Robert Pattinson told Associated Press journalist Sian Watson on the “Mickey 17” red carpet that it’s “quite strange” to have a fanbase that is now dominated by men, which is likely due to his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Matt Reeves’ beloved 2022 comic book tentpole “The Batman.” A sequel is set to go into production later this year.
“It’s quite strange,” Pattinson said about so many male fans coming out to support him at the premiere of his newest film. “There’s like a bunch of guys, which is a new one for me!”
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Pattinson started his career with a mostly female-dominated fanbase thanks to his role as the vampire Edward Cullen in “The Twilight Saga,” which spanned five movies from 2008 to 2012 that grossed a combined $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office. The franchise made Pattinson a teen heartthrob to girls across the world. He recently defended the franchise in an interview with GQ Spain.
“I love that people keep telling me, ‘Man, ‘Twilight’ ruined the vampire genre,’” Pattinson said in the interview. “Are you still stuck on that shit? How can you be sad about something that happened almost 20 years ago? It’s crazy.”
When Pattinson spoke to GQ in 2022, he revealed that he wanted the original “Twilight” movie to be as edgy and emo as possible. He was 21 years old at the time and feeling young adult angst, but his vision for the movie didn’t sit right with the studio.
“I wanted to make it as arty as possible,” Pattinson said at the time. “We had this strange tension where the studio was scared to make things a little bit too emo and stuff. I thought that was the only way to play it. I spent so much time [on set] infuriated… I can’t believe the way I was acting half the time.”
“The Twilight Saga” gave Pattinson a legion of female fans, but now he’s got men in his corner after “The Batman.” The actor’s first turn as the Dark Knight earned critical acclaim and a strong $772 million at the worldwide box office. A sequel is set for release on October 1, 2027.
“I know what it’s about but I can’t tell anyone, but it’s like, it’s very cool,” Pattinson recently told Variety about “The Batman” sequel. “It’s very exciting.”
Next up for Pattinson is “Mickey 17,” the science-fiction dark comedy from “Parasite” Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho. The film opens in theaters March 7 from Warner Bros.
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