Summit Entertainment has tentatively slated Nov. 20, 2009, as the release date for New Moon, the Twilight sequel, which means any director who signs on to replace Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has to be in Vancouver by Dec. 15 to begin 12 weeks of preproduction before a mid-March start date.
Reports have speculated that Hardwicke was fired for being difficult on set, but sources close to her suggest Summit’s aggressive production schedule turned her off. “She’d love to do the sequel if she could do it better than Twilight,” says one. “It became clear that Summit didn’t have those same priorities.”
Indeed, at press time the second movie appeared to have little more than a rough first-draft working script. As Summit’s production president Erik Feig told EW during Twilight’s record-busting first weekend, “There is that first…script. All the finesse that turns a screenplay into a movie hasn’t happened yet.” Two weeks later, Summit is saying it’s happy with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg’s progress.
Another of Hardwicke’s primary concerns was that hunky vampire Edward remains MIA throughout New Moon’s middle portion. In her own opening-weekend interview, she told EW, “You have to get the chemistry as strong between Jacob and Bella as it was between Bella and Edward. You also have to do something with that arc: She’s in love with somebody, he disappears, she falls in love with someone else, and the first guy comes back. Movies like Pearl Harbor have tried it. It absolutely didn’t work.”
With or without Hardwicke, Summit faces other snags. Two sources tell EW the studio doesn’t want to rehire baby-faced Taylor Lautner (pictured) as Jacob, though Lautner’s agent has apparently reached out to the imaging company behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in an attempt to demonstrate to Summit how a digitally bulked-up Lautner could work. (Summit says it won’t make a decision until a new filmmaker is on board.) There’s also the matter of finding a cast of Native American actors to play Jacob’s werewolf clan — a difficult challenge Hardwicke was also faced with before settling on Lautner, who isn’t completely Native American. And with a slightly increased budget of $50 million — much of which is assumed will go to leads asking for heftier paydays, location shoots in Italy, and ramped-up F/X — Summit will have to scrimp somewhere.
So what director would want to take on such a big headache? Well, at press time, an offer was out to Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), who put Summit on the map years ago when its foreign sales operation made tons of cash off of his first film, American Pie. (One source says Weitz has already had conversations with below-the-line crew for New Moon.) “We are in a recession,” reminds one Hollywood insider. “It’s a hit franchise. Whoever steps into it is guaranteed a $100 million gross. Everyone wants this movie.” Adds an exec at another studio, “You’d have to have a very high standard for art, hate the movie business, and hate money to walk off this sequel.”
More Twilight:
‘Twilight’ sequel: Chris Weitz to direct ‘New Moon’
EW’s Twilight Headquarters
Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke won’t do sequel
Should a man direct New Moon?
Twilight sequel: Who would you recast?
Twilight Trivia Challenge
Twilight: The EW Photo Album
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NO NO NO! Why are they doing this to us?! Taylor doesn’t need to be replaced. And the story doesn’t need to be changed. And they don’t have to rush out a subpar movie just to make a schedule
i agree 100% i loved taylor and the movie was perfect they can’t replace him the movie just won’t be the same
I so argree with you!!
Jacob is amazing and it wouldn’t be the same if they changed Jacob…
it wouldn’t be the same.. i am a HUGE fan and that would make me sad.. I hope they don’t take Jacob off the movies.
WHAT?! Another movie in less than a year?! Way too fast.
This sounds like such a headache for everyone involved. Why push forward at such breakneck speed? The fans can wait more than a year for a new installment, especially if it rocks. Summit seems terrified they’ll lose their audience.
If ‘New Moon’ sucks, it could easily kill off the rest of the franchise!
I have to say, while I’ve always been a movie watcher I’ve never paid that much attention to the industry before this. The politics and business behind this movie and any movie seems kind of fascinating though. It’s cool that because so many people are interested we are actually some insight into the process. I guess I could be worried about how New Moon is going to turn out, but I bet it works out. Mostly I feel bad that the actors are going to have to start over this grueling press tour in a couple of months. I mean talk about exhausting.
50 million? That’s all? I guess I was expecting a bit more, hoping rather. I have said this before but Summit had better commit to this film because fans will give it another shot but if they screw it up fans won’t be as willing to go to the third. And I really hope they don’t force Edward into the movie. Bella’s heartache should be fully realized.
Dear Summit-
Please do not make a classic studio mistake and try and shove New Moon out the door before the crew has time to create something good. I know its a race to you and your looking for the big money, but trust me, it’ll make a lot more if it improves on what twilight did wrong-special effects, etc.
p.s. yea prob should get someone besides Taylor..there’s no way he looks dangerous….sorry T
Juli
This concerns me… New Moon will make tons of money no matter when it’s released. Why not take enough time to make sure it’s good?!?
I hope they stick with Taylor Lautner as Jacob. He seemed like a good fit for the Twilight-version of Jacob the character. (It’s not his fault that Jacob happens to grow up CONSIDERABLY between Twilight and New Moon. In Twilight, he’s supposed to look 15-ish — which Lautner did.) It’s always distracting when characters are recast with new actors midstream. It only works for franchises like James Bond and Batman. I think Lautner would do a good job, and I’m sure they could bring in some “movie magic” to make him look more mature as necessary.
NO you can’t replace Taylor! EVERYONE loves him! He will be a perfect Jacob..with a little special effects they can make him bigger and bluker (like really he is only a 16year old boy he is still growing!). Awww, New Moon better be good! I love my werewolves!
I think it would be a VERY bad idea for Summit to not use Taylor for Jacob in the second movie. Why have an actor create a character then change that character? It’s a bad idea. No one could play it the same way, its just a really dumb idea. I hope they dont rush this and screw up something that could be even bigger than the first. Sounds like the top execs are becoming money hungry…
i agree taylor is perfect. and they could use special effects i mean they make older people look younger why not make younger people look older think about it
Whoever does this film, please get the story arc correct. First of all Bella does not fall in love with Jacob, she comes to love him as a friend and someone who helped save her from a very deep depression when Edward left, but…she is still in love with Edward. In her mind and heart, it’s still Edward. She’s hears his voice when she does crazy, dangerous things, and starts doing more crazy, dangerous things just to hear his voice. She thinks about him everyday even though she won’t say his name and no one around her will mention him. This is not a person who falls in love with someone else. She does come to love Jacob, he becomes her very best friend, some one she needs in her life…but she is in love, always, with Edward. There’s a big difference between loving someone and being in love with them. Bella is all about this…loving one and being in love with the other and not compromising her relationship with either for the sake of one.
All this rushing is really making me doubt as to whether or not New Moon will be better than Twilight. And make no mistake about it, it NEEDS to be better- and I say this as an obsessed Twilight fan!
OMgosh. please don’t ruin this movie. if they make it seem cheap I will be so disappointed.
If Chris Weitz is the new director and does a horrible job( whcih he probabley will considering the golden compass stunk) then not only will it loose tons of money but a lot of people will hate him, hes gonna have to hide under a rock
I agree with most every comment here. If the above article is correct, I think SUMMIT is so totally and completely going to BLOW IT for the fans. They simply do not get it(from what I have been reading) The FANS are willing to WAIT for a better screenplay, better budget….I am so totally insulted that they want to rush this and have it not be complete and change the storyline to add Edward in where he wasn’t before and replace Taylor???? ARE they SERIOUS? …why would Summit put any true effort into it? after all we are “just girls” …..
Why cant Summit understnad about 98% of fans are willing to wait for Cathrine that way we know that new moon is an excellent hands
You CANNOT stay true to the book, no matter if the movie takes a year, or 3 years to make. Edward has to be more involved, have to show his longing to be with Bella, while she develops a relationship with Jake. Let’s face it, alot of people will ban the move if Rob isn’t in it a decent amount. They can develop the Bella/Jake relationship, while also showing Edward’s point of view, how he is suffering while watching from afar…that is what was missing from the book. There is no guarantee of the third book being done, and the only way to generate demand for that, is to play up the the Edward/Bella/Jake triangle.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep Taylor Lautner. He was my favorite part of Twilight and it will definitely turn fans off if he is replaced. He is a HUGE part of the Twilight franchise, with fans as involved in him as they are in Rob. PLEASE keep him!
Rushing to get a sequel out for the sake of the all mighty dollar would be a very big mistake on the part of Summit. We Twilight fans are very loyal, but we’re not stupid. Though I love the Twilight movie, and have seen it multiple times, there are aspects of it that could have been better…you can not cut corners with New Moon. There are special effects and story lines that need to be done properly and well.
after reading this, there is no doubt in my mind Summit is going to ruin New Moon, and the franchise in general. Not only did they alienate the original director (who did Twilight with so much heart and respect to the fans) but now they want to get rid of a cast member who viewers have already bonded with? Leave it to THE MAN to ruin it all.
OME! Everything I read makes me get more and more worried. Why would they replace Taylor? Or ANY cast member for that matter? THey absolutely HAVE to keep the regular cast, come one sensible CGI can have Taylor look great. There’s nothing like changing the regular cast from a movie to make you lose viewers/ fans. Second, okay, as much as I would want to see the movie as soon as possible they SHOULD NOT rush the release date, let alone already plant one. This movie is going to need a lot more work then Twilight dd when it comes to Post-production, heck even in- production as well. If they plant a release date for early 2010 I think that would be fine, fans would STILL come no matter what. If the appropriate attention is given to this film it would make us fans way happier. PLEASE don’t HALF-ASS this. Like I said, that’s a SURE way to lose fans.
well i think that they shouldnt have put taylor lautner in the first one when they new that his charater was going to have to be huge for the other movies so they shouldnt have done that. and it doesnt matter if there is a new director. twilight was good but some of the parts where not that good. when edward glitters? rele they should have spent the money on better things.
All I have to say is do NOT rush a good thing. It’s a bad idea to change Taylor’s role as Jacob-he was a perfect fit with lots of room to develop (character wise) and grow. The Twilight Series is fabulous and thus the films have a lot to live up to. The industry should take more time to prepare in order to produce a superb sequel.
Taylor was perfect for Jacob in Twilight. Jacob is a boy in Twilight and he becomes a man as the story continues…I think changing him would ruin the effect that we Twilight fans have already created in our minds…the ones that have actually read the books know what is ahead and appreciate the fact that Taylor is going to have to act his hiney off to portray the intense friendship between Jacob and Bella. I have faith in Sharkboy!!!
If they replace laurent taylor the move is totally screwed. he’s exactly what people imagine jacob as, why the hell would you mess it up because you dont have enough imagination to work it out. All the actors from twilight should stay on this movie, if they dont, then say goodbye to the twilight series rep. I mean seriously, who do they think they’re kidding?
and btw, not only is rusihing the filming and replacing taylor lautner a problem, but so is the fact THEY ARE GOING TO USE A FIRST ROUGH DRAFT OF THE SCRIPT!!!
wow they r tryin to rush the next movie so fast. But u got to remember Edward and his family of vampires are not gettin any younger so they have to rush if they use the same actors in the following movies. Also y r they changing jacob? U can’t just get rid of a him he’s already been used and people love him! n
well put Caryn. and as a huge twilight fan I think they are doing a HUGE disservice to everyone by rushing into making this next film. I would rather wait until early 2010 for a better sequel than have something churned out quickly for profit. AND while Im not Taylor’s biggest fan, it would be stupid to replace him. Once a literally character has a face assigned to him, deviating from it wont work….he just needs to bulk up some…and get some acting lessons.
Summit is smart to move forward while people are interested and while the primary actors are still at an age to play teenagers. Catherine did a good job, but Twilight wasn’t a perfect movie….there were times that she over-directed the two leads where she should have backed off and let them create the tension that they created in the bedroom kiss scene (which both actors admit they staged their way, not Catherine’s way). They will need to get Pattinson in New Moon more than Edward is int he book – that’s a must; and they need to also make it clear that, just as in the book, Bella is still in love with Edward. She is NOT in love with Jacob – she loves him only as a best friend. And why is there no talk about filming the 4th book yet? My understanding is that the actors aren’t signed to to do that one. I haven’t readi t yet, so no spoilers, but wouldn’t you want to go ahead and get them locked in for it?
Not cool!!!! NOT enough money by any means. Don’t get rid of Taylor – you can actually see the difference between how Kristen acts differently around Rob and Taylor, and it needs that difference! And I’m sure we all agree we would wait so much longer than year for New Moon if it meant a better director, better script, and better effects. Please don’t kill this Summit, or you will lose the base for your franchise: the fans.