Robert Pattinson's "Water For Elephants" Filming Location Will Not Be Confirmed Until April

Despite widespread Internet rumors stating that a certain vampire will visit Ithaca this summer, no production plans for the movie Water for Elephants will be confirmed until April, according to University Press Officer Blaine Friedlander.

“If they are going to film [Water for Elephants] here, we would love to have them and we would love to cooperate,” Friedlander said.

After rumors began to spread, the University called Fox 2000, the production company that won a bidding war to film the movie, but nothing final has been planned, according to Friedlander.

The movie, based on the best-selling novel written by Sarah Gruen, will tell the story of a Cornell veterinary student who drops out of school just before graduation and joins the circus.

While only Reese Wither­spoon has confirmed her participation in the film, Robert Pattinson, of Twilight fame, has been in talks with producers for over a month about the part of Cornellian Jacob Jankowski.

Christoph Waltz, the award-winning actor who played a supporting role in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds as a sadistic German officer, has been offered the part of the nefarious circus trainer married to Witherspoon’s character, according to reports from MTV.com. The role had been previously offered to Sean Penn, but talks fell apart as Penn continued his humanitarian mission in Haiti.

Jankowski’s story in Water for Elephants is told through a series of flashbacks recounted from his nursing home bed. Cornell University, although not at the center of the story, will presumably be the setting for multiple flashbacks, including the pivotal moment when Jacob learns of his parents’ death.

Filming on campus would generate revenue for local businesses and excitement for students, faculty and locals alike. Bruce Stroff, the marketing communications manager for the Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the movie could mean expenditures of up to $50,000 a day locally, according to the Ithaca Journal.

Water for Elephants would not be the only recent major motion picture to feature the University. In the 2009 film Up in the Air, nominated this year for a Best Picture Oscar, actress Anna Kendrick portrays Natalie Keener, a recent Cornell graduate with a psychology minor.

In Neverwas, produced in 2005, Aaron Eckhart plays a Cornell professor who leaves the University to work at a private mental institution where his father, played by Nick Nolte, spent some time. Neither film features any scenes shot in Ithaca, according to the Internet Movie Database.

Even if Water for Elephants never makes the journey to Tompkins County, Ithaca can still claim its place in cinematic history. According to local historian and founder of Ithaca-made Movies, Terry Harbin, before Hollywood became the center of the entertainment industry in the 1920s, independent studios had the chance to reach national audiences with thrilling action serials.

Starting in 1914, what is now Stewart Park in downtown Ithaca became the home of Wharton Inc., a silent movie production company. Before ending in financial ruin in 1919, the company produced more than 70 multi-part movies with major movie stars of the era, including Pearl White, Irene Castle, Lionel Barrymore and a young Oliver Hardy

Source The Cornell Daily Sun

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

It could make a great movie.. The book is great, I finished it a few days ago, very visual, very moving, great story...

RTP_KJS_Lover said...

Good morning, I loved the book. Really hope Rob gets to do it. I am suck an anti-spoiler person, that I kind of gasped when the article mentioned his parents...not that it makes a huge diff, but still.

Kate - how was your night? Sweet dreams? I did. And that pic you used for this post from NM NY premiere, is yummy.

RTP_KJS_Lover said...

Too early for me. Suck = such. LOL! I have Rob on the brain. ;p

angie-k said...

I am more excited for WFE than I am for Breaking Dawn.

angie-k said...

Rob on the brain.
That is a constant condition for me, too.
;)

Jeswah said...

I'm so excited about Water for Elephants, I loved the book so I REALLY hope Rob does it. Jacob is such a strong character, Rob could nail this part and cement his acting credentials. I have a good feeling about this movie :)

RTP_KJS_Lover said...

@Angie - All day long. WFE more than BD? What about the wedding, becoming a vamp, Renesme, birthing scene, broken headboard, feathers, Edward in the water...I'm gonna go with it's a tie, only if BD is filmed the way we all want to see it.

rpattzgirl survived Rob! said...

I'm very excited for this movie and wondering where he will find the time to film it....

angie-k said...

CL - I think my expectations for BD may be too high and it makes me nervous. WFE is just so different and uncomplicated. I think it will transition to the screen better. Does that make sense?

RTP_KJS_Lover said...

@Angie - Again, we share a brain. ITA.

ShariG said...

The thing is, I really don't care where it's filmed as long as Robert is in it. Are they waiting for Breaking Dawn's production schedule before finalizing do you think? Or could they be waiting to see how Remember Me does at the box office? I would like the deal to be made. The movie will fall flat for me now if Rob isn't in it. Got my fingers crossed.

skorpia said...

Ok ladies-get on your knees and pray ROb will be filming over there:) LOL!

rpattzgirl survived Rob! said...

skorpia,
I'll do that for you, but you got it knee it for breaking dawn coming back to Portland for me!!

nikola6 said...

RPG...
If he's finishing Bel Ami in April and BD isn't starting until October, that gives him about 6 months -give or take- to film this one though I seriously doubt it would take that long. Although I think there could be a somewhat extended pre-production as he would have to spend time with the critters so that they're comfortable with him and he with them before the cameras roll. But I would imagine that filming at Cornell could be interesting. Girls! Girls! Girls! Fortunately, I doubt they'd be there more than a week to film the few scenes required.

But with all of the animals and a moving train set, I would imagine this could end up quite the chaotic movie set. Should be interesting to see how they're going to handle the additional chaos if tons of fans show up to 'watch'. Hell, I'd put 'em to work. I'd say, you wanna watch? fine, but go clean some stalls first. If they're smart, they'll keep it under wraps as much as possible wherever they're shooting.

But yeah, I'm so looking forward to this one. This could be his 'Little Big Man' role. Remember that one? Early in his career, Dustin Hoffman played a 103? 110? year old man in a nursing home recalling his adventurous life back in the wild west. I so hope they let him play
'old' Jacob and not use an older actor like they did in Titanic.

But with the addition (hopefully) of the red hot Christoph Waltz and the fact that there was such a bidding war for this one, this movie is shaping up to be a pretty big deal.

nikola6 said...

On second thought...

With the different kinds of dangerous animals on set (lions, tigers, etc. and I think there's a polar bear somewhere in the mix), they may not be able to let fans anywhere near where they're filming for insurance purposes. If droves do show up, I would imagine they'd have them roped off a mile away. I'm just thinking this wouldn't be an accesible set as NYC was last summer.


Just a guess.

nikola6 said...

And RPG...

You still here? I imagine you'll be off to work soon, but I'm sending you an e-mail today. Haven't written it yet, but it's kinda important. So when you get home, please read it.

Thanks darlin'

nikola6 said...

Okay. This really is my last thought (oh god, if only that were true)...

I would think anyone's best chance to catch a glimpse of him would be on that Cornell campus. They can rope off where they're filming, but they cannot rope off an entire university...with ta da, public access. Also, college towns have a night life. There's always the chance you could catch him in the evening visiting the local haunts AND to be there to scoop him up in that wheelbarrow should it look like he's about to fall face first into the gutter from one too many beers. 'Cause I'm thinking...

Rob + college town = OH. DEAR. GOD.

I cannot believe I am encouraging people to go to a movie set and then follow him around after hours. But I know how much everyone wants to see him, even for just a minute and a university campus would be a throng anyway so what would be a few more? Okay. Make that a few thousand more?
I must really like you guys.

I do.

angie-k said...

CL - which one of us has the part of the brain that can function in RL? not me right now! lol!
;)

AP said...

Someone is working really hard in the Cornell press office. lol

There are only two very short scenes, one interior, set at the University itself. Others are in the hospital, on the street and outside the town. Don't think they'd need to locate to upstate NY. Same reason they didn't for "Neverwas." Yes, lots of animals, including the Jack Russell. ;)

wensdazzled by ThePretty said...

any confirmation that he has the part or is it still in "talks"?

nikola6 said...

I don't think this is an ABSOLUTE confirm because if it was, it would be news. But I think it's pretty firm. He's talked about it publicly and actors tend to shy away from that unless they're pretty much set to go. I would imagine right now his management is negotiating his deal; salary, back end, etc. Although they could be waiting for the opening weekend of RM. If that were to open HUGE, it could up his asking price.

And yeah AP, you're right. With just a couple of scenes to film, it shouldn't take them more than a day or two. Hey. A thought just occured to me...

Rob might not even be required to be on that campus. They could shoot the interior scenes in a studio, fudge what they have to for outdoor close ups and then just send a second unit to film the actual campus ('cause they would have to show that it is Cornell) and perhaps some shots of the town. Yeah, Rob might not have to be there at all.

Sorry NB's. Might not have the opportunity to scoop him up after a drunken night in a college town after all. Oh. That would be just be sad.

wensdazzled by ThePretty said...

Thanks, Nik. you are such a wealth of information. i agree about not needing to film at Cornell. there isn't alot of the story that takes place there. Mostly they just need a big open area with train tracks--LOL

AP said...

@Nik: No, I think you're very right on that point. I'm sure the NB's will be able to..er...scoop up Rob after a drunken night out in a town - maybe not just a college one? lol Later...

AP said...

Er..should be "just not.." What happens when typing on the run...

nikola6 said...

@wensdazzled...

Oh that's me allright. A carrier of vasts amount of USELESS information. LOL!

When I was in my early 20's, a rather tough, stern gentleman told me I had a mind like a steel trap and since he was a pretty intimidating dude who never handed out a compliment (he was an acquaintance of my father's, a studio exec and he scared the holy beejesus out of me) AND since I had no idea what he meant by that, I was pretty sure he had insulted me. I found out some time later that no, he was actually paying me a compliment.

Yeah. I can hold alot of USELESS crap in this head. Too bad I could never learn algegra. I flunked Home Ec. too. Took me 6 months to make a stupid damn gym bag and so that bitch flunked me. My mother tormented me for years about it. She'd go up to total strangers, point at me and say...'she flunked cupcakes.'

wensdazzled by ThePretty said...

@Nik--home ec is overrated--LOL

nikola6 said...

Right AP...

But first, we gotta locate that town.

The other day I said that what we need is a Marauder's Map on Rob.

Wouldn't that be grand?

nikola6 said...

@wensdazzled...

So true. I hated Home Ec. And for the record, I didn't flunk cupcakes. I burnt the tops of them. And that's what knives are for. Scrape off the burn (this also works on toast). Slap a little frosting on and who's the wiser?

solas said...

nikola :-) I think I like these little excerpts and snippets from yourself even better than your info and perspectives on the movie industry. :-) Thanks for sharing those. :-)

MsTaurus14 said...

Just bought WFE today, just so I'm prepared. Kind of anxious for this film too, should he be doing it, would like to see Rob interacting with the critters, haven't really seen him in anything with animals in it...except for Neibulungs (sp?) he was riding a horse in that.

nikola6 said...

@Denise...

You're going to love the book. It's such a great story and I think you'll totally be able to see Rob as Jacob.

And he rode a horse in that viking picture? (must admit, haven't seen that one yet). Might have to check it out though. Did he stay on the horse? Did he look like a doofus riding it? I'm just curious because I figured his first experience with riding would be as Phin in UC. Good to know he's at least had a horse under him before.

And Solas...
I think when I write here, that I tend to give too much of myself up. It's not a problem for me because I write the way I talk and I've got no problem with sharing (and for the record, I'm a good listener too. people tend to open up to me I think, because I open up to them) Also, the annonimity (sp?) of this screen makes it a little easier. It's something to hide behind. But I think it might be a problem for others. They don't care. They don't want to know. And I understand that.

But I don't know how to come to a community and interact with people, and not end up giving some of myself up. Not all. But some. I love it when people share a part of who they are. It makes me feel like I'm not sitting here talking to a bunch of faceless strangers.

But thank you.

solas said...

Nikola- I understand.

solas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wensdazzled by ThePretty said...

i saw the ring of nebalonk (??) movie. it was kind of painful but i watch the whole thing because Rob was in it--but not enough. the part was pretty small

MsTaurus14 said...

@nik: Yeah, it was only a snippet, he was with a group, I had DVR'd it so I kept playing that bit backwards and forwards. They were going pretty slow, just a walk. And I think he had something to do with a falcon, it was on his arm. I was also looking forward to UC, just to see him up on a horse....maybe bare chested....mmmm.

MMc said...

OMG - my cousin and her husband just moved to Ithaca for him to start his professorship there. Oh I hope they do film the movie there - that would be so awesome.

I've already told her I'd want daily updates and an autograph and picture.!!

MMc said...

If you look at Rob's body of work - he is so different in ever movie, diff.look, personality, accent, presence, demeanor, etc. That's the mark of a true actor.

I've seen Kristen in about 4 of her films and she just always seems the same to me.

Cindygal said...

...I've been trying to get this book in my country so far no luck! :-(

RPLover said...

I started WFE yesterday and I'm totally hooked! It soooo good so far-I really hope this movie gets made, almost more than UC. Although I want that one, too. ;)

wensdazzled by ThePretty said...

@RPL--glad you like it. it shows a different life time

Anonymous said...

Water for Elephants is such a fantastic read. You find yourself laughing, sobbing (well not literally) and just rooting for Jacob. He is a guy but you never feel that. I def recommend all you guys read. I was amazed it took so long to make. The dialogue is a bit difficult but I didn't even care much because I really just wanted to know what happened next. I hope Rob gets this part.

Anonymous said...

Here's a link to the Ebook at 4shared.com for those who can't get a copy:http://www.4shared.com/file/100565393/614074d8/Gruen_Sara_-_Water_For_Elephan.html?s=1

It doesn't open in my mac as I have no PDF reader so goodluck with those with a mac.

 
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