Rob has been receiving rave reviews about his voicing of the Grey Heron “Watched The Boy and the Heron a second time today—this time with the English dub, which was incredible (yes Robert Pattinson definitely steals the show). I also enjoyed it so much more this time! (@Achim) and “the new studio ghibli movie is really beautiful :,) Robert Pattinson was going FERAL in that sound booth” (@ghosthoney).
Indiewire has given us some background as to how integral GKIDS was the English dubbed version of the film and this is what they had to say about Rob:
For the most part, Ghibli’s self-referential emphasis on continuity made things relatively straightforward, but the studio threw a major curveball when it came to one of the most crucial roles: The Gilbert Gottfried-esque heron who taunts Mahito with rumors that his mother is still alive and terrorizes the boy around his new house before revealing that he’s actually a giant-nosed little man wearing a heron suit as a disguise. The mere sight of the character was enough to give Jesteadt a clear indication of who to cast in the role: “Danny DeVito. Done.” But that isn’t exactly what Ghibli had in mind. “They said, ‘Oh no, in Japan it’s actually going to be played by a young, 30-year-old hot singer-actor guy [Masaki Suda],’” Jesteadt laughed. “I was like, ‘What!?’ They said, ‘Yeah, so for the English dub we want someone who matches that age and would also be unusual in the role.”
Enter: Robert Pattinson.
The “Batman” star was definitely a left-field pick, but he was on GKIDS’ radar for a reason. “One of the things that we were talking about with Ghibli was his role in ‘Good Time’ and his desire to play characters that don’t fall into a typical matinee idol filmography,” Jesteadt said, and even a quick glance at his body of work would suggest that Pattinson’s art-forward tendencies have only gotten stronger over time.
As GKIDS’ Director of Acquisitions and Development Rodney Uhler remembers, “When we introduced the film to him, he was, I would say, giddy with excitement. He was nothing but enthusiastic about the project, not only because of the film but also because of the prospect of doing this role in particular. We didn’t offer him a platter of roles — we offered him only the Heron, and he was very, very excited about being presented with a role as complicated and nuanced as this one.”
In fact, Pattinson was so excited about the role that he showed up to his first recording session in Los Angeles ready to prove that he was the right person to do it. Voice director Michael Sinterniklaas initially had his doubts (“When Pattinson’s name came up,” Sinterniklaas said, “I thought he’s a fine actor but there was nothing in his body of work to indicate that he could do this crazy thing”), but Pattinson was quick to dispel them. “When he came to our studio in L.A.,” Sinterniklaas said, “he was like ‘OK, I’ve been thinking about this role and I recorded some stuff. Do you want to hear it?’ And he whips out his iPhone and plays some stuff that he’s just been doing in the Memos app and it was already the voice. I was like, ‘Oh, bingo, you’ve already got the character.”
What Pattinson played for Sinterniklaas was the result of several weeks spent in pursuit of a nasal growl that sounds like a menacing cross between Gollum and the Cryptkeeper, but laced with pockets of softness that gradually allows the Heron — a puckish stand-in for Suzuki in a film about Miyazaki’s complicated friendship with his Ghibli co-founders (Takahata is represented by the great-uncle) — to soften into a reluctant ally for Mahito in his journey to the heart of another world. Not in a million years would you ever be able to guess the actor behind the bird, and even when you know who it is there are only a few moments in the movie you’ll actually believe it.
But Pattinson’s casting is hardly a gimmick. On the contrary, the taunting cruelty of his performance and the begrudging way in which that cruelty is embarrassed by Mahito’s flawed but genuine pursuit of a more loving future, reflects a deep understanding of Miyazaki’s creative ethos. Pattinson had never done proper voice work before, let alone a dub (after talking Pattinson through the process, GKIDS gave the actor an opportunity to opt out if he felt like he couldn’t do it), but he threw himself into the process with such vigor that recording the entire part only took a couple of days. “He knew he could do it,” Uhler said, “and he showed up and delivered magic.”
The role of the Heron is particularly important to Miyazaki’s film — and to its various dubs from around the planet, many of which were being recorded at the same time as GKIDS’ English-language version — because the bird acts as an intermediary of sorts between the real world and the fantasy realm inside the grand-uncle’s tower. And while Pattinson’s performance is rather faithful to the tone of the Suda one on which it’s based, his character speaks to the self-divided nature of the movie around him, which itself reflects the internal tension at the heart of any great dub: As Mahito discovers in his own way at the end of the film, truly honoring the spirit of an original sometimes requires you to put your own spin on it, or maybe even defy it altogether.
To read the rest of the background click on the link above.
We might not see Robert Downey Jr with Rob in “Average Height, Average Build” now that it’s no loner going forward, but Rob does like talking Rob:
Robert Downey Jr. traces #Oppenheimer's success back to Robert Pattinson's gift to Chris Nolan: "This incredible departure from one of our younger peers turns into him making a personal gift to arguably one of the greatest directors of his generation." https://t.co/hsmY5hzGv8pic.twitter.com/eXVuheqRai
Another project we were all excited about, but looks like we won’t be seeing Rob as a serial killer. According to Deadline, Netflix and Adam McKay are no longer moving forward with “Average Height, Average Build”:
“Adam McKay, who has been outspoken about the threat of global warming, is deciding to make his next directorial project a climate-related one. Insiders add that with that project now getting all of McKay’s attention, he will no longer be directing the Netflix movie Average Height, Average Build, and the film will no longer be moving forward.
McKay had penned Average Height, Average Build and brought the project to Netflix. With him no longer involved, there is no plan to find a replacement and move forward with the film.”
In April, Netflix bought the rights to the film. They were also behind McKay’s highly popular “Don’t Look Up” in 2021. I’m now hearing, via an in-the-know friend, that Netflix has dropped the project and that it is currently seeking a new home.
…
I’m now wondering if this new film of his is not happening, or if an adventurous studio will decide to pick it up. Maybe he should adjust that budget — $150 million is a ridiculous amount of money for a non-IP project.
In the latest issue of Wonderland, Barry Keoghan talks with Robert Pattinson about sharing the screen, the power of plastic spoons, and being selective. Get your issue at the wonderlandshop. I know they may work together in Batman 2 but I hope this collab means they WILL definitely work together in the future. I’ve loved Barry since I saw him in The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Rob and Barry playing off each other in a film would be phenomenal. Please make it come true.
Robert Pattinson designed the ear shaped sofa pictured abve. According to Architectural Digest:
Robert Pattinson, by his own admission, is “quite romantic” when it comes to decor. So when he started thinking about his dream sofa, he found himself fantasizing about a piece of furniture without a lot of hard lines. Something people could embrace—which would embrace them right back. He had some time on his hands after filming wrapped for The Batman (2022) movie, and he did some doodling.
“I started sketching pieces of furniture I thought would make people interact in a playful and informal way,” he tells AD. “They all had disproportionate, oversized elements that were quite fun. And in the process of making some models out of clay, I found that organic overlapping curves had a similar effect.”
Once he got deeper into the design process, the actor stepped back and realized his creation—with its overlapping curves and soft lobe-shaped appendages—looked a lot like an ear. For a sofa meant to foster intimate conversations while being an innovative conversation piece itself, it was all perfectly meta.
He began working with designer Nicole Gordon, who’d decorated two of his homes and had done some work on his parents’ home in London. “Rob wanted a piece where you could nestle in to read,” she tells AD, “but was also sturdy and stable enough for a number of people to sit on at a party.”
The pair took his clay models and made 3D renderings, then eventually landed on a blueprint. They worked with designer architect Andrea Cadioli to build a wooden frame covered in muslin and began tweaking and massaging the shape with upholsterer Claudia Bracamontes. Because Pattinson wanted a “floating” effect, Gordon says, “The most challenging technical part was engineering it so it could actually support people and wouldn’t topple over. So we built this metal frame inside the carcass of the sofa that lets you put 350 pounds on each of those floating arms.”
Pattinson also wanted a pop of contrast for the base of the sofa, so he picked out a slab of pink onyx at the stone yard and they carved the slab to match the curvature of the base. They also embedded pink onyx drink trays on either arm rest.
The biggest struggle, Gordon says, was choosing the fabric. “I have a charcoal Labrador named Mason,” she says, “and Rob was like, ‘I want it to look like Mason’s fur!’ So we started looking at grays and shearlings. But then he was like, ‘No, actually, I want more of a strié.’” Ultimately, he ended up choosing a white linen velvet by Otis Textiles.
Once the sofa was complete, Gordon encouraged Pattinson to sell a limited series somewhere. She wanted to show it to Joel Chen, who owns JF Chen in Los Angeles. Chen was thrilled with what he saw.
“I was in awe of the somewhat complicated design,” Chen tells AD. “The sofa is entirely unique, and Rob’s strong sense of the angled shapes interpreted from everyday objects is incredible. This is the first prototype of a limited series he is making, and it certainly belongs in JF Chen—where we dive into up-and-coming artists.”
Pattinson’s original sofa is now on display at JF Chen, which is selling six of the made-to-order pieces. As for Pattinson, the sofa’s existence is a new marker of how far he’s come. When asked to recall the worst sofa he’s ever owned, his answer is appropriately antithetical.
“My least favorite could also be my most favorite,” Pattinson muses. “There was a time when the only piece of furniture I had for about six months was an inflatable boat that would double as my couch, bed, and dining table. I loved it very much but it caused a lot of back problems.”
The boat was bad for the back, maybe, but it had at least one thing in common with Pattinson’s new sofa: It’s a fabulous conversation piece.
Holy Moly – this guy just keeps getting better with age. It’s been some time since we had a new Dior photoshoot and now Rob is the star of the new DIor Icons Menswear Line – realistically how could he not be!
Known for his elaborately embellished designs inspired by the Dior haute couture archive, Kim Jones wants men to know he is down with quiet luxury too.
Hot on the heels of his denim capsule collection, the label’s artistic director of menswear is introducing a collection of timeless wardrobe essentials known as Dior Icons. Think tailored coats, cashmere sweaters and minimalist wide-leg pants, mixed with more casual pieces like a leather bomber jacket and jeans.
The line is launching on Dec. 1 in Dior boutiques, in tandem with an advertising campaign starring brand ambassador Robert Pattinson.
“I talked about clothing and fabrication with Robert a lot because he has a huge interest in fashion. I thought it would be perfect for him to wear Dior Icons because we discussed it in the conception of the collection. He is a good friend of mine so it seemed it would be nice for him to model in it,” Jones said in a statement.
You can read more at the link above.
Advertising campaign launching 1 December you say – it really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
Another great shoot by Alisdair McLennan. Remember the one he did for The Lighthouse and Esquire UK
Watch our interviews with Rob. You can check out our other interviews with David Michod, Liz Watts & David Linde at our dedicated film page for The Rover
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