Robert Pattinson to play Lawrence Of Arabia

The 26-year-old actor has been cast as the male lead opposite Naomi Watts in the film about the life of revolutionary writer Gertrude Bell, reported Contactmusic.

Pattinson will play TE Lawrence, a British Army officer, whose writing earned him international recognition under the name Lawrence of Arabia.

Watts is already on board as pioneering figure Gertrude, who was an author, archaeologist, explorer and political aide for the British Empire and defined the borders of the Middle East.

She was also one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University.

Lawrence and Gertrude were close friends and worked together to establish the Hashemite dynasties in what became Jordan and Iraq.

Pattinson follows in the footsteps of Peter O'Toole, who played the writer in David Lean's classic 1962 movie.

"Queen of the Desert" will go on floors this autumn.