While the film world’s attention centers on the Croisette for the next couple weeks of the Cannes Film Festival, those directors not in this year’s Official Selection remain hard at work on their own projects. Let’s not allow the steady stream of new premieres from the south of France to distract us from the major revelation of the past few hours: Robert Pattinson’s schedule is shifting.
Screen Daily has announced that the preeminent movie star of his generation has parted ways with The Stars at Noon, the upcoming film from Claire Denis fast approaching principal photography. In order to keep with their planned shoot in Nicaragua this October, they’ve already found a replacement in rising talent Taron Egerton.
The one-time Rocketman star will take over the role of a British executive working for an oil company passing itself off as an NGO, in Central America to capitalize on the impending civil war between far-left Sandinistas and US-backed counterrevolutionaries. He gets involved with a struggling female reporter and part-time sex worker (that’s Margaret Qualley), but neither can anticipate the upheaval that this period of political turbulence will visit upon them.
Stacking the Pattinson and Egerton filmographies against one another, it’s easy to see this change-up in personnel as a downgrade. The man known as “RPattz” has collaborations with Cronenberg, Herzog, the Safdie brothers and James Gray under his belt; Egerton is best known for his appearances in the Kingsman franchise, and for lending his talents as crooner to the series of Sing animated films.
Ultimately, however, a film by Claire Denis is a film by Claire Denis. She’s shown adeptness in unexpected casting before, so who’s to say she won’t bring out some heretofore unseen brilliance from Egerton – her next Vincent Gallo, perhaps.
Published 7 Jul 2021
One of greatest directors working today picks apart the romantic gamesmanship of her wonderful latest.
Claire Denis contemplates existence, evolution and survival in deep space with Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche.
A journey through the wondrous and terrifying cinematic cosmos of the High Life director.
Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
