Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has been fired from directing the sequel, New Moon, after she wouldn't agree to the studio's small budget and short production schedule. (Getty Images)
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Twilight Director Given the Axe
Kat Angus
Published: Monday, December 08, 2008
In news that will shock only those who haven't seen the movie, the studio behind Twilight has announced that director Catherine Hardwicke will not helm the vampire franchise's next film, New Moon. But who else will create lackluster fight scenes and slather Robert Pattinson in body glitter?
Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily broke the news (and millions of teenage hearts) yesterday, reporting that Summit Entertainment, the fledgling studio responsible for the blockbuster, could not convince Hardwicke to comply with their demands. Specifically, Summit expects New Moon be produced on a small budget on par with Twilight (which cost a mere $37 million US, and it showed) and for the sequel to be ready for release within a year.
Furthermore, the plot of the novel New Moon features very little of Pattinson's character, Edward - a big problem for the studio, which depends on the 22-year-old actor's heartthrob factor to bring in the screaming fangirl audience. Variety reports that Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg found a way around Edward's absence and turned in a New Moon script in mid-November. Hardwicke reportedly wanted more time to work on the script, but Summit decided to go forward anyway; after two weeks of negotiations, the 53-year-old director was shown the door.
Summit Entertainment Co-Chairman and CEO Rob Friedman released an official statement about Hardwicke's absence, acknowledging the time constraints but making no mention of budgetary restrictions.
"Catherine and Summit have agreed to part ways on the sequel because our visions are different," said Freidman. "Summit's targeted end of 2009 or early 2010 release of the film, New Moon, does not work with Ms. Hardwicke's required prep time to bring her vision of the film to the big screen."
Despite scathing reviews, Twilight's opening weekend brought in nearly $70 million in the US, the best-ever opening weekend for a female director, beating Mimi Leder's 1998 record of $41 million US for Deep Impact.
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wendilynn
Mon, Dec 8, 08 at 12:10 PM
Twilight fans were forgiving of Twilight's shortcomings and spent money hoping for better in New Moon. Clearly Summit plans to bite the hands that have fed it.
Mon, Dec 8, 08 at 02:39 PM
They want to do the sequel wit the same budget? Oh sweet jesus
Azea
Mon, Dec 8, 08 at 05:01 PM
You'd think they'd have a pretty good budget for these movies... I mean, they are pretty popular... MAKES NO SENSE!
Tue, Dec 9, 08 at 09:48 PM
New Moon doesn't require as many effects I'm thinking... since there won't be many vampires or intense scenes for a good portion of the story. Maybe that's why the budget will be smaller? I mean, it doesn't cost as much to film a depressed girl hanging out on a reserve... right? Hopefully everything will turn out well.
Flora
Wed, Dec 10, 08 at 07:09 AM
I would love nothing more than to see more of Edward on the film, but I feel the way he does, they should just be true to the story. His big entrance will no doubt make for a better suspense than seeing him throughout the movie just to see his face and not have an actual plot behind it. Summit should let Catherine direct and yes with more money since there will be more graphics and special effects going on besides the casts' raise for the sequel.
BobsYourUncle
Wed, Dec 10, 08 at 10:37 AM
Actually, New Moon is going to require a bigger budget than Twilight. (Unless you want the werewolves to look like they're in homemade Halloween costumes). Plus there's motorcycles, cliff-diving, travels to Italy, special effects for the Voluturi. If you thought Twilight's sparkling was cheezy, this is giong to be horrible
Cristina
Wed, Dec 10, 08 at 01:48 PM
Well it is now a 50Mil budget and they want to get rid of Taylor as Jacob.
Summit's gonna do WHAT now?!
Wed, Dec 10, 08 at 03:29 PM
uhh... i think Summit is gettin a little cocky at the fact Twilight did so well and that they spent soo little to make it. They have no clue that part of why we supported it soo much is so that they can make alot of money so that NEW MOON can be the best it can be. Summit needs to stop being soo freakin cheap and give it a bigger budget. And Edward better not be in the movie where he's not in the book! That's all i gotta say!
Nicole
Wed, Dec 10, 08 at 09:35 PM
I agree with a below comment that they really dont need a big budget for "New Moon". The biggest thing is going to be the morphing of the Human to Wolf. Even when they kill Laurent there isn't a detailed explanation in the book about it, Bella doesnt even see it happen. I just pray, and agree with Robert Pattinson, that they do not fiqure a way to work him more into the story while he is M.I.A. I mean I enjoy looking at Robert Pattinson as much as the teenage girls and I am in my 20's. The next movie is Jacob Blacks characters time to shine and Bella's turn to save Edward!
Summit's an idiot!
Thu, Dec 11, 08 at 01:22 AM
So what they arent going to make it as good as possible, they are just going to try to get it out as fast as possible? Dont they realise that we watch the movies multiple times, especially if its really good? Catherine has a passion for this series and was trying to make it as good as she could for the fans who would be there if it took her years to get it right. And it would be stupid to bring in edward sooner than he should be in it, there wouldnt be that same longing for him, we wouldnt feel the same feelings as bella, we wouldnt be bella. Just trying to cash in on Twilight and Rob's fame, stupid Summit, they need to make it right and unless their plans change soon, i dont know if i'll be very supportive of their adaptation of New Moon.
Genelie
Thu, Dec 11, 08 at 02:19 AM
ugh!!!! what are they doing! in my opinion... twilight came up short. it totally didn't do the book justice. they should be putting on more effort into new moon with or without a bigger budget. hardwicke is right. there should be more time to think about the script. i'm already a disappointed fan, and i'm hopping i won't totally boycott the next films.
hmmm.
Thu, Dec 11, 08 at 11:06 AM
I totally agree with Genelie and "Summit's an idiot". I really think catherine was doing what's best for the movie by wanting to take time to work on the script and stuff. I would wait 2 years as long as the movie is awesome and does the book justice and New Moon is my favorite of the series so ill be extra critical of what they do with it. I think we all let Twilight slide with its imperfections in hopes of the rest of the series being better length and special effects wise. This next director has some BIG shoes to fill and a huge devoted fan base to please!
ummmm really O.o
Fri, Dec 12, 08 at 12:03 AM
i completely agree with Summit's gonna do WHAT now?! They should really just stick to the book. They could have done a better job on Twilight, and frankly i was severely disappointed. BobsYourUncle also has a valid point, this movie will require a lot more, props and CGI. With that said, this is probably going to be like the Harry Potter series. The movies will be terrible, but i will watch them anyways.
**dizzy**
Sun, Dec 14, 08 at 05:24 AM
Well it's a done deal. They're flying to Italy in March. Coach tickets I'm sure lol. I do hope they keep Taylor, he's so looking forward to doing this movie. If they need to replace anyone it should be Rosalie. All the other characters are close but her. The prettiest girl in the world? She's not pulling it off even though they covered her face completely with make up. They can get Megan Fox, Michonne Bourriague, or Natassia Malthe (google them for faces) to do Rosalie. Nikki should have done Esme. Sorry! I'm done babbling.
Karen
Tue, Dec 16, 08 at 01:00 PM
In my opinion, the novels themselves dictate the hard and fast speed with which these movies have to be made. Both Edward and Bella, along with the rest of the Cullens, have to remain looking their age to stay true to the book. To allow too much time to shoot the next two movies may not impact on how 18-year-old Kristen Stewart portrays 18-year-old Bella, but Robert Pattinson is currently 22 and to have him playing a 17-year-old three or four years from now if they wait that long to film the third book may be a bit of a stretch and may make filming a fourth moving out of the question if they want to keep it looking real.
Jenny
Tue, Dec 16, 08 at 11:27 PM
Amen Dizzy! I completely agree with all of the above! With the exception of Tue, Dec 9, 08 at 09:48 PM and Nicole. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! (as per wendilynn) There were practically no special effects required in Twilight and the few they had sucked massively! New Moon actually will require a lot more than Twilight. Don't be cheap! We will support Summit through the first being understanding of the fact that they are newcomers and didn't have much to start with (money that is!) But if Summit think they can take advantage and just pump out B-grade crap movies as fast as they can to make money, they better watch out for the backlash! The paying public's not stupid. Harry Potter may not have been spot on as per the books, but it was a damned sight closer, more professional and certainly the SFX were a hell of a lot better than Twilight!
saalehaali
Wed, Dec 17, 08 at 02:38 PM
read the books and then youll know what will happen for the next movie,ive seen the movie like 3 times before it came out and i thought it was really intresting..
saalehaali 13
Wed, Dec 17, 08 at 02:43 PM
rober pattinson and kristina stewart really suite each other and i cant wait if they act out 'breaking dawn' *spoiler* finally shell turn into a vampire
Poppy
Wed, Dec 17, 08 at 05:12 PM
Throwing Catherine Hardwicke out was a big mistake. Her Twilight was cult art, a kind of chic indie film. I thought the special effects were perfect. A high-tech, glitzy special effects film will lose that intimacy that Hardwicke so excellently captured. I was left breathless in more than one scene. Glitzy Hollywood movies are a dime a dozen and they come and go quickly. Ho hum. The Golden Compass was a yawn, all glitz and no guts. Sad to take away Hardwicke's touch in translating these romantic and exciting stories to film.
smartwater
Wed, Dec 31, 08 at 08:43 PM
i hope they dnt put edward in new moon where he isnt supposed 2 b
melina
Thu, Jan 1, 09 at 12:13 PM
I like twilight but I have to say I was kinda upset watching it. The book had a better love story to me then the movie. It was like they rushed the whole movie to fit it into a time frame.I really do think the director was the blame for Bella and Edward holding back in the movie. I do want to see if someone else can do a better job. Maybe this time (with the new better directer named chris weitz) they will actually go by the book and make you feel like Bella and Edward are really in love.
Isabelle
Thu, Jan 1, 09 at 04:12 PM
Maybe there making the first movies with a low buget and saving up for # 3 and 4 because they are pretty dramtical and long and have lots och work in them but I still think they should leave some more for New Moon because now the werewolves are coming in so......
diana
Fri, Jan 2, 09 at 07:39 PM
EdWeRd iS S0 DaMe hOt aZs hElL....SeXy aSs hEll
k
Sun, Jan 4, 09 at 04:32 PM
I don't think they should drag on the depression part too long......... It got kinda boring in the book. But they should make it the same in the movie as in the book. I hate it when they change stuff
lisa
Mon, Jan 5, 09 at 02:18 AM
They cannot just add more Edward to give Pattinson time on screen. Yeah he's cute, but Taylor isn't bad himself. The fans love Pattinson but they love the story more. New moon is crucial to develop Bella and Edward's relationship and set up background for Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Jacob and Bella need alone time to develop their bond. The budget thing is nuts too. Greedy Execs!
Crystal
Sun, Jan 11, 09 at 03:15 AM
New Moon ABSOLUTELY requires a bigger budget ... i mean they go to Italy the characters make extreme transformations; the werewolves start to phase .... the Volturi is introduced. New Moon is the start of all the great visual effects this story has. That is why they got rid of Catherine .... the budget would have been entirely to small, and this is not an indie film. Im excited to see what the new director will do.
Isabelle
Sun, Jan 11, 09 at 03:58 PM
I think they should keep Robert Pattinson trogh all 4 movies, Imean the fans will probably notice some difference in 4 years from now but I mean they don't have to put him because of it like he can't change that much really.
Ashleigh
Fri, Jan 16, 09 at 12:40 AM
I'm not going to lie, New Moon wasn't my favorite because the Cullens weren't in it that much. However, it is very important!! They made a decent chunk of change off of twilight! It was huge! They need to up the budget for New Moon! I'm a HUGE Rob fan, but I'm a twilight fan and there's a lot to this book. It's so important to Edward and Bella's relationship! Of course I'll go see it! Stephanie did a great job on this book. There are so many emotions we, as readers, get from it. I wish the Cullens would have come back sooner lol. Of course I'll look forward to Edward's return, but that's the point isn't it??? Rob already said the reunion will be great in the movie if they leave the plot as it is in the book!! Come on, us Twilight fans are really excited for this movie!! I'm sure it'll be great no matter what though. It's got a great plot, great characters, and great actors!
Ashleigh
Fri, Jan 16, 09 at 12:44 AM
Oh btw I totally agree with Isabelle. They need to keep the same actors for all 4 movies! I have no I idea why they are debating on having Taylor as Jacob in new moon!! Rob, Kristen, Taylor, and all the actors who played the Cullens need to be kept! It would ruin the movies if they switched actors. We understand they aren't really vampires and they age..duh..the actors made the movie!! They need to stay!
B
Fri, Jan 16, 09 at 12:52 AM
I don't understand the low budget for these films at all..The books are huge! The movie was huge! These movies should be more Harry Potter in turns of budget. The Harry Potter books aren't exactly like the books but they are close and have a big budget and you can tell. Giving New Moon and the others a bigger budget would def. pay off for Summit in the end. The Twilight Saga is popular!! Btw Kristen and Rob are awsome!
inavars
Fri, Jan 16, 09 at 03:35 PM
they wanna do a small key thing cuz they probly think that the rabid fangirl madness will die down(hopefully). ppl will probably come to their senses and realise what a complete pile of crap this is.
and 'dizzy', megan fox dosent have what it takes to be on twilight cuz
- she dosent look stoned
- she dosent look like shit
-she has way better films to do
-agreed shes a bad actress,but shes not bad enough to be in twilight
Marcella
Mon, Jan 26, 09 at 04:53 AM
I hope Summit will see the BIG mistake they're a making BEFORE they shoot New Moon. Twilight has a lot of problems regarding special effects and with the most basic details, like having Edward's face painted white, but not his ears or neck. We, fans, can forgive them, for this is the first film and they kind of took a risk when they decided to make it, but we won't be as forgiving next time: they already know this is a huge cash cow. It would be sad to see that the third and fourth book don't make it to the big screen due to the fans deciding to not put up with a low quality film (even for a B-grade movie) and just don't watch "New Moon".
Summit increase your budget!!
Tue, Jan 27, 09 at 11:31 PM
Oh come on, Summit has to increase their budget. I heard it is 50 million. How in heaven's name are they gonna make the movie look good...Especially with a major special effect, like in the book, where *spoiler* Jacob jumps in the air and phases to a werewolf to fight Paul. That has to be good. And please, as much, as I like edward/robert, they should not put him in the parts were he wasnt in the book. Because we have to feel *spoiler* how sad when edward left her. We have to feel his absence. Plus we have to also feel his comeback when *spoiler* Bella does go to save him.
Besides, I thought twilight was amazing but when I read the book, the movie wasn't all that. They better bring up their game for New moon. A lot of fans <like me> can't wait till it comes out and it better not suck!!!
Katie
Thu, Feb 5, 09 at 06:04 PM
I cant wait till Catherine gets to laugh in all their faces when New Moon sucks.
Chloe
Fri, Feb 6, 09 at 01:56 AM
I saw Twilight the movie without knowing anything about the books. Now i've read all four and love them all to death but i probably never would have read them if i haden't seen the movie first. The special effects didn't bother me but some of the plot changes did (I would have loved more exploration of their relationship after they had decided to be together and I also felt they should put more into the scene when Bella escaped from Alice and Jasper). I am very interested in the direction the new director could take New Moon but have my fingers tightly crossed that they stick close to the story line. I hope they spend their budget wisely and that the scenes in Italy are as incredible on-screan as they are in my head. Please don't stuff this up summit!
pam
Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 03:57 PM
The movie was absolute crap it did no justice to the books, but that's hollywood lacklustre approach to everything. If fans are smart they will save the $$'s and not see the movie.
twilighter
Thu, Apr 23, 09 at 08:10 AM
i wouldn't care if the movie took 2 years to make as long as it was awesome and seeming i've read the books like a million times i'm pretty critial :) but even if it sucked i'd probly see it anyway twilight is my weakness
annie affron
Fri, Apr 24, 09 at 10:40 AM
like this movie,but my brother not like it .twilight is a interesting movie. i dont wanna tell anymore bye
surjeet meelu
Sat, Apr 25, 09 at 08:09 PM
Interesting and astute comments everyone! I must say that I agree with many of you regarding makeup details for Edward such as, red ears, him being less paler compare to Bella, and the one I noticed was PULSATING JAGULAR VIEN in the meadow scene. Vampires do not have a heart beat and should not have a pulse in the neck...directors please pay attention...make Edward more real and Bella more clumsy ..as the book says. I agree with summit for not keeping the same director because I think that story was altered way too much and did not have enogh details as the book did. It is my hope that we will see a lot of Bella and Jacob in the new moon and keep Edward on the periphery as much as possible. I hope for a better director for the new moon and more realistic vampires! Someone mentioned not to make new moon too depressing, but new moon should be depressing as the book describes the story and the shock that Bella went through after loosing Edward. I would like to see more characters from La Push Reservation as described in the book. Twilight saga is a refreshing romance and considering our technological advancement, amazing effects can be added to make the movies breathtakingly realistic. I have great hopes for the new moon and I believe that the directors are very much aware of the audience expectations.... I have a feeling that we may not be dissappointed at all.
kaylee
Fri, Jun 19, 09 at 10:46 PM
I thought regardless on the effort portrayed into this film, I would agree that there definitely needs to be a larger budgit. I also do accept the fact that the book was suddenly popular, which ment they needed to get the ball rolling on the film. Overall the film was not totally dissapionting because i still continue to watch it, just wishing there was a little more into it .
Suzy
Fri, Jul 17, 09 at 03:20 PM
Melina: "I really do think the director was the blame for Bella and Edward holding back in the movie"
I think they should hold back. Bella is not an ordinary American girl. She is more serious and withdrawn, introvert. But she was a bit too stiff for my taste. Robert mixes well 2 different emotions in an instant: a quick smile in between deep suffering. That is his talent. But all in all, Edward is Bellas first boyfriend - and he happens to be a vampire too. I would be pretty 'frozen' too. Many scenes happen in the school, where I wouldn't show openly my feelings to any guy.
But: I think the New Moon trailer is already so COLD like the new directors film Hard Candy is too. I have to doubt that any male director would create the intimacy as some female directors are capable of (and to create it, it requires unsteady hand camera shooting, which many critize as amateur, but it's not).