Robert Pattinson’s The Lighthouse Gets New Trailer

The Lighthouse, the upcoming film starring The Batman‘s Robert Pattinson and Aquaman‘s Willem Dafoe, has a new trailer in advance of its release in October. The film, which appears to be a kind of black comedy wrapped around a psychological horror film, will center on a pair of lighthouse keepers played by the duo. It’s directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch) and also features a performance by newcomer Valeriia Karaman, apparently as a mermaid. Pattinson’s performance in the film is supposedly brilliant, and prestige projects like this were held up as examples of why filmmakers were interested in bringing him on as Batman when a lot of the audience only knows him from Twilight.

From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind modern horror masterpiece The Witch, comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

While the experience of filming the movie was obviously less intense than being a real lighthouse keeper in the 1890s, Pattinson previously admitted that the shoot was quite demanding and tensions often ran high. The actor even pointed out he nearly came to blows with the director.

“That’s the closest I’ve come to punching a director,” Pattinson explained to Interview Magazine. The actor noted that the reaction came from a scene where Eggers was spraying him with a hose for a scene, with Pattinson pointing out, “It was like some kind of torture. It definitely creates an interesting energy.”

Pattinson might be largely known for his appearances in massively successful franchises like Twilight and Harry Potter, though he followed up those projects with more independent films like Good Time, Darling, and High Life. Willem Dafoe, on the other hand, might not have the same name-brand recognition, but his countless compelling performances in films like The Florida Project, Shadow of the Vampire, and Spider-Man have earned him similar levels of fame. The two have discussed the ways in which their notoriety precedes them.

“I think you’re doing great, and I like the choices you’re making,” Dafoe shared of Pattinson’s off-beat projects, while also mentioning his level of celebrity.

Pattinson pointed out, “You have definitely known the same level of celebrity. I saw you walking through Halifax with people chasing you down at the organic grocery.”

Lighthouse will be released on October 18 in New York and Los Angeles, with an expansion to other cities after that.