Robert Pattinson sets his heart on depicting musical idol

It seems as if Robert Pattinson wants to put his days as the bloodsucker Edward Cullen behind him.

The 24-year-old Vampire heartthrob, who has written songs for the Twilight saga, hopes that his challenging new role as folk legend Jeff Buckley will give him an edge over his rivals.

"Rob is obsessed with this project and is doing everything he can to land the part," the Daily Express quoted a Hollywood insider as saying.

"He has already told his business team this is his passion and they agree it could be the film that makes him a legitimate Oscar contender."

His main rival for the role is thought to be the American actor James Franco, who is set to co-host the Oscars next month. Other actors tipped to take Buckley's role include James Marsden, who played Cyclops in the X-Men films, Blue Valentine star Ryan Gosling and Johnny Depp.