Robert Pattinson hits out at ‘studio movies’ released in wake of Covid

Robert Pattinson has revealed he almost gave up on Hollywood due to the types of films released in the wake of COVID-19.

The Twilight star, 38, who is set to star in Parasite director Bong Joon-ho’s forthcoming sci-fi Mickey 17, admitted he was “almost turned off” by the film industry in recent years.

Pattinson told Vanity Fair: “The last few years for the film industry, starting with COVID and then the [SAG-AFTRA] strikes, everyone was constantly saying cinema is dying. And quite convincingly.”

He added: “I was literally almost turned off. It actually started to get a little worrying.”

The Batman actor continued: “In terms of scripts, I mean, every actor for two years was saying, ‘What is happening? Nothing’s cool.’”

Pattinson added films made during this period were “very studio” but in more recent months there have been “really cool parts everywhere”.

The Twilight said there has been a “flurry of very ambitious movies” released of late, adding he enjoyed Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel’s thriller Armand, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist and Sean Baker’s Anora.

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“It seems like there’s suddenly a new batch of directors who the audience is excited about as well,” he said. “Hopefully Mickey will come out in a period of enthusiasm for cinema.”

Back in September, the release of the Mickey 17 trailer left Pattinson fans excited for the film’s release this April due to the actor’s notably high-pitched voice.

Mickey 17 sees Pattinson play Mickey Barnes who, in a dystopian future, signs up for a space mission to colonise an alien planet covered in ice.

However, Barnes has agreed to be an “expendable” who will work on dangerous jobs on the planet, with the catch being that when he dies he will be regenerated with all his memories intact to continue the work.

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Things appear to go awry when Pattinson meets another version of himself, or a “multiple” that has been simultaneously created, leading to a campaign to destroy all versions of that individual.

“One of my favourite things is when Robert Pattinson does a silly voice,” said one fan in response to the preview.

A second person wrote: “Robert Pattinson doing another freaky little voice. We won.”

A third praised the 38-year-old, writing: “No one can convince that Robert Pattinson is not one of the most versatile actors working today. An actor who is not only fantastic in his physical performance, but emotionally, and also vocally.”