Robert Pattinson Almost Punched 'The Witch' Director On The Set Of Their Rad-Sounding New Movie

Yes, this story about Robert Pattinson almost punching The Witch director Robert Eggers on the set of their new movie, The Lighthouse, is the best thing I’ve read all day. And as the world descends into chaos around us (hopefully less so after the polls close), can’t we all use a good pick-me-up? And there are also details about The Lighthouse, which sounds rad.

First things first, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe both appear in The Lighthouse. In Interview Magazine, Dafoe interviewed his co-star. Shocker, I know. Apparently, it was a tough shoot and Eggers went to great lengths to get the performance he wanted from his actors. Including spraying one in the face with a hose, repeatedly. Pattinson says:

"That’s the closest I’ve come to punching a director. However much I love Robert [Eggers], there was a point where I did five takes walking across the beach, and after a while I was like, ‘What the fuck is going on? I feel like you’re just spraying a fire hose in my face.’ And he was like, ‘I am spraying a fire hose in your face.’ It was like some kind of torture. It definitely creates an interesting energy."

So, that’s funny. It also sounds like Eggers was just kind of fucking with his star, which makes it even funnier in my opinion. 

But there’s more. A few additional details about The Lighthouse have also come to light thanks to IndieWire.  First off, it’s finished, and the A24-backed feature should hit theaters in 2019. Given the people involved and their history, I wouldn’t be shocked to see it debut at Sundance, but that’s just a guess. Wherever it premieres, that’s good news. 

Second, Eggers and company shot The Lighthouse on black and white 35mm film, which is definitely an intriguing choice, but one I can dig. That fact also dovetails nicely with a third bit of information, which is that the film is “a fantasy horror story set in the world of old sea-faring myths.” 

To recount: the director of The Witch, a creepy, old-timey chiller about witches and the devil and an evil goat, made a black and white horror movie about old sea legends starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, and repeatedly sprayed Pattinson in the face with a fire hose. I like everything about this. Especially the fact we get to see The Lighthouse next year.