Robert Pattinson has been a star since he first locked eyes with Kristen Stewart in 2008’s “Twilight.” As Edward Cullen, a vampire blessed with a brooding, Byronic good looks, Pattinson captivated audiences, becoming an idol for a rising generation of moviegoers.
But there was a sense that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the pin-up role, and Pattinson used his newfound financial clout to build a resume filled with oddball roles for avant-garde auteurists like David Cronenberg (“Cosmopolis”), Claire Denis (“High Life”) and Robert Eggers (“The Lighthouse”). Critics praised the work, but only the most ardent Pattinson heads showed up and most of the films were more admired than seen.
This began to change when Pattinson readopted mainstream cinema; first with 2020’s “Tenet,” then with 2022’s “The Batman,” in which he plays Bruce Wayne as a billionaire in desperate need of advice. And Pattinson’s star has reached a whole new level this year, with “The Drama,” “The Odyssey” and now “Primetime.”
“Primetime,” produced for just $15 million and starring Pattinson as Chris Hansen, the creepy host of “To Catch a Predator,” opened to an impressive $19.2 million. The journalistic drama was able to exceed expectations because Generation Z, which has become the most trusted force in cinema, came in droves to watch a movie about a TV show that was popular when they were kids. In fact, 69 percent of the opening weekend crowd was under 30, and it feels like they came of age with Pattinson, first introducing him as the passed out leech from “Twilight” and keeping tabs on him over the years as they came of age as movie fans.
This is Pattinson’s second big hit of the year for A24. In the spring, he and Zendaya took the dark relationship comedy “The Drama” to an impressive $134.9 million worldwide. Its production only cost $28 million, which will therefore be very profitable for the independent studio. There’s just something about Pattinson’s intensity and willingness to subvert his movie star image that seems to be perfectly aligned with A24’s hip, transgressive brand.
And even if Pattinson isn’t recognized for the box office performance of “The Odyssey” (which belongs to Christopher Nolan), his success only burnishes his image as a movie star. It’ll get another shine when “Dune: Part Three” comes out in December and when “The Batman: Part II” hits theaters in 2028.
For more than a decade, agents and analysts have denounced the death of the movie star. They noted that no one has come on the scene to replace the drawing power of aging icons like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. This may be changing. Like his “Dune” co-star Timothée Chalamet, Pattinson has finally found a way to make thought-provoking, thought-provoking work that will appeal to general audiences and movie buffs alike.
Gn entert
