Summit Begins Search For New Moon Director
Summit Entertainment just released this statement:
News of Hardwicke's departure/firing from the franchise started when Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki Finke posted about it on her column. Several websites picked up the story even before Summit released their statement.
This comes on the heels of Hardwicke's interview with MTV about her plans for New Moon [notice, she said she can make the time frame Summit wanted], as well as an earlier press statement from Summit about their new partnership with US TV channel, Showtime, who are contracted to air 42 of Summit's films from 2008 to 2012, including ALL of the Twilight Saga movies. [Imagine, Breaking Dawn finished and released by 2012. Uh... wow.]
Now THAT'S something to think about on a Monday morning. [And while I, personally, am still enraged at how this whole issue has gone down, I won't be posting my thoughts here. I may not think Catherine Hardwicke was perfect in Twilight, but I feel she and the Twilight film franchise deserves more respect. I'll go rant in the Forums. :p]
What do you guys think of these pieces of news, and who do you think is a good choice to direct New Moon? Post your answers in the comments.
SUMMIT BEGINS SEARCH FOR NEW MOON DIRECTOR
Los Angeles, CA, December 7, 2008 – Summit Entertainment and director Catherine Hardwicke jointly announced today that the filmmaker will not be directing the next installment in the newly minted TWILIGHT film franchise. 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. Thus as has been done before with many successful film franchises, the studio will employ a new director for NEW MOON.
"I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct NEW MOON,” said Hardwicke. “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 did an incredible job in helping us to launch the TWILIGHT franchise and we thank her for all of her efforts and we very much hope to work with her on future Summit projects,” said Erik Feig, Summit’s President of Production. “We as a studio have a mandate to bring the next installment in the franchise to the big screen in a timely fashion so that fans can get more of Edward, Bella and all of the characters that Stephenie Meyer has created. We are able to pursue an aggressive time frame as we have the luxury of only adapting the novels into screenplays as opposed to having to create a storyline from scratch.”
News of Hardwicke's departure/firing from the franchise started when Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki Finke posted about it on her column. Several websites picked up the story even before Summit released their statement.
This comes on the heels of Hardwicke's interview with MTV about her plans for New Moon [notice, she said she can make the time frame Summit wanted], as well as an earlier press statement from Summit about their new partnership with US TV channel, Showtime, who are contracted to air 42 of Summit's films from 2008 to 2012, including ALL of the Twilight Saga movies. [Imagine, Breaking Dawn finished and released by 2012. Uh... wow.]
Now THAT'S something to think about on a Monday morning. [And while I, personally, am still enraged at how this whole issue has gone down, I won't be posting my thoughts here. I may not think Catherine Hardwicke was perfect in Twilight, but I feel she and the Twilight film franchise deserves more respect. I'll go rant in the Forums. :p]
What do you guys think of these pieces of news, and who do you think is a good choice to direct New Moon? Post your answers in the comments.
i wish they wouldn't rush the films so much. so that they'd make better adaptations. Twilight the movie was ok, but they could've made it great.
oh
i hope whoevr the choosen one
will make a good adaptation
i hope christopher nolan (The Dark Knight) will direct New Moon... :)
i think Alejandro Agresti would be a good one. He directed "The Lake House" and it turned out very well. I do hope though that Catherine would have stayed.
Thank god!!! I totally agree with Summit's move. I hope they would kick that scriptwriter too.
Better pick an astounding director then leave all the rest to fans.
Hooray!
may i suggest to let alfonso cuaron take the helm? :)
i think mike newell (hp & the goblet of fire) would be amazing as the director . :)
Twilight was such a disappoinment. sorry guys. but the movie was so mediocre.
My wish do came true--Hardwicke will be off for the sequels. Thanked God.
One more thing, i wish warner bros. will grab the twilight saga unto their hands.
i also like Alfonso Cuaron. he directed (imo), the best Harry Potter movie so far: Prisoner of Azkaban. i would've wanted him to actually direct eclipse & breaking dawn too, (esp Breaking Dawn with the pillow biting and feathers flying... weheh!)
@ last anonymous
I agree with you! I hope Warner Bros. will produce the movie. oh I mean I WANT THEM to produce it. Sorry guys, mas nakakakilig pa ang "a very special love" kaysa sa interpretation ni Catherine H. I kept on telling everyone to just read the book.
i am very happy a few people here think cuaron would make an excellent replacement for hardwicke. cuaron is considered by many, including jk rowling, as the best director the HP franchise has ever had. sadly the lousy production company summit has already chosen a director: chris weitz... the genius who brought us "AMERICAN PIE". jesus. in fairness he also directed "about a boy" and "the golden compass" though "about a boy" is nothing like "new moon", doesn't even have teenage protagonists... and "the golden compass" is probably one of the best examples of how not to direct a fantasy film. so, i really don't know what those execs are thinking at summit. just probably fantasizing about the the cash they'll be swimming in. sad.