Pattinson & Penn get their speedos ready to join Witherspoon in Water

Sorry to disappoint you. There are no speedos involved.

Variety is reporting that Sean Penn and Robert Pattinson might be joining Reese Witherspoon in WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. Francis Lawrence (I AM LEGEND) will be directing the film. Richard LaGravenese (THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, P.S. I LOVE YOU) has penned the script.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is based on the novel of the same name about veterinarian Jacob Jankowski who recounts his life spent with a traveling circus during the great depression after his parents are killed.

Although Jankowski narrates at the age of 93, Pattinson would most likely play the 21 year old version of him that leaves his studies for the Benzini Brothers circus. I’m not familiar enough with the book to guess what roles Penn and Witherspoon would be playing. Maybe Penn is one of the Benzini Brothers that hires Pattinson on. Perhaps there will be a little romance between Witherspoon and Pattinson. The studio isn’t giving on details on the project.

That Pattinson sure is getting popular. I didn’t catch him in LITTLE ASHES when he played Salvador Dalí. This weekend I will be checking him out in 2008’s HOW TO BE. He’s gotta be doing something right if he’s gaining more roles, especially alongside someone like Penn. I mean, more than just being known as chick magnet, Edward Cullen. What do you guys think about this project & Pattinson?