Exciting news, world. Robert Pattinson has advanced from respectfully romancing teen virgins onscreen to defiling wealthy, middle-aged wives (played by Oscar-nominated actresses, no less) in pursuit of upward mobility. Or wealth. Or maybe just acceptance as a serious actor. (Look at him in a period piece with Kristen Scott Thomas!) Either way, jump ahead to see our little Edward Cullen mature into a scheming, sexing cad in the trailer for Bel Ami.
Video: Bel Ami trailer (MSN Exclusive)
If the plot formula above feels familiar, that's because it is. Two years ago, Rupert Friend starred in a forgettable adaptation of a French novel called Chéri, in which he also played a young man who beds an aging Oscar-nominated actress (Michelle Pfeiffer) with a cringe-inducing accent in turn-of-the-century Paris. Chéri bombed with critics and at the box office, where it collected less than $10 million worldwide. Hopefully, Pattinson will be able to rouse more interest in his movie May-December romance(s).
Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Christina Ricci co-star in Bel Ami, which was adapted from Guy de Maupassant's 1985 novel by directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.
Bel Ami does not yet have a U.S. release date.
VERDICT: Having a hard time accepting the world's most respectful vampire beau as a manipulative man-whore in Paris.
[MSN via ComingSoon.net]