Robert Pattinson has reportedly branded Courtney Love “a dick” after she dismissed him to play Kurt Cobain in a new biopic.

In April, the British actor and star of the Twilight films was linked to play the Nirvana frontman in the forthcoming film, Heavier than Heaven.

But co-executive producer Love responded by saying it would be “stupid” to cast Pattinson in the role.

In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Pattinson hit back at the singer's widow - and said he would have been “ridiculous” as Cobain.

"Sometimes these things just appear. I love Nirvana, but I love them a bit too much – I’d be embarrassed." he told The Daily Mirror.

"And you see all these comments, like from Courtney Love, saying ’What the f***! He’s totally wrong for it’, and I’m like, ’I f****** said no, you d**k!’ I didn’t get offered it."

He added: "For one thing, I’m too tall, and I can’t sing like him, I’m nothing like him!’ It’s ridiculous."

Love admitted recently that James McAvoy and Ryan Gosling were frontrunners to play her former husband.

Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson has been linked to play Love in the film.

Cobain, who along with Nirvana popularised grunge music in the early nineties, committed suicide in 1994.

Details about a film, thought to be based on Charles Cross’ 2001 biography, Heavier Than Heaven, first emerged in 2007.

(by Jason Gregory)