Hmm so Production Weekly are now saying December 2013 status for both Life & Queen Of The Desert in their October 24 Update. We have heard Dane DeHaan mention the start date for Life being February 2014 on more than one occasion so whether things will actually play out like this, we’ll just have to wait & see.  Soooo excited for these films, keeping everything tightly crossed.

“LIFE” update on Prod Week – SEE-SAW FILMS
STATUS: December 2013 LOCATION: Toronto
PRODUCER: Iain Canning – Emile Sherman – Christina Piovesan DIRECTOR: Anton Corbijn WRITER: Luke Davies
CAST: Robert Pattinson – Dane DeHaan
FIRST GENERATION FILMS 416-371-6802 christina@firstgenerationfilms.com
FILMNATION ENTERTAINMENT 345 N Maple Dr., Ste 202, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-859-0088 Fax: 310-859-0089
A true story about the friendship between James Dean (DeHaan) and Life Magazine photographer Dennis Stock (Pattinson). Stock was a young
photographer working for the Magnum agency when he received an assignment that changed his life: to shoot a free-spirited actor named James
Dean. The gig became a personal journey for both as they traveled from L.A. to New York to Indiana. It led Stock to capture iconic images before
Dean’s launch to stardom with East of Eden (1955).

“QUEEN OF THE DESERT” update on Prod Week –
WERNER HERZOG FILMPRODUKTION / PALMYRA FILMS
STATUS: December 2013 LOCATION: Morocco – England
PRODUCER: Mark Burg – Cassian Elwes – Nick Raslan – Michael Benaroya
DIRECTOR: Werner Herzog CAST: Nicole Kidman – Damian Lewis – Robert Pattinson – James Franco
EVOLUTION ENTERTAINMENT
WATERFALL MEDIA
BENAROYA PICTURES
SIERRA/AFFINITY
At the center of Queen is Gertrude Bell, a real-life British woman who was alternately a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and
political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century. While only a commoner herself, Bell was nonetheless a kingmaker,
helping found the modern states of Iraq and Jordan and installing their first rulers, King Abdullah and King Faisal.

Source|Via

 

We posted here the news of Damian Lewis joining the QOTD cast & that article mentioned production is scheduled to start in December.  The below article from  ComingSoon.net also mentions December – am keeping everything tightly crossed.  Would be so wonderful to have a concrete start date after all this time.

“Homeland” star Damian Lewis is set to join Nicole Kidman in Queen of the Desert, the upcoming period drama written and directed by Werner Herzog.

The film stars Kidman as Gertrude Bell, an explorer, writer, archeologist and attaché for the British Empire, who is credited with helping to catalyze the formation of the Middle East at the dawn of the 20th century.

Although production was originally aiming for earlier this year with both James Franco and Robert Pattinson attached to star, the film is now looking to lens in December in Morocco.

Nick Raslan will produce via his Palmyra Films banner along with Cassian Elwes and Michael Benaroya. Benaroya’s Benaroya Pictures banner will finance the film.

Bold portion my emphasis.

So we now have December added to the mix.  Fingers crossed we get a solid start date & soon. From Deadline:

Damian Lewis, who has won Golden Globes and Emmys for his work as POW-turned-terrorist Nicolas Brody in Showtime’s Homeland, is near a deal to star opposite Nicole Kidman in director Werner Herzog’s Queen Of The Desert. The UK-born Lewis won’t have to hide his homegrown accent for the feature. He will play Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie, an unhappily married English war hero who engages in a turbulent affair with Gertrude Bell (Kidman), with whom he exchanged love letters with from 1913-1915 until he was killed in active duty at Gallipoli.

Production is scheduled to begin in December.

Queen Of The Desert refers to Bell, the iconic explorer, writer, archeologist and attaché for the British Empire, who is credited with helping to catalyze the formation of the Middle East at the dawn of the 20th Century. Nick Raslan is producing through his Palmyra Films banner along with Cassian Elwes and Michael Benaroya. Benaroya Pictures banner is financing the film. Sierra/Affinity will handle international sales.

This interview was first published on my birthday back in July … I just want it to be filmed already.

“Your next project is Queen of the Desert. How did you get involved?

My best friend in the business, Ilene Feldman, invited me to a dinner and sat me next to Werner Herzog. We talked about everything but film for 3 hours?one of the best conversations of my life. Werner and his wife Lena invited me over for dinner ? she’s an amazing cook and an even better photographer, not to mention quite possibly the most intelligent woman I have ever met ? and I think at some point that night he mentioned Queen and discussed his motivations for making the film ? which are very inspiring. It should be an amazing piece and something that I will be proud to have been able to support. Werner has always been one of my very favorite film makers ? both his documentaries and his dramas.

It’s a very attractive feature, about Gertrude Bell the female cartographer. Have you done much research into her life? What interesting facts did you find out about her, and why did her story hook you in?

That’s just it ? what Werner will reveal in the film is that she was much more than a cartographer. What people think of Lawrence of Arabia will be changed forever. You know what they say?behind every great man there is an even greater woman. Well, in this case it may be true, as we will soon see.

The cast is looking exciting. Any news on confirming the “(rumored)” on IMDB?

Some things must be held close to the chest dear. We are still building up the cast?stay tuned.

Is there going to be a certain Werner Herzog style to the movie do you reckon?

It will be pure Herzog. What else should it be”

Source via

Thanks to @Sallyvg for bringing it to our attention.

Great to get some more QOTD news & see it is still moving forward – excitement! 2014 is going to be such a wonderful year.

Nothing super new here information wise but great to hear things are still moving forward though. Very strange answer from Nicole in regards to has she met Rob before, like you could EVER forget *shakes head*

Have uploaded to YouTube as the source vid doesn’t embed & I had a bit of trouble getting it to play originally. The QOTD talk begins around the 1.06 mark.