Robert Pattinson Talks ‘Tenet,’ Delaying ‘The Batman’ Production and Self-Isolation

After starring in a series of critical favorites such as “High Life,” “Good Time” and “The Lighthouse,” Robert Pattinson was set to have one of his most high-profile years since his days acting in the “Twilight” franchise. The actor stars in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film “Tenet,” still set for a July release date, and was in the midst of shooting Matt Reeves’ upcoming reboot “The Batman” until the coronavirus pandemic forced Warner Bros. to halt production in March. Now self-isolating in a London apartment, Pattinson offered some details on both upcoming projects in a recent GQ profile.

“[‘Tenet’ is] so insane,” Pattinson said, describing how a crew of hundreds would fly together from one country to another over the shoot. “In each country there’s, like, an enormous set-piece scene, which is like the climax of a normal movie. In every single country.” The one specific thing Pattinson said he could confirm was that “there’s actually no time traveling” in the movie.

Pattinson also addressed the prospect of playing Batman after working with Nolan, whose massively successful “The Dark Knight” trilogy brought the property back into cinematic relevance. The actor discussed being attracted to the unique challenges of the project.

“I kind of like the fact that not only are there very, very, very well-done versions of the character which seem pretty definitive, but I was thinking that there are multiple definitive playings of the character,” Pattinson said. “You’ve seen this sort of lighter version, you’ve seen a kind of jaded version, a kind of more animalistic version. And the puzzle of it becomes quite satisfying, to think: Where’s my opening? …Also, it’s a legacy part, right? I like that. There’s so few things in life where people passionately care about it before it’s even happened. You can almost feel that pushback of anticipation, and so it kind of energizes you a little bit. It’s different from when you’re doing a part and there’s a possibility that no one will even see it. Right? In some ways it’s, I don’t know… It makes you a little kind of spicy.”

Pattinson went on to discuss his past decade of work, how he’s acclimated to fame and his current living situation under social distancing and shelter-in-place regulations.

“I’m essentially on a meal plan for ‘Batman.’ Thank God. I don’t know what I’d be doing other than that,” Pattinson said. “I can survive. I’ll have oatmeal with, like, vanilla protein powder on it. And I will barely even mix it up. It’s extraordinarily easy. Like, I eat out of cans and stuff. I’ll literally put Tabasco inside a tuna can and just eat it out of the can.”

The actor also discussed the difficulties of finding motivation to keep up his workout regiment for “The Batman” given the current circumstances, stating that he’s been ignoring the trainer that Warner Bros. hired for him. “I think if [other actors are] working out all the time, [they’re] part of the problem. You set a precedent. No one was doing this in the ’70s. Even James Dean — he wasn’t exactly ripped,” he said. “Literally, I’m just barely doing anything.”