Weinstein eyes Pattinson for gangster role

Robert Pattinson has emerged as a contender to play mobster Joe Gallo in a potential adapation of biography The Mad Ones.

Speaking to Us Weekly, movie mogul Harvey Weinstein admitted that he had been enamoured by the Twilight star after forcing him to auction kisses at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Rob Pattinson - I made him kiss girls in Cannes! He's the most charming, wonderful young man," he said.

"He really cared about the charity, and that's not an easy thing to do. That's a sweet, sweetheart thing to do. And then we got two bids."

However, Weinstein admitted that the actor, who raised $40,000 from his kisses, might not be author Tom Folsom's first choice for the role.

"I was talking to Tom about who he wants to play Joe Gallo if you make this book into a movie. He said one of the ones he really wants is Leonardo DiCaprio. So, Rob Pattinson, James Franco, Leo...there's a bunch of guys."

Pattinson picked up the best male breakthrough prize at this year's MTV Movie Awards for his role in the vampire romance.