring Peter O’Toole, who took the role very blond. Pattinson will hopefully retain his signature dark locks.

The actoir stars in David Cronenberg’s Cannes entry “Cosmopolis,” which is sure to divide audiences as it has critics when it opens August 17. The final installment of Pattinson’s “Twilight” years lands November 16. In advance of both, Pattinson is back on the promo trail and gave his first on-air interview since his break-up with Kristen Stewart. “I’m going to have to hire a publicist,” the actor told The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, who said that young folks experiencing a breakup sometimes feel like it’s the end of the world. “It is,” replied Pattinson.

In-demand Watts is currently shooting Princess Di biopic “Diana,” with director Oliver Hirschbiegel. She has a handful of projects in post, including Juan Antonio Bayona’s “The Impossible” (December 21), Laurie Collyer’s “Sunlight, Jr.” and Anne Fontaine’s “Two Mothers.”