Australia was founded as a repository for crooks and criminals — a wretched hive of scum and villainy, like the British Empire’s own Mos Eisley. Of course, that was a long time ago and the Australian national demeanor has since shifted from “kill or be killed” to “live and let live,” but David Michôd’s gritty 2010 drama Animal Kingdom chronicled some of the country’s more modern criminal descendents. In his upcoming sophomore effort, The Rover, the director takes things even further.

Robert Pattinson plays a denizen of the Outback in the near future, after a worldwide financial collapse has sent many like him running to the still viable mines of the Australian desert. “It’s like a new gold rush,” says Michôd. “Where people from all corners of the world have come out to the desert to scrape out an existence. Petty criminals and miscreants and hustlers.” Guy Pearce, who had an uncharacteristically reserved role in Animal Kingdom, gets to sink his teeth into a nicely nasty part opposite Pattinson. “The basic story is really quite elemental,” says Michôd. “You’ve got a really dark, dangerous, murderous person in Guy’s character, and in Rob’s character you have a quite troubled and damaged, but beautiful and naïve, soul.

I’ve added new filming photos of Robert Pattinson onlocation of his new film ‘The Rover’ on March 5, 2013.

I’ve added new high quality set photos of Robert Pattinson onlocation of his new movie, ‘The Rover’ which the film set in South Australia.

Catching up with Pattinson as he did press rounds for “Cosmopolis,” he filled us in on what we might expect from Michôd’s follow-up to his crime drama “Animal Kingdom.” Set to shoot next year, “The Rover” boasts some pretty big ideas behind its deceptively simple set up. ”It’s a kind of a western,” Pattinson explained. “It’s very existential. It’s really interesting. I couldn’t really explain to you what it’s about but it’s sort of about how much pain can the world take and how much disgust and cruelty before love dies. I think that’s kind of what it’s about.” (Cronenberg, who was in the room, chimed in with: ” That sounds pretty heavy!”)

Pattinson will co-star in the film with Guy Pearce, with the near-future-set story centering on a man who journeys across the Australian outback to find his stolen car, which contains something invaluable to him. However, Pattinson admits that perhaps his description might be a little more highfalutin than the actual movie. ”David Michôd’s going to read this and be like ‘What the fuck are you talking about? It’s a crime movie,’ “ he said with a laugh.

Screen Australia made the announcement about the movie, from “Animal Kingdom’s” David Michod, on the same day it was revealed that Pattinson’s girlfriend, Kristen Stewart, had cheated on him.

SYDNEY — On the day everyone learned that his girlfriend Kristen Stewart had strayed, Robert Pattinson’s new starring role was given the greenlight.

Screen Australia said it will provide production financing for a previously announced Australian feature film project,The Rover, from Animal Kingdom writer-director David Michod. The Twilightstar and Guy Pearce are both attached.

Set in the Australian desert, the futuristic western tells the story of Eric, who has left everything, everyone and every semblance of human kindness behind him, as he’s forced to join an injured gang member, Rey, to hunt down Rey’s gang after they steal the last of Eric’s possessions.

The Rover is produced by Porchlight Films in association with Los Angeles-based Lava Bear Films, with Liz Watts, David Linde and Michod producing. Film Nation will handle international sales, and Roadshow Films will be the Australian distributor.

According to if.au ’The Rover’ is set to start shooting in January 2013 and to wrap up around March 2013. Here are the updates from the site: 

The Rover

Updated: 11/07/2012
Status: In Development
Category: Feature
Teaser: A man pursues a gang who stole his car through the wild and rough Australian outback of the near future.
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Director: David Michod
Producer: David Linde, Liz Watts
Line Producer: Libby Sharpe
Writer: David Michod
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Guy Pearce
Location: South Australia
Production Company: Lava Bear Films, Porchlight Films
Start Shoot: Proposed- January 24th, 2013
Wrap Shoot: Proposed- late March, 2013

Source: IF via pattinsonlife

Cannes, May 21, 2012 – FilmNation Entertainment has acquired the majority of worldwide rights to The Rover from Animal Kingdom writer-director David Michôd (Hesher). Michôd has written the script based on a story he conceived with Joel Edgerton (Zero Dark Thirty, The Great Gatsby).

This deal marks FilmNation’s migration into the acquisition space after ramping up their film investments and development slate. In addition to a full-fledged international sales arm, the banner now effectively develops, finances, and produces projects in-house as well as acquiring filmmaker driven content.

The Rover is set in the Australian desert in a dangerous and dysfunctional near future. Eric has left everything and every semblance of human kindness behind him. When his last possession, his car, is stolen by a gang of dangerous criminals, Eric sets off to track them down and is forced along the way to enlist the help of Reynolds, the naïve simpleton member of the gang left behind in the bloody chaos of the gang’s most recent escape.

Producer Liz Watts is calling David Michod’s new film The Rover “a dirty and dangerous near-future western set in the Australian desert”.

She confirmed what the Internet is buzzing about: that Guy Pearce and Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson are in discussions to play, respectively, a man in pursuit of the people who stole his car and the brother of one of the thieves in Michod’s follow-up to Animal Kingdom.

Reluctantly, Watts also added a few more details: it is hoped that The Rover will go into production late in the year and discussions about the project started 18 months ago between Michod and US producer David Linde.

Last year Linde opened the production and financing outfit Lava Bear Films with backing from Reliance Entertainment. At the time the company announced it had a first-look deal with Universal Pictures for the US and other significant international territories. Linde was, at one time, co-chair of Universal.

Source: IF Australia

t’s been a big 24 hours for Robert Pattinson.

Gossip Cop has confirmed that the Twilight star has joined The Rover, a film that follows one man’s pursuit through the Australian Outback of the men who stole his car.

His rep confirms the casting to Gossip Cop.

Pattinson will play a character named Reynolds in director David Michod’s movie, which is set in the near future.

Late Wednesday, it was announced that Pattinson will star in Mission: Blacklist.

Source: Gossip Cop