I just want to hug Bernie for her tweet.   I know there is speculation that Rob’s no longer involved with Queen of the Desert, but thanks to Bernie Leinfelder who works with Werner Herzog we have this tweet today:

Rob’s still with us as far as I know. #QOTD

— Bernie Leinfelder (@leinfelder27) September 26, 2013

 

Thank you universe.

So I came across a few tweets – still no confirmation that Rob is involved, but it looks like Nicole Kidman is definitely in.

We’ve changed cast a little… RT @ThePlaylist: Noami Watts Out, Nicole Kidman In For Herzog’s ‘Queen of the Desert’ http://t.co/Oih88JaMhp

 

— Division Films (@DivFilm) September 16, 2013

Wicks Walker is President of Division Films

We will all know for sure when Werner rolls camera… “@QOTDfilm: @DivFilm So; current cast is Kidman, Franco & Pattinson? Yes ?”

— Wicks Walker (@wicks) September 17, 2013

Bernie Leinfelder works with Werner Herzog

Buying a map of Morocco.

— Bernie Leinfelder (@leinfelder27) September 17, 2013

and then I went to Division Film’s website

 

So I guess the movie may happen with or without Rob – they are keeping their cards very very close to their chests *shakesfist*

And so the dance begins …

Queen of the Desert

“Update on Production Wkly: “QUEEN OF THE DESERT”
WERNER HERZOG FILMPRODUKTION
STATUS: Active Development LOCATION: Morocco PRODUCER: Mark Burg – Cassian Elwes – Nick Raslan – Michael Benaroya DIRECTOR: Werner Herzog CAST: Nicole Kidman – Robert Pattinson – James Franco EVOLUTION ENTERTAINMENT 901 N. Highland Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038 323-850-3232 FAX: 323-850-0521 WATERFALL MEDIA 323-850-3232 BENAROYA PICTURES 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 310, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 323-883-0056 general@benaroyapics.com SIERRA/AFFINITY 9378 Wilshire Blvd., # 210, Beverly Hills, CA, 90212 424-253-1060 Fax: 424-653-1977 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.”

Life

“Update on Production Wkly: “LIFE” Feature Film SEE-SAW FILMS
STATUS: February 2013 Maria:  I think this is a type and should be 2014]  LOCATION: Canada 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).”

Source via

Thanks @didi__fey

I’m really just posting this because I really liked The Film School Rejects article, some funny comments about Herzog, but more so this:

“It would almost seem like this production was doomed to never actually happen, if not for the fact that Robert Pattinson has continually stood steadfast in his commitment to appear in it playing TE Lawrence, who you likely know as the protagonist of a little film called Lawrence of Arabia.”

*Gag* karma really is alive and well and kicking me hard given my complaints about Franco and also Kidman.   And now *Fangirl Joshie* *gagsagain* spoke to Franco … lawd I’m shocked he brought up Rob.  I’ve put the extract from the article below, but I watched the interview and surprisingly Franco sounds more arrogant in print.   At least there’s one thing – I can nap during Franco scenes since he won’t be in any with Rob in QoTD – at least Twilight trained me for something.  Rob & QoTD talk starts at about 1.08.

Extract From MTV:

“Another rumored project of Franco’s is director Werner Herzog’s “Queen of the Desert,” which centers around the friendship between T.E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell, and stars Robert Pattinson and, potentially, Nicole Kidman (after Naomi Watts reportedly dropped out).

“I hope. I met with Werner about it. I’ve known Werner for a while,” Franco said. “He’s a huge ‘Spring Breakers’ fan. The talks about that movie really started after he saw ‘Spring Breakers’ and gave me one of the best phone calls ever. He called me up with Harmony and just was raving about Alien. He said, ‘This movie is like the most important movie of the times. When people look back on 2013, they won’t look at Obama’s re-election speech, they will look to ‘Spring Breakers’ to tell us about these times, hundreds of years from now.”

True Francophiles know the actor has had something of a fascination with Robert Pattinson and “The Twilight Saga” for years, but “Queen of the Desert” wouldn’t be his first meeting with the British actor, apparently.

“I actually met Robert through Harmony,” Franco revealed. “Maybe I’ll work with him. It’s supposed to happen maybe later this year. I don’t think I have any scenes with Pattinson in ‘Queen of the Desert.’ Harmony wants to work with him. He’s a nice guy, so I’d be willing.”

I’ve put the vid behind the cut because it’s autoplaying.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s interview with Cassian Elwes who as we know, is the producer of Queen Of The Desert:

With Naomi Watts and Robert Pattinson dropping out of Werner Herzog’s Gertrude Bell biopic Queen of the Desert, is the project dead?

It’s been in casting hell, but we feel like we are coming out of it now. I think we’re close to making an announcement.

A bit sad, but looking on the bright side, which I always love to do, Rob doesn’t have to be in a movie with James Franco (HUGE plus) AND Rob has & will have so many other AMAZING projects, (Life for example) coming up.  See, it’s better when you look on the bright side  We’ll of course keep you updated.

Updated: And this from @cassianelwes

Maria:  This is just cruel.  Not only is Franco involved now Kidman is in talks *CRIES – Karma is getting me good and proper”.  According to Deadline:

EXCLUSIVE: Looks like director Werner Herzog is going to get a new Queen Of The Desert. I’m hearing that Naomi Watts is exiting the film about the early 20th Century explorer Gertrude Bell, and that Nicole Kidman is in talks to take the plum role.

This follows a switch of the male leads earlier this year, when Jude Law departed and James Franco replaced him. Robert Pattinson also stars.”