New Moon Movie Director Chris Weitz Replaces Catherine Hardwicke

As you probably know already Director Catherine Hardwicke Chris Weitz at the helm of Twilight 2, aka New Moon. Such a movie by Summit Entertainment may surprise the fans knowing that the first movie of the Twilight saga was a real success. Let's try to understand why Director Catherine Hardwicke was kicked out of the sequel to Twilight!


Hardwicke cited time restrictions as the reason behind her leaving the project, saying:

"I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct New Moon. Directing Twilight has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel—it is a great story."

Catherine Hardwicke

That's nice talking but I bet there is more behind her departure.Catherine Hardwicke was really committed to the movie adaptation of Twilight. So I can but doubt that she was willing to hand over the movie New Moon from her own alone...

Before being replaced she once stated the following;

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.

Catherine Hardwicke

I think Hardwicke was too attached to her job, and somehow was getting more Catholic than the Pope, meaning that she giving too much weight to the book even if Stephenie Meyer herself would allow some change in the sequel to Twilight. Catherine Hardwicke may not have shared the vision of the production company for New Moon: quite sure that Summit Entertainment refocus the plot of the movie New Moon on the romantic vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson), or at least to give more time on screen.

Also she does not have real experience in fantasy movie which is really important for New Moon), and not sure she could manage a real blockbuster budget (following the success of Twilight, Summit Entertainment is indeed more than eager to put a huge amount of cash on the table). That's why they chose Chris Weitz in particular to direct New Moon: he's got experience and does have a relevant experience in fantasy with the Golden Compass.

But trading Catherine Hardwicke for Chris Weitz is a bold move that may backlash. Some fans may react negatively to the change out of loyalty. But what's more crucial is that, with Hardwicke leaving, it's maybe a real understanding of what teens and Twilight fans want that is leaving too... Sure fantasy is important but love is the real core of the Twilight saga.

But I'm confident that Director Chris Weitz will do his best and strive for delivering a New Moon movie that will both uplift the sequel to the status of real fantasy movie with marvelous special effects that were lacking in the first opus, and also respect the legacy of Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight movie, which was centered on characters and love. Chris Weitz knows people are expecting a lot from him:

"I am honored to have been entrusted with shepherding New Moon from the page to the screen."

Chris Weitz, Director of New Moon

How do you feel about this director change? Do you think that Chris Weitz has the skills to successfully replace Catherine Hardwicke at the helm of the New Moon movie?
:)

New Moon Movie in November 2009

In October 2009, not even waiting for the official release of Twilight, the production company Summit Entertainment was already planning the movie New Moon, sequel to Twilight. They were right to be confident, after all, the first Twilight movie based on Stephenie Meyer's romantic vampire novel has been a huge success and still drives crowds in the theaters worldwide.

(Click to enlarge this New Moon movie poster made by a fan)NEW MOON

In Theatres

November 20, 2009

So now Summit Entertainment is working on New Moon, this second Twilight movie is based on the novel of the same name written by Stephenie Meyer. The draft for New Moon was indeed handed in by Rosenberg during the opening weekend of Twilight. But I think it will slightly deviate from the original plot because fans want to see Robert Pattinson badly... So Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) will probably have more time on screen than someone who read the book would have expected.


Synopsis / Plot:
"Bella Swan is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen, but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested." (summit Entertainment)

Of course Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson did sign on for the New Moon movie, actually they agreed to star in the whole Twilight saga! So Kristen Stewart reprises the role of Bella Swan, a teenage girl who falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen, who is still portrayed by Robert Pattinson.

But Director Catherine Hardwicke won't be making New Moon, she's been kicked out of the sequel to Twilight:

She's replaced by Director Chris Weitz (who directed American pie, About A Boy, The Golden Compass).

In New Moon Jacob Black, an old childhood friend of Bella's and a member of the Quileute tribe, is having a more important role: Bella and Taylor get closer and Taylor learns that he is a werewolf... Not sure that Taylor Lautner, who interpreted the role of Jacob Black in the first twilight movie, will play the part in New Moon: the young actor will most likely be replaced by a stronger and more mature actor.

Summit Entertainment is willing to put a lot of cash on the table now, so New Moon won't have the low-budget feel of Twilight. But Stephenie Meyer is the real guardian of her universe, I'm not worrying too much for the movie New Moon.

Let's get ready for a marvelous movie combining vampires, humans, werewolves and romance!

What do you expect from the film New Moon? What should they focus on in the movie adaptation of New Moon? Would you agree that giving a more important part to Edward (Robert Pattinson) in the movie (even if it's a bit different from the book) is right?
:)