Robert Pattinson Looks To Gain Respect With New Movie 'The Rover'

Robert Pattinson would probably be among the first to admit that his film reel isn't exactly littered with award-winning performances, however, the British star of the Twilight movies is setting about putting that right. He's made no secret of his desire to movie into 'serious' roles and made the right moves in David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis - a psychological drama based on Don DeLillo's classic novel. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart's cheating scandal in 2012 buried the praise he won for that role, though next up for the young star is David Michod's Australian western The Rover, which began its seven-week shoot in the south of the country on Tuesday January 29, 2013.

Produced by Porchlight Films and Lava Bear Films, The River is based on a story Michod developed with Joel Edgerton, of Zero Dark Thirty fame. Set in the Australian desert, a man named Eric (Guy Pearce) has his final possessions stolen by a gang of desperate criminals. Eric sets off on a ruthless mission to track them down, enlisting the help of Pattinson's character Reynolds, the naïve and injured member of the gang who was left behind in the chaos of their most recent robbery. There's certainly plenty to get excited about here. Michod's debut feature, Animal Kingdom, was an incredible piece of work lauded by critics and audiences alike. An unnerving crime-drama set in the dusty backdrop of south-Australia, the film won various awards and landed Jacki Weaver an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. We pretty much know what we're going to get from the seasoned pro Guy Pearce, which leaves Pattinson - can the Twilight man turn in a good enough performance to pull this promising drama together? 

Robert Pattinson Has Already Made High Profile Appearances In Cosmopolis And The Twilight Saga

In our heads, The Rover is already looking like a cross between 'Animal Kingdom' and 'The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford' and producers Liz Watts and David Linde hinted at similar cinematography in a statement to Coming Soon.net, "The South Australian desert environment can be a tough one to work in, particularly for those coming from a Northern Hemisphere winter but both the cast and crew have thrown themselves into the shoot. We are shooting in some of the most haunting and stunning landscapes in the world, and are fortunate to have such an exceptional cast and a truly talented crew."

The movie's worldwide rights have already been acquired by FilmNation, with leading distributors also on board. Roadshow Films' Managing Director Joel Pearlman added "This is an incredibly exciting project which we are thrilled to be working on with Liz, David and the whole creative team." Everything appears to be in place for Robert Pattinson with The Rover - could he feature at the major awards ceremonies in 2014? He hinted at serious ability in Cosmopolis, and should he hold his own opposite the likes of Guy Pearce, there's no reason he shouldn't be getting the roles currently taken up by the likes of, say, Shia LaBeouf. Of course, the celebrity headlines will continue throughout the year, 'Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart married,' Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart engaged,' etc, but let's hope it's his film work that comes to the fore.

Robert Pattinson Is Looking To Forge A Serious Career In Film

Encouragingly, he's has also signed on for James Marsh's (Project Nim, Man On Wire) new movie 'Hold On To Me,' a thriller about a woman (Carey Mulligan) who takes advantage of a hapless man in an elaborate plot to make money. Read more Robert Pattinson news.