Robert Pattinson recently spilled the details on his audition for The Batman. Unlike most audition stories, this one sees the actor trying to outsmart his Tenet director, Christopher Nolan since Pattinson was filming the delayed Warner Bros. feature when The Batman auditions came around. To read Pattinson's words is to know true sympathy because the actor's game plan for sneaking away from set should ring very true for those of us who've been looking for a new job while still at our old job.
In a recent Irish Times interview pegged to his involvement in Tenet, Pattinson recalled his audition process for The Batman. The actor had secured an audition slot for Matt Reeves upcoming Batman reboot at Warner Bros. and, as Pattinson tells it, it seems he was pretty freakin' keen to try out for the titular role. The only problem? Trying to find a way to tell Nolan, a man who has also directed a successful trio of Batman movies for Warner Bros., a believable excuse that could get him off the Tenet set without raising eyebrows. Turns out, that's easier said than done. According to Pattinson:
"It's funny because Chris is so secretive about everything to do with his movies. And then I had to be really secretive about Batman stuff. So I had to lie to Chris about having to go for a screen test — I said I had a family emergency. And as soon as I said 'It’s a family emergency,' he said: 'You’re doing the Batman audition, aren't you?'"
Not Robert Pattinson trying to use the oldest trick in the book! Come on, my guy. You can't pull one over on Nolan. He's the tricky one; not you!
Pattison's anecdotes didn't stop with his slightly cringe audition story. Returning the focus to his time on Tenet (and without giving too much away), Pattinson opened up about the physical challenges of working alongside Tenet lead John David Washington, a former NFL player.
"When I’m running on screen I’m generally paired with John David [Washington] who is an ex-NFL player so it was the most unfair thing in the world. The maximum workout I do most of the time is a casual stroll. John David can run all day long. It was good that I ended up being pretty fit. But definitely, at the beginning, there were days I just could not walk afterwards."
Simply incredible.
These Pattinson anecdotes feel like a shot of life in the conversations around both Tenet and The Batman. When it comes to Tenet, Warner Bros. announced plans to release the movie in international markets first and delay the U.S. release, with it eventually opening in select cities domestically. As for The Batman, Pattinson and his other castmates are expected to make an appearance at the DC FanDome event on August 22 to discuss their movie.
Allie Gemmill is the Weekend Contributing Editor for Collider. You can follow them on Twitter @_matineeidle.