One of the best films of 2019 so far, “The Souvenir” is a breakout project for actress Honor Swinton Byrne and ultimately, filmmaker Joanna Hogg. Despite Hogg’s acclaimed career, it appears like “The Souvenir” is going to be the film that puts the director’s talents in front of her largest audience to date, thanks to A24. And the profile of the film was only going to rise thanks to Robert Pattinson’s involvement in the planned sequel that is scheduled to shoot very soon. Unfortunately, it appears Hogg is going to have to move forward with “The Souvenir” sequel without the A-lister.
According to IndieWire, Robert Pattinson has dropped out of Hogg’s sequel to “The Souvenir” due to a “scheduling conflict.” Previously, the actor was rumored to be part of the first film, but instead, decided to lend his talent to the already-planned sequel. It was speculated that Pattinson would portray another love interest for Swinton Byrne in the untitled film.
“Despite Rob’s strong desire to do the film, scheduling proved impossible but he very much looks forward to working with Joanna on something down the line,” a representative for Pattinson said.
And before film fans start to blame Matt Reeves’ ‘Batman’ film for this conflict, it’s actually Christopher Nolan’s fault. The report claims that production on the ‘Souvenir’ sequel was set to begin next month, but Pattinson’s involvement in Nolan’s upcoming film “Tenet” requires him to miss Hogg’s production window. So, despite everyone wanting to blame Pattinson’s new role as the Caped Crusader, we have to look at Nolan for this decision.
Obviously, we shouldn’t blame anyone. Scheduling conflicts are a common occurrence in the film industry and Pattinson is one of the most in-demand actors currently working. He’s had a string of great films since leaving the “Twilight” franchise, including standout performances in recent projects like “Good Time” and “High Life.”
Sure, the lack of Pattinson in the ‘Souvenir’ sequel is a loss, but with the talent from the first film coming back, not the least of which is the incredible writing and directing from Hogg, we’re going to assume that the production will move on just fine.
There’s no release date for the ‘Souvenir’ sequel, but Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” will arrive in theaters on July 17, 2020.
