Robert Pattinson Films Making “Most Ancitipated” Lists of 2018

Following the stellar year Rob has had with Good Time and The Lost City of Z, it appears we’re not the only ones anticipating Damsel and High Life.  Here’s the first batch of “Most Anticipated” lists (which I will keep updating):

CINEVUE Our 20 Most Anticipated Films of 2018

High Life (dir. Claire Denis)
Claire Denis’ Let the Sunshine In hasn’t reached UK cinemas and yet we’re already due her follow-film High Life, featuring Denis regular Juliette Binoche alongside Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth. In the film, a group of skilled criminals, in a bid to escape their long sentences or capital punishment, accept a likely-fatal government space mission to find alternative energy sources. Denis does high concept sci-fi? Count us in.

THE PLAYLIST The 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2018

6. “High Life”
Director: Claire Denis (“Let The Sun Shine In”)
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, Andre Benjamin, Agata Buzek
Synopsis: A group of convicts are used as reproductive experiments against their will by scientists.
What You Need To Know: The great French helmer Claire Denis’s first foray into sci-fi territory (with a script by the great novelist Zadie Smith and her poet husband Nick Laird) first made our list two years ago when it seemed on the verge of shooting, but it didn’t happen for one reason or another, and when she shifted to this year’s Juliette Binoche-starrer “Let The Sun Shine In,” we worried that “High Life” was dead. Fortunately, filming finally got underway last year, with the long-attached Robert Pattinson (in a role envisioned first for Vincent Gallo, then Phillip Seymour Hoffman) joined by Binoche, Andre 3000 and Polish actress Agata Buzek, among others. We’ve had a plethora of space movies of late, but expect this to be utterly distinct from any of them.
Release Date: Shooting wrapped in October, so a Venice bow seems more likely than Cannes.

60. “Damsel”
Director: The Zellner Brothers (“Kumiko The Treasure Hunter”)
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Synopsis: A businessman goes West to join his fiancée in the mountains.
What You Need To Know: If there were any doubters still left that his talents were legit, one-time “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson firmly dispelled them in 2017, first with a wonderfully characterful supporting turn in “The Lost City Of Z,” then with a barnstormer of a lead performance in “Good Time,” genuinely one of the year’s best. For his next trick, the artist formerly known as R-Patz is teaming up with some more acclaimed indie filmmakers, the sibling duo behind the excellent “Kumiko The Treasure Hunter” for this semi-Western, described by the star himself intriguingly as a “slapstick comedy,” also starring the ever-reliable Mia Wasikowska.
Release Date: Sundance

THE GUARDIAN The Most Exciting Films of 2018 by Big Name Directors

High Life

Any new work by French cinema hero Claire Denis – acclaimed director of The Intruder, Beau Travail and 35 Shots of Rum – is always a cause for celebration. More exciting still, High Life will be both Denis’s first English-language film, and her first sci-fi. It tells the story of a group of criminals who are offered a choice: die in prison, or embark on a one-way journey into space to explore a black hole. Robert Pattinson, Andre Benjamin and Juliette Binoche star.

NOW MAGAZINE 11 Films We Can’t Wait to See in 2018

HIGH LIFE (N/A)

Robert Pattinson enjoyed a terrific year in 2017, both with his exquisite supporting performance in James Gray’s The Lost City Of Z and a gritty and tense leading role in the Safdie brothers’ Good Time. IMDb has him listed in four new productions for 2018. Among them is the latest from Beau Travail director Claire Denis. For her English-language debut, Denis tackles sci-fi in a plot about prisoners who negotiate reduced jail time by embarking on dangerous missions to the black hole. Pattinson joins Juliette Binoche and Mia Goth, the young actor who made a haunting impression in Gore Verbinski’s beautifully disastrous A Cure For Wellness. RS

NEW ATLAS The Best Future-Focused Sci-Film Film & TV Coming in 2018

High Life

One of the strangest, and most mysterious, sci-fi features on the horizon in 2018 is High Life, the first English-language feature from legendary French filmmaker Claire Denis. Starring Robert Pattinson and Patricia Arquette, the film reportedly follows a group of criminals who trade a death sentence to take part in a potentially suicidal experiment traveling into interstellar space towards a black hole.

It’s impossible to predict exactly what this film will be, but knowing Denis’ prior work it will most likely be disturbing, quiet, and unlike any other sci-fi feature to hit in 2018. The film has recruited physicist and black hole expert Aurélien Barrau as a consultant, so we’re thinking there could be some solid science backing the strange relationship dramas that will surely ensue.

INDIEWIRE Sundance 2018 21 Must See Films

Damsel

It’s been five long years since brothers David and Nathan Zellner were at Sundance with the brilliant and beguiling “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter,” but now the filmmaking duo is finally back at the festival with another unexpected twist on a classic American genre. Sure to be as delirious as their previous work, “Damsel” is a bonafide Western, albeit it one with that turns a drunken mess of familiar tropes upside down. Fresh off his revelatory performance in “Good Time,” Robert Pattinson stars as pioneer Samuel Alabaster, who — accompanied by an alcoholic sidekick (David Zellner) and a miniature horse named Butterscotch — sets out to manifest destiny and marry the love of his life (Mia Wasikowska). Slapstick antics and silly hats ensue. We can’t wait. –David Ehrlich

IONCINEMA Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2018

… While she unleashed her version of a romantic comedy this year with Let the Sunshine In, headlined by Juliette Binoche, Denis has been fostering another high profile project for the past several years, her English language debut High Life. Co-written by famed author Zadie Smith, it’s a sci-fi tale about a father and daughter in space which has been highly anticipated thanks to the casting of Robert Pattinson. While the female lead has changed hands several times since the project’s announcement (Michelle Williams was replaced with Patricia Arquette not long after the latter’s Oscar win), as filming commenced Denis returns once more to work with Juliette Binoche. Considering Denis’ past filmography and two leads who seem intent on building an auteur heavy resume, not to mention the highest profile Smith adaptation since the 2002 mini-series of White Teeth, Denis’ High Life lands at our top spot as the film not to be missed in 2018.

Release Date/Prediction: Denis is one of those rare auteurs who landed in the Cannes Main Competition with her debut back in 1988 with Chocolat. Since then, she has been a regular in the Venice competition (1990’s No Fear, No Die; 2004’s The Intruder; 2009’s White Material). Cannes has tended to shoehorn Denis into its sidebars, with 2013’s Bastards going to Un Certain Regard and 2017’s Let the Sunshine In … opening the Directors’ Fortnight. Considering both these titles should have been programmed in comp, we’re thinking a combo of Pattinson, Binoche, and Denis working in the English language should finally assert her return to the rightful category in competition.

FILMMAKER MAGAZINE The 50 Most Anticipated American Independent Films of 2018

19. Damsel (Zellner Bros)

What It’s About: “Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American Frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As Samuel, a drunkard named Parson Henry and a miniature horse called Butterscotch traverse the Wild West, their once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.” (Source)

Why It’s Included: Another holdover from last year’s list, but a new Zellner Bros. film is good enough news to celebrate twice. This, the Kumiko filmmakers’ biggest film to date, stars Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, and Robert Forster in what has the makings to be the weirdest Western since Dead Man.

THE FILM STAGE 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2018

1.  High Life (Claire Denis)

Years in development, still mysterious as all hell with plot details made public, and a potential (potential!) case of the auteur’s disastrous step into a foreign language. But if Let the Sunshine In is surely one of the best films you’ll be able to see in theaters this year and Claire Denis really is as good as it gets, I would, in the interest of shirking proper critical discourse, like this injected into my eyeballs now. Starring Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, and Lars Eidinger, High Life, according to Pattinson, “will take place in the future, the character is an astronaut. He’s a criminal who volunteers for a mission toward a black hole, but he realizes along the way that a doctor on board wants to do sexual experiences with humans in space.” He added, “It’s a very strange film.” – Nick N.

25 Damsel (Zellner Bros)

The Zellner brothers’ gently melancholic stranger than fiction yarn, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, didn’t quite make them household names, but it was at least enough to attract the attention of Robert Pattinson, who in 2018 continues his world conquering tour in films from auteurs the world over. One of four roles this year, Damsel follows Pattinson as a businessman traveling west to join his fiancée played by Mia Wasikowska. Narrative details are scarce, but given the filmmaker’s distinctively quirky voice, one can expect an off-kilter and unique take on a time-worn story. – Michael S.

SCREEN DAILY Buzz Tittles 2018 Preview

High Life – Pattinson plays the only surviving member of the original convict crew who lives in isolation alongside with his daughter.

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NOTE:  Adding The Souvenir Part 1 below more so because Rob keeps being mentioned and obviously he’s in Part 2 (which is rumoured to be filming in Summer of 2018)

THE GUARDIAN The Most Exciting Comedy and Drama Films of 2018

The Souvenir Part 1

Joanna Hogg has quietly become a film-maker of enormous talent. The Souvenir – counting Robert Pattinson as star and Martin Scorsese as executive producer – should be the culmination of her rise. Regardless of reception, Part 2 is being filmed this year. [Note: I think this year is meant to read 2018].

THE PLAYLIST The 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2018

63. “The Souvenir: Part One”
Director: Joanna Hogg (“Archipelago”)
Cast: Chyna Terrelonge-Vaughan, Ariana Labed, Robert Pattinson, Tom Burke, Richard Ayoade
Synopsis: In the early 1980s, a film student begins a relationship with an older, untrustworthy man.
What You Need To Know: Despite being responsible in large part for discovering Tom Hiddleston (who made his debut in her debut “Unrelated,” and has appeared in her subsequent two films too), Joanna Hogg’s utterly distinctive arthouse dramas remain something of an acquired taste. But her latest — the first in a two-part, semi-autobiographical story, the second of which will follow in 2019 — could be the one to break her out wider. For one, Martin Scorsese, an avowed fan of her work, is executive producing the movie, for another, it has her most high-profile cast to date, including the currently-on-a-roll Robert Pattinson.
Release Date: Her last film “Exhibition” premiered at Locarno, but expect a higher profile bow for this — perhaps at Cannes or TIFF.

THE FILM STAGE 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2018

57. The Souvenir: Part One (Joanna Hogg)

Assembling a murderer’s row of talent, the Martin Scorsese-produced new two-part film by Joanna Hogg stars Robert Pattinson, Tom Burke, Ariane Labed, and Richard Ayoade. The first part, which shot last year, takes place across the 1980s as a film student embarks on a love affair that goes south. “I start from autobiography. When I investigate a story I realize what I don’t remember and the demands of fiction take over: that’s the fun part. Reality and fiction are so jumbled up. That blurring is partly what I’m exploring in this story,” the Archipelago director tells Screen Daily about her new project. While we imagine the first film will debut this year, Hogg will be back to work this summer shooting the second film. – Jordan R.

SCREEN DAILY Buzz Tittles 2018 Preview

The Souvenir “It was billed a Hogg’s most commercial film to date …”

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SUNDANCE 2018 ~ DAMSEL

I thought I should include “anticipated lists” and comments about Rob for Sundance below:

THE PLAYLIST Sundance 2018: The Most Anticipated Films Of The Festival

“Damsel”
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David and Nathan Zellner, Robert Forster
Synopsis: A wealthy and influential pioneer traveled across the American Frontier to find his fiancée.
What You Need To Know: Sundance alumnus and filmmakers behind the critically acclaimed “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter,” writer/director brothers David and Nathan Zellner return with a Western period comedy and bag Robert Pattinson for the lead role. Apparently comedic to the point of being joyfully silly — Pattinson once described it as “a kind of slapstick comedy” — one has to wonder how much the Coen Brothers’ influenced the project.

VULTURE The 20 Most Anticipated Movies at Sundance This Year

Damsel
A good rule of thumb these days is to follow Robert Pattinson wherever he goes in this constantly surprising and rewarding era of his career. His latest collaboration is with directors David and Nathan Zellner, who last made a splash at Sundance in 2014 with Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, and who are back with what sounds like an intensely silly Old West comedy. Pattinson stars as a bachelor searching for true love, Mia Wasikowska co-stars as his potential love interest. The official summary for Damsel includes the words “bonkers” and “tiny horse,” all of which bodes very well.

VANITY FAIR Sundance 2018 Preview:  21 Films That Could Break Big

Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska are starring in Damsel, the new film from David and Nathan Zellner, the brothers who directed the quirky, kooky Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter. This one’s a comedy set in the Old West. Or at least we think it’s a comedy. Who really knows with the Zellner brothers, who also co-star in the film. Whatever this thing is, it will be fun seeing Pattinson’s lighter, looser side. His ever-evolving and interesting career had to get there eventually.

IMDB 15 Stars in Sundance Movies

Robert Pattinson

Like his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart, Pattinson has carved out an impressive indie career playing a wide range of characters in the wake of that blockbuster franchise. Damsel appears to be another such addition. Pattinson plays Samuel Alabaster, a businessman who travels West to join his fiancée in the mountains. Co-starring Mia Wasikowska, the movie is described as a comedy-drama Western. Consider us intrigued.

VANYALAND 5 Films We Can’t Wait to See at Sundance

You might best know the Zellner Brothers from their last feature, the heartbreaking Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter which starred Rinko Kikuchi in a really bizarre and sad tale based on the true story of a Japanese woman who may or may not have been looking for the money from Fargo. Now, they’re back with something that sounds significantly happier: A weird Western romance that features Robert Forster, Robert Pattinson, and Mia Wasikowska and, apparently, a tiny horse. We’re excited to see the Zellners make their way into new territory, and equally excited by the cast they’ve assembled, though it’s a bit unnerving that they’re acting in it as well. Still, sounds more like Damn.-sel to us.

CBS8 Our 16 Most Anticipated Films

What it’s about: “Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American Frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As Samuel, a drunkard named Parson Henry and a miniature horse called Butterscotch traverse the Wild West, their once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.”

Why it’s one to watch: Robert Pattinson has perhaps the most interesting career of any young actor working right now, as evidenced by last Cannes’ standout, Good Times. Here’s hoping his return to the festival circuit is with something equally unexpected.

TELEGRAPH UK Sundance 2018 The Movies to Watch Out For

Is this the furthest distance Robert Pattinson has put between his adolescent Twilight career yet? The British actor, who has embarked upon a string of indie films since becoming the handsome face of vampires in the late Noughties, but this Western from David and Nathan Zellner may be his weirdest so far. Pattinson plays a man on a Homerian mission to meet his true love, played by Mia Wasikowska. You can also spot the actress in Piercing, a thriller adapted from Ryu Murakami’s 1994 novel.

VARIETY 10 Buzziest Films at Sundance Film Festival 2018

Why Buyers Are Circling:
Pattinson may have hung up the fangs, but the “Twilight” star still commands crowds (particularly overseas). This offbeat western sounds like a change of pace for the recovering tween idol. (Brent Lang)