He’ll star opposite Naomi Watts and Robert Pattinson in the biopic of Gertrude Bell, described as the female Lawrence of Arabia.Adding another title to its arsenal, Sierra/Affinity will represent foreign rights to Werner Herzog’s historical Gertrude Bell biopic Queen of the Desert.
Judd Law is joining the cast of the film, which headlines Naomi Watts as Bell and Robert Pattinson as T.E. Lawrence, otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia.
Bell — like Lawrence — was an explorer, writer, archeologist and attaché for the British Empire, who is credited with helping to catalyze the formation of the Middle East at the dawn of the 20th century. She’s often been referred to as the “female” Lawrence of Arabia.
Nick Raslan is producing via his Palmyra Films banner along with Cassian Elwes and Michael Benaroya. Benaroya’s Benaroya Pictures banner will finance the film.
Sierra/Affinity will handle international sales and will make it available to buyers during this year’s American Film Market.“It is a great opportunity to be working with such acclaimed talent on such an important project. We look forward to seeing Werner Herzog make this exciting piece of history come alive for a global audience,” Sierra/Affinity CEO Jude Law said.
Principal photography is scheduled to begin in Morocco in March 2013.
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Jude Law joins Rob in ‘Queen of the Desert’ 3 comments
The Guardian: “Robert Pattinson to Play Lawrence of Arabia” 1 comment
From The Guardian:
Robert Pattinson is to take another giant leap away from the mainstream after signing on to play TE Lawrence – better known as Lawrence of Arabia. Pattinson will feature in a forthcoming biopic, by the German director Werner Herzog, of the formidable Middle East adventurer Gertrude Bell entitled Queen of the Desert.
Pattinson, best known for the Twilight films but currently drawing strong reviews for his turn as a billionaire financier in David Cronenberg’sCosmopolis, finds himself stepping into some weighty shoes. The most famous portrayal of Lawrence is Peter O’Toole’s Oscar-nominated performance in David Lean’s 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.
Yet Pattinson’s Lawrence looks set to play second-fiddle in Herzog’s production, which instead focuses on the life and times of Bell. Naomi Watts has already signed up to play Bell, often referred to as “the female Lawrence of Arabia”.
Bell – an English writer, political administrator, spy and archaeologist – was an influential figure in British imperial policy-making during and after the first world war, because of her extensive knowledge of the Middle East and ability to influence Arab leaders. A traveller and photographer in the region, whose writings gave many British readers their first insight into life in the area prior to 1914, Bell played a pivotal role in the creation of Iraq during the early 20s.
Queen of the Desert has been scripted by Herzog and looks set to continue the director’s long-standing interest in larger-than-life figures with impossible dreams. His previous pictures include Aguirre: Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, and the acclaimed documentary Grizzly Man. Queen of the Desert is scheduled to shoot this autumn on location in Jordan and the UK.
Pattinson is also due to appear in futuristic western The Rover for Animal Kingdom director David Michod. Guy Pearce stars as a man who hunts down a crew of thieves who stole his car, with Pattinson as the brother of one of the gang who is left behind when a police encounter goes wrong.He will also appear in Mission: Blacklist, an independent thriller from Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire about Saddam Hussein’s capture.
Robert Pattinson To Shoot Queen of the Desert in Jordan and England in the Fall 4 comments
Robert Pattinson to shoot in Jordan and England for Queen of the Desert 
From THR
Robert Pattinson is attached to play Lawrence of Arabia in Queen of the Desert, Werner Herzog’s biopic of Gertrude Bell.
Naomi Watts is starring as Bell described as the female Lawrence of Arabia for the impact the English woman had in the Middle East and her work in establishing what would become the modern framework for Jordan and Iraq. She was an explorer, writer, archeologist and political attache and during World War I, worked for British Intelligence.
Pattinson will play T.E. Lawrence, the archeologist-turned-British Army officer who played key roles in Middle Eastern revolutions in the same time period and became close friends with Bell. Peter O’Toole portrayed the explorer in the 1962 classic.
Herzog wrote the screenplay. Nick Raslan is producing with Cassian Elwes.
A fall shoot in Jordan and England is being eyed.
The move keeps Pattinson firmly in the world of independent film. One of the world’s most recognizable stars, the actor is this week promoting Cosmopolis, his drama directed by David Cronenberg. He is set to star with Guy Pearce in the post-apocalyptic indie The Rover as well as Mission: Blacklist, an indie thriller about Saddam Hussein’s capture.
Robert Pattinson to play T.E. Lawrence in Werner Herzog’s indie “Queen of the Desert” Leave a comment
From Variety
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.
Pattinson is repped by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, Curtis Brown Group and attorney Robert Offer.
Thinking of Rob 