Wow, it's been a crazy week for Twilighters, hasn't it? Now, only six days after director Catherine Hardwicke parted ways with the fall's biggest franchise, it is official: Chris Weitz has been handed the keys to the kingdom.
"I am honored to have been entrusted with shepherding 'New Moon' from the page to the screen," Weitz said in a statement released today, discussing his involvement with Stephenie Meyer's second novel. "The extraordinary world that Stephenie has created has millions of fans, and it will be my duty to protect on their behalf the characters, themes and story they love. This is not a task to be taken lightly, and I will put every effort into realizing a beautiful film to stand alongside a beautiful book."
Throughout the week, "Twilight" fans have voiced their concerns over the film series' future, and their fears about whether the "Golden Compass" director could successfully continue the story of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Now that it's official, the question remains: Will they warm to Weitz as much as they did to the affable Hardwicke?
"We love Stephenie Meyer's fantastic 'Twilight' series," promised Erik Feig, Summit's President of Production. "Thinking long and hard about how to turn 'New Moon' into the amazing movie we know it will be, and working with Stephenie Meyer to find the right candidate, we are thrilled to announce Chris Weitz as director of the film. Chris very much understands the world of 'New Moon,' and has the skill set required to bring the book to glorious life as a movie. We think he will be an excellent steward of Stephenie Meyer's vision."
It's no secret that Meyer and Hardwicke became the best of friends during the process of making "Twilight," and it remains to be seen whether she will be able to create the same dynamic with the new director.
Explaining the Weitz selection further, the Summit release added: "Weitz, an Academy Award-nominated writer, director and producer, has a proven track record working with a broad range of material dealing with youth-oriented characters, fantasy and action. As such, he has the potential to bring alive in 'New Moon' the dimensions and depth that fans will demand in the next installment."
The release also offered, for the first time, the studio's official synopsis for the sequel: "In 'New Moon,' Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested. Production on 'New Moon' is scheduled to begin in the coming months and the studio is planning to release the film towards the end of 2009 or early 2010."
Sharp-eyed Twilighters may have noticed that although Stewart and Pattinson's name appears in the synopsis after their characters, Taylor Lautner's does not. This can't be welcomed news for the 16-year-old star of the first film, particularly following on the heels of concerns that he's too small to continue playing Jacob, and rumors that other actors are being considered as replacements (read Lautner discussing "New Moon" here).
Twilight' Star Lautner Determined To Hit The Gym For Shirtless Sequels
Some people are excited to see Benicio del Toro, while others are talking about the newest "Narnia" character. Personally, I'm more curious to see what Catherine Hardwicke and her "Twilight" team do with Taylor Lautner, an actor who could someday join Lon Chaney and Jason Bateman as the greatest werewolves of all time.
Our interview with Lautner just went live, so be sure to read up on his breakdown of Jacob Black, his new driving skills, and an eagerness to get half-naked. As any Twilighter would expect, the 16-year-old star is eager to film the proposed sequels that would greatly expand his role by putting him into some hairy situations.
"The coolest thing about being a werewolf in the second film, if that were to happen, is to be shirtless; that would be pretty fun," he laughed, thinking about his Portland surroundings. "It would definitely be chilly."
"[Jacob's angry werewolf side] is not like me in real life; I'm like Jacob's Native American side," he explained. "I'm very friendly, outgoing, energetic and easy to talk to. But playing the werewolf side, where he's holding all this anger and stuff inside him, that'd be very different for me. I love to challenge myself as an actor."
Although some Twilighters have voiced concerns that Lautner isn't big enough to portray Jacob in the other books, the actor promises he'll be hitting the gym as soon as "New Moon" gets the green light.
"In the first one, he's just regular and lanky and not crazy," a determined Lautner explained. "But I'm sure after this one, I will be working out, eating my protein, and staying away from the ice cream and the sugar."
As for the look of the transformed werewolves, he said: "I've been curious about that; I'm sure I'll hear about it before I leave, but I haven't heard anything yet…I'm curious to see what that's going to look like."
Alright, Twilighters, now that you've heard Taylor talk about his character, this week's Twilight Tuesday is an obvious one: Are you Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team Switzerland?
source www.mtv.com
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