Watch the new video of “Water For Elephants” behind the scenes from The American Humane Association making of.

Robert Pattinson has a brief and undistinguished box-office track record in movies minus Twilight mate Kristen Stewart.

So, how’d the Reese Witherspoon thing work out for him–and Water for Elephants?

YOUR PSYCHIC FRIEND: We know exactly what the future holds for Pattinson!

So far, so good.

The $40 million romantic drama, based on Sara Gruen’s no-clowing-around novel of circus life in the 1930s, debuted with an estimated $17.5 million. The Friday-Sunday take was a bit bigger than expected for the film—and for the genre.

“Adult films usually don’t sprint out of the gate. We did,” Fox exec Bert Livingston told us in an email today. “I think being on bestseller list twice helped.”

For Pattinson, the opening marks a step up from his last non-Twilight movie, Remember Me, which opened to $8.1 million last year.

Over Easter weekend at the box office, moviegoers were more interested in “Rio,” an animated family film, than “Madea’s Big Happy Family.”

“Rio,” the 3-D cartoon about tropical birds, which was No. 1 when it debuted last weekend, was the top pick again with $26.8 million in ticket sales, according to an estimate from distributor 20th Century Fox. That was only a bit more than the solid $25.8 million collected by Tyler Perry’s new film starring his loud-mouthed grandmother character, Madea. “Water for Elephants,” a romantic drama starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon, got off to a better-than-expected start, grossing $17.5 million. The weekend’s other new wide release, the wildlife documentary “African Cats,” did $6.4 million in ticket sales.

I’ve added new outtakes of Robert Pattinson did for “TV Week” last year by Carter Smith to the gallery. Huge thanks to Setje for the outtakes!

GALLERY LINK:

• (x167) Photoshoots in 2010: Carter Smith [TV Week]

Watch the interview videos of Robert Pattinson one on one with On The Red Carpet for Water For Elephants.

“Twilight” star Robert Pattinson is used to admirers, but when his co-star’s wife crushes on him, the “Water for Elephants” hunk finds himself in a quagmire. How is Alex Meraz handling the news?

Marital vows with one couple goes only so far, especially when it comes to the role of a vampire, played by none other than the big screen’s largest heartthrobs at the moment.

In the past, it would have been the vampire Lestat in “Interview with a Vampire,” but today’s honors go to “Twilight” star, RPatz.

Co-star Alex Meraz, who plays a beefy werewolf in the series, dished that his wife is madly infatuated with RPatz’s character in the films.

Edward Cullen, aka Robert Pattinson, is her fictitious love interest, but lurking deep inside, wifey appears to have a fetish with Pattinson off the screen as well, sort of.

If she does, she joins a legion of millions of breathless fans that worship the ground the actor walks on.

Despite the fact that Kristin Stewart may have already laid claim to him, Alex Meraz’s wife has blinders on.

He read it in “Us Weekly.”

This week Robert Pattinson dropped by Jimmy Kimmel to discuss the latest with “Water for Elephants”…and inevitably, the royal wedding. Pattinson admitted that he sometimes tools around with his association with the royal family — but he was shocked when he wasn’t invited to the wedding.

Jimmy Kimmel explained to Robert Pattinson why he believed Rob might have been on the guest list for the April 29 nuptials between Kate Middleton and Prince William: “As an American, I assume that everyone with an accent, who’s famous, is invited.”

Robert Pattinson’s response? “Um, I was not invited actually.” And as the audience emitted a sigh of sympathy, Pattinson added, “I know, I was shocked! I read in ‘Us Weekly’ that I was.”

I’ve added a screen captures of Robert Pattinson in “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on April 20, 2011 & “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” on April 21, 2011.

GALLERY LINKS:

• (x083) The Jimmy Kimmel Show: Screen Captures > April 21, 2011
• (x063) The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Screen Captures > April 20, 2011

I’ve added new photos of Robert Pattinson wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussands in Washington, DC on April 22, 2011.

GALLERY LINK:

• (x017) Misc: Washington DC Madame Tussauds Wax Unveiled Figure – April 22

I’ve replaced a high quality shoot of Robert Pattinson did for “USA Today” by Dan McMedan.

GALLERY LINK:

• (x002) Photoshoots in 2011: Dan McMedan [USA Today]