Twilight star Robert Pattinson to play Salvador Dali

Twilight, the teen vampire movie that took a stunning $70m at the American box office in its first weekend, has made its British star Robert Pattinson (pictured left with Twlight co-star Kirsten Stewart) one of Hollywood's most bankable properties. However, his largely (female) teenage fan base may be a little confused about his next film. Called Little Ashes, it depicts the love affair between the surrealist painter Salvador Dali, played by Pattinson, and the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.

Pattinson, 22, who before his success in Twilight was best known for playing Cedric Diggory in a number of the Harry Potter films, says he made a point of boning up on his character's life. "There's a book of letters between Lorca and Dali, where they make obvious references to their relationship, which is obviously more than just a friendship. Dali says, like, 'Lorca tried to have sex with me' ..."

Clearly fearing younger cinema-goers might be confused, he adds: "It's a very complicated script, and before anyone would see it, I recommend that you read a biography of Dali. Otherwise, you wouldn't get too much out of it."