Just days before “Cosmopolis” opens in limited release, star Robert Pattinson has joined the cast of Werner Herzog’s indie “Queen of the Desert,” which will star Naomi Watts as English writer Gertrude Bell.

Pic will chronicle Bell’s life as a writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer and political attache for the British Empire. One of the first women to graduate from Oxford at the turn of the 20th century, she traveled through the Middle East, defining the borders of Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Pattinson is attached to play T.E. Lawrence, a British Army officer whose writing earned him international fame as Lawrence of Arabia, on whom David Lean’s classic 1962 epic is based. Lawrence was a good friend to Bell over the years, as the duo helped establish the Hashemite dynasties in Jordan and Iraq.

Cassian Elwes and Nick Raslan (Herzog’s “Rescue Dawn”) are producing the pic, which is aiming to start production in late fall.

Outside of the “Twilight” franchise that catapulted him to fame, Pattinson has avoided blockbusters to work on challenging indie projects with acclaimed directors. After wrapping Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of “Water for Elephants” and the lusty period pic “Bel Ami,” Pattinson chose to work with David Cronenberg on “Cosmopolis,” which opens Friday. Thesp is set to star opposite Guy Pearce in David Michod’s Aussie drama “The Rover,” as well as the indie thriller “Mission: Blacklist,” which chronicles the hunt for Saddam Hussein.

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How cool is this?  Press release from the New York Stock Exchange:

Who/What:
On Tuesday, August 14, actor Robert Pattinson and writer-director David Cronenberg will visit the New York Stock Exchange and ring The Opening BellSM to promote Cronenberg’s latest film, COSMOPOLIS.  Pattinson, aka Eric Packer, plays the lead role in the film based on the 2003 novel by Don DeLillo. COSMOPOLIS premieres in Manhattan on August 13th,opens in New York and L.A. on August 17th and nationwide on August 24th.

Movie Synopsis:
From director David Cronenberg (A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, DEAD RINGERS, THE FLY, EASTERN PROMISES) and based on the prophetic novel by Don DeLillo, comes COSMOPOLIS, a contemporary thriller that turns into a wild, hypnotic odyssey through our new millennium’s obsessions with power, money, control, information, technology, violence, sex, mortality, revolution, destruction and ultimately, redemption.

Unfolding in a single cataclysmic day, the story follows Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) – a 28-year old financial whiz kid and billionaire asset manager – as he heads out in his tricked-out stretch limo to get a haircut from his father’s old barber, while remotely wagering his company’s massive fortune on a bet against the Chinese Yuan.  Packer’s luxe trip across the city quickly becomes dizzyingly hellish as he encounters explosive city riots, a parade of provocative visitors, and is thrust into a myriad of intimate encounters.  Having started the day with everything, believing he is the future, Packer’s perfectly ordered, doubt-free world is about to implode. Produced by Paulo Branco and Martin Katz, COSMOPOLIS also stars Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, K’Naan, Emily Hampshire with Samantha Morton and Paul Giamatti.  COSMOPOLIS will be opening in New York at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center on August 17th.

When/Where:
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
NYSE Security Checkpoint/Tent at corner of Exchange Place and Broad Street
9:00 a.m.            Media escorted into the building
9:30 a.m.            The Opening Bell rings/photo ops on the trading floor

Source – NYSE/via

Hey Robert Pattinson fans, are you ready for a chat with your favorite actor? MTV News has got you covered with “MTV First: Robert Pattinson.”

Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 16, when Pattinson will premiere a new clip from his upcoming and buzzworthy film “Cosmopolis” on MTV at 7: 49 p.m. ET. Immediately following the on-air premiere, Pattinson will sit down with MTV News’ Josh Horowitz for a 30-minute interview on MTV.com. Fans can join in on the fun by submitting questions beginning today through MTV.com or via Twitter using @MTVNews and the hash-tag #AskRob.

Those who’ve been following the news surrounding “Cosmopolis” know that the David Cronenberg-directed thriller is already a favorite, as it was voted the #1 most anticipated movie in our MTV Movie Brawl. The story, which is based on Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, follows young billionaire financier Eric Packer (Pattinson) in the not-too-distant future as he’s chauffeured through Manhattan on his way to get a haircut. His entire world falls apart as his marriage is failing, his financial status is slipping and even his very life is being threatened.

The film also stars Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, K’Naan, Emily Hampshire with Samantha Morton and Paul Giamatti and opens everywhere Friday.

Don’t forget to tune in to MTV and MTV.com on Thursday to hear everything Pattinson has to say about making the film.

MTV

Earlier today, The New York Times sent the following event update to the ticket holders attending the TimesTalks Q&A with Rob and David Cronenberg on August 15th:

 Dear Friend of The New York Times:

Thank you for purchasing a ticket(s) to the August 15 TimesTalks with David Cronenberg and Robert Pattinson. At this time, we would like to remind you of our standard event policies:

– Camping outside the venue overnight is not permitted. The area outside The TimesCenter is private property and building security will remove anyone who remains overnight on the property.
– The doors to the lobby of The TimesCenter will open early for this event, at 4pm, and patrons may queue up at this time. We encourage you to arrive no earlier than 4pm.
– Doors to the theater will open at 6pm. Only ticketed patrons will have access to the lobby and theater of The TimesCenter.
– Any photography, video and/or audio recording are strictly prohibited in the theater. Violators may be subject to removal.
– This event is being filmed and Webcast live on new.livestream.com/nytimes. Video of the event will be available on demand, also at new.livestream.com/nytimes.

We will not have a live audience Q&A for this event.

We are, however, accepting questions in advance. Our moderator will choose a select number of these questions to read to Mr. Cronenberg and Mr. Pattinson during the interview. If you wish to submit a question for consideration, please email TimesTalks@nytimes.com and please include your name and location.

Via

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Thanks to Cindy for the tip!