Damian Lewis Joins Werner Herzog’s Queen Of The Desert

Though he’s been around for a while, actor Damian Lewis has only recently broken out, thanks to his starring role on Showtime’s hit series Homeland. Understandably, the show has kept him pretty busy in recent years but it looks like he’s making some time to squeeze in a feature film: Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert.

Already set to star Nicole Kidman as the titular character, the long gestating project will follow Gertrude Bell, the iconic traveler, explorer, writer and archaeologist who “played a crucial role in the development of the Middle East as we know it.” Lewis is set to co-star as Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie, an English war hero who has an affair with Bell.

Admittedly, I’m not too familiar with Bell or her story, so I can’t say I’m terribly excited for this project. That being said, Werner Herzog is always an interesting filmmaker and Kidman and Lewis are both capable performers, so I’m curious to see how this one develops. Plus, Robert Pattinson is on board as well, or at least he was. The recent report from Deadline doesn’t mention the actor but as far as we know, he’s still attached.

Tell us, what do you think of Queen of the Desert? Are you familiar with Bell or her story? Let us know in the comments section below.