Being a part of a big budget franchise for many actors is a dream come true. Blockbusters are often successful and can do a lot to elevate an actor's profile, but these roles come with immense pressure and often a highly scrutinizing and fickle fanbase. After his time on the huge Twilight franchise, actor Robert Pattinson has mostly taken roles in smaller, independent films, seeming to shy away from the big budget fare that made him a recognizable face. The actor is actually still open to doing big budget franchise films, but is wary of the more limited artistic freedom they provide, as he explained:
I've not had a bad experience on any film I've done, maybe one. The only reason I'm a little cautious about big franchise films is that you can't make them R rated. If you have a big budget, there's more people on you to do it a [specific] way or you're fired. If you keep a budget contained, if people think they can get their money back, you can experiment more.
Deadline notes that Robert Pattinson did say that he had a great time on the Twilight films, but it seems like at this point he is more interested in artistic expression than stardom or being a part of some huge tentpole. We have heard in the past how the actor lost his sense of self and creative freedom on Twilight, and while he may have enjoyed his time working on those films, it seems to have also made his priorities clearer to him. It is kind of funny to think that the bigger a budget a film has, the less artistic freedom you have, but I suppose that's the reality when it isn't your money on the line. I'm sure he experienced this first hand on the Twlight films. The more people who have money at stake, the more cooks there are in the kitchen watching your every move with their bank accounts at the front of their minds. Not to mention that if a franchise is an adaptation of an existing property there is an added scrutiny to toe the line to a specific narrative.
The actor is right that there are more limitations that come when there is more money involved, and that's to be expected. Robert Pattinson mentions not being able to make a movie R-rated, and while movies like Logan and Deadpool are breaking that mold, historically R ratings are a no-go zone for big-budget films. If you look at the actor's more recent work in something like Good Time, it is clear that he wants to tackle more adult subjects at the moment, and those often garner the R rating. Robert Pattinson does seem optimistic that the much-lamented mid-budget movie is making a comeback, and that this will allow actors to experiment more. So while Robert Pattinson is open to returning to big budget franchise filmmaking, for now it seems that he is happy keeping things small.
Robert Pattinson can next be seen in Claire Denis' film High Life, a sci-fi film where a father and daughter struggle to survive in deep space. For films big and small hitting theaters this year, check out our release guide.
