Twilight Coven Philippines

MTV spoke to Kellan Lutz just before he's scheduled to go in for New Moon rehearsals, and he dished on some New Moon casting rumours. Apparently, AnnaLynne McCord's casting isn't a sure thing, and Chris Weitz is going for REAL Native Americans to play the werewolves.

Entertainment Tonight is reporting that Drew Barrymore has confirmed that she is indeed being considered to direct Eclipse, but nothing has been decided yet.

FearNET has a really cool session with Edi Gathegi, Rachelle Lefevre, and Kellan Lutz where they talk about working on New Moon.

Everglow has desktop wallpapers of the illustrations from the Japanese editions of the Twilight books. You can download them via their galleries.

EW.com has a new poll up, and they want to know who you think should play Alec opposite Dakota Fanning. Click here to vote.

In a previous post, we reported that NECA is coming up with an Edward and Bella action figure set which is due out on May 2009. There are now pictures from a recent Toy Fair of an Alice Cullen action figure, also due out this year. Click here for a better view of Alice's face, and here for more photos of other NECA Twilight merchandise. Please remember that this is just a prototype figure and some details may change when it's finally released.



HitFlix.com is confirming that Rob Pattinson will be a presenter at the 81st Academy Awards, which will be airing this coming Sunday in the U.S., and Monday morning (Feb. 23) in the Philippines via ABS-CBN.

If you're planning a trip to Japan sometime next month, better plan it around the time that Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will be there to promote Twilight. :)

Just for fun: A law student on Livejournal wanted to take a little break from studying for the Bar Exam and decided to list the crimes that the Cullens have committed.

Passages, the quarterly publication for reading educators by National Bookstore, has a feature about Twilight mania in the Philippines in their January 2009 issue. Twilight Coven Philippines is also mentioned.



Thanks to elsbet for sending in the scan, and thanks to Passages for the mention. :)

MTV has more info about Catherine Hardwicke's soon-to-be-released book, Twilight: Director's Notebook here.

Photos of everything Twilight at the 2009 New York Comic Con are here at MTV.

Krystyna from the Justin Chon Fansite sent us a link to a new interview of Justin with GlamTV here. Over at the Twilight Lexicon, they also discovered that Justin has his own online retail store, Attic Online, and that he's going to appear in an upcoming Harrison Ford film entitled Crossing Over.

The Twilight Saga is also nominated for a Kids' Choice Award in the Favorite Book category, competing against the Harry Potter series, and The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Amazon has now listed the Breaking Dawn: Special Edition, to be released on 14 July 2009 in the U.S. However, no list of new features have been indicated. We'll check this out with Hachette and let you guys know when we have more info.

Joss Whedon, of Buffy The Vampire Slayer fame (and one of my idols!), was interviewed by TV Week, and he was asked about the Twilight phenomenon.

TVWeek: Vampires are big in pop culture right now. Have you seen “Twilight’?

Joss Whedon: I saw “Twilight.” And it’s—what can you say? It’s absolutely like crack. It strikes a tweener chord that’s just as loud as the apocalypse. You cannot deny the power of it. It just works. And I sort of like that... “Twilight” makes its own rules, as we all do. It takes what it wants and discards the rest but ultimately, it is kind of classical. They’re puffy-shirt vampires in a sense.

Read the entire interview here.

We have just been informed by Hachette Book Group USA (Philippines) about some upcoming Twilight-related book releases:

"Twilight: Director's Notebook" by Catherine Hardwicke

U.S. Laydown: March 17, 2009
Philippine Release Date: 3rd Week of March (tentative)

This intimate look at the making of Summit Entertainment’s film follows visionary director Hardwicke through the creative process. Designed to replicate the director’s own personal notebook that she kept on set, readers will discover the inside secrets on casting, location scouting and wardrobe to storyboard sketches, behind-the-scenes photographs, personal notes about Catherine’s favorite scenes and much more.

“With this book, I tried to show fans and future directors some of the process that the crew and I went through filming Twilight<,” said Hardwicke. “My challenge was to translate Stephenie’s powerful book and make you feel what she makes you feel when you read her works.”

Click here to download the full press release (DOC format).

Also, sometime in April 2009, they will be releasing a Twilight Saga Paperback Boxed Set containing all 4 books in the series.

We will update you guys when we've been given exact dates for these releases here in the Philippines.

We apologize if there haven't been any updates here on the blog. mabelletaka and I have been extremely busy at work.

Anyway, here are the news items that have accumulated while we were busy outside of the Twilight universe:

As long as the New Moon cast list remains a mystery, there will be casting rumours flying everywhere. The latest to come out of the New Moon rumour mill is this one: Kellan Lutz's co-star in 90210, AnnaLynne McCord, is said to have auditioned for the role of Heidi (one of the Volturi). Read the full story on E! Online here. Thanks to Mary Grace for the tip.

Also speeding uncontrollably out of the rumour mill is the news that Lionsgate is going to acquire Summit Entertainment. Hollywood Insider thinks that this is unlikely (and so do I), since Summit is doing very well on its own, especially now that it has a hit franchise in Twilight.

Variety is reporting that the New Moon cast will be shooting scenes in Volterra in May of this year. In the same article, they also reported about Eagle Films' acquisition of the distribution rights for New Moon in Italy. Read the full story here.

Some of the stars of New Moon dish to Access Hollywood about some details on the script of the sequel. There's also more info about the film from scriptwriter Melissa Rosenberg here.

Media Boulevard has a very detailed interview with Solomon Trimble.

Lastly, author Stephen King was recently interviewed by USA Today, and his comments about Stephenie Meyer and Twilight sparked some rather violent reactions from Twilight fans.

[Stephen King isn't the most diplomatic person out there when it comes to commenting on certain issues and personalities, so I'm really not surprised. He is usually very candid. While I personally think his comment about Stephenie in a public forum is somewhat uncalled for, he is entitled to his opinion, and Twilight fans shouldn't really over-react to this. What I found more noteworthy is that he's got a good pulse on what makes Twilight so appealing to its target audience. And even more interesting, we actually said the same thing in a discussion in Danag Podcast Episode 11, which will be uploaded in time for Valentine's, but which we recorded last week. Watch out for that! -CdL]

Nielsen BookScan US is reporting that Stephenie Meyer is the top-selling author in the U.S. last year, selling 15 million units of her 5 books currently in print. The top-selling Meyer book is Breaking Dawn, followed by Twilight.

The sales of the Twilight Saga books also helped boost Hachette Book Group USA to the top spot among the US publishers, with 17 of their titles on the Top 50 Bestsellers list.

Click here for the full story, via TheBookSeller.com.

ExtraTV caught up with Rachelle Lefevre and Ashley Greene at the 8th Annual Awards Season Diamond Fashion Show Preview. Both said they were very happy to learn that Taylor Lautner would be back to reprise his role as Jacob Black in New Moon. Click here to watch the interview.

MTV has an interview with Jackson Rathbone from a recent concert of 100 Monkeys (Jackson's band). The actor said he's excited to film his scenes for New Moon, specifically, that pivotal scene in the first few chapters where Jasper gets really... ah... involved. ;) Click here to read the full story.

Inspire Magazine has a very cool interview with Solomon Trimble (Sam Uley in Twilight). We learn more about Sam's experiences on the set, his Twilight Fan encounters, and about the celebrity he really enjoyed meeting [Hint: I would have LOVED to meet this celebrity too. :p] Click here to read the full interview.

Times of the Internet has a short piece about Taylor getting the Jacob role in New Moon.

Publisher's Weekly has a report about the books that flew off the US shelves in December 2008. Most of them were children's and young adult books, and of course, the Twilight books were mentioned:

Children’s books proved to be one of the most recession-resistant segments of the book business this holiday season, with the Twilight series and the latest from J.K. Rowling leading the pack. Stephenie Meyer’s vampire books had the added distinction of being the hardest to keep in stock. At BookPeople in Austin, Tex., where getting enough copies of New Moon caused the biggest headache, “Meyer sales alone were actually 5% of our kids’ sales, which is staggering,” noted children’s book buyer Meghan Dietsche Goel in a posting on the ABC listserv.

Portrait Magazine sent us a link to their interview with Sam Bradley, who co-wrote "Never Think" with Rob Pattinson.

You wrote 'Never Think', on the Twilight soundtrack, with Robert Pattinson - and then you apparently went in completely different directions when recording it. How did that happen - is there an original version?

The original version is just sort of bits and pieces of when we were writing it. So, no, there's no real original version. What it is, is we wrote a song... I came back to Canada, and kind of switched it up a little bit for myself. Melodically, what we originally wrote is probably closer to my version. But Rob, when he plays music, he's really in touch with what he's doing, so he plays a song differently every time. Any song, it'll never sound the same. It's really cool, he's really in the moment. So the recording of Never Think that he did will never sound the same again, which is kind of interesting. Lyrically, though, it's similar.

You can read the entire interview here. Thanks, Jocelyn!

Interestingly enough, Pattinson Online has posted a video of Sam Bradley singing "Never Think" live! Click here to watch it.

Christianity Today looks into What Shines In Twilight. Thanks to lexaprone for the link.

E! Online is reporting on 2008 movies that earned more than double their production budgets. In this respect, Twilight was actually bigger than The Dark Knight.

Reelz Channel updated their New Moon page to feature the controversies surrounding the sequel.

Reuters is calling 2008 the Year of the Vampire. You might have already guessed correctly: Twilight has something to do with it.

In Box Office Mojo's Yearly Chart, Twilight holds fast to the #8 slot of the Top Grossing Films of the year.

Confirmation e-mails to people who made the cut in the Twilight Soundtrack Launch Party Guestlist have been sent out this morning. Please check your e-mail and be sure to follow the instructions. If you did not receive an e-mail, that means you didn't make the cut, sorry.

Despite the previously announced schedule that it will be up until December 5, the Twilight Mall Invasion exhibit at SM Mall of Asia was already taken down as of December 1.

The UK premiere for Twilight was held last night in London. Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Catherine Hardwicke were in attendance. You can view more pictures here via Everglow.

Reelz Channel lists the 10 Critical Ways the Twilight Movie Differs From The Book. [This is a great list, it's really worth reading.]

If you watched the Moviefone Unscripted Interviews of Rob, Kristen, and Stephenie, you would remember Kristen talking very excitedly about a movie role she just snagged. This must be it: she will be playing Joan Jett in a biography about the famous rocker entitled The Runaways.

Geeksugar has a cute tidbit about Peter Facinelli and how he kept in touch with his family while filming Twilight. [Darn, Peter, I really don't need anymore reasons to swoon over you.]

Ted Casablanca of E! Online writes about The Awful Truth: "Twilight is sexist". [Uh, yeah, that article certainly is awful, sorry. Not to mention really misinformed.]

The Atlantic Online explores "What Girls Want".

MTV speculates if the Twilight Saga will ever be turned into comic books. Nobody knows if it's really part of Stephenie Meyer's publishing contract that comic books will never be licensed, but one thing is sure: comic book publishers are VERY interested. While I personally do not believe that the comic book/graphic novel medium would be able to accurately capture the charm and intimacy of the story as written in the books, some people are pretty excited about the prospect. What do you guys think? Post your answer in the comments. :)

The Philippine Daily Inquirer gives parents the low-down on what Twilight is all about. They've compiled a pretty good list, and it should help out parents who don't have much time to read the books themselves to decide if the content is appropriate for their kids. :)

BuckHollywood.com has a super funny video review of Twilight. It contains a bit of cursing, so be warned before watching. Fangoria has also posted their review here.

Yahoo! Movies has posted their list of the 10 Most Watched Trailers of 2008 here. Twilight is at #3 just behind The Dark Knight (#1) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (#2).

MuchMusic has posted an extended version of their feature on Rob Pattinson and Rachelle Lefevre. You can watch it via YouTube here.

Rob and Kristen talk about preparing for the Big Kiss in this E! Online interview.

For those who are waiting to buy the Twilight: Collector's Edition, it is NOW AVAILABLE at Fully Booked for PhP1199. Thanks to Jei for the tip.


The Twilight Guy (Kaleb Nation) posted his red carpet interviews with the cast over at his site.

The LA Times writes about the Twilight Saga's "strong Internet connection".

(Stephenie) She set up StephenieMeyer.com, a more personal site that revealed aspects of her life, including pictures and stories about her family and her Mormon upbringing.

More important, she directly engaged with her readers. When fans posted messages, Meyer's response was personal. She'd write back or blog about it.

In being so approachable and responsive, she unwittingly cemented her fledgling fan base, revealing herself as affable and human, surprised to have fans and genuinely delighted by their interest.

Read the full article here.

Time takes a look at the buying power of the fangirls here.

Vanity Fair has posted outtakes from their Twilight photoshoot here.

The LA Times' Twilight Countdown continues! They have a feature about Kellan Lutz and his appearance in Hinder's music video and one about Peter Facinelli. [On a personal note, I really am turning into a Peter Facinelli fan. He has this Carlisle vibe, and he has a lot of fun doing all the Twilight promos. You can really feel it in his interviews, and he always sounds sincere and genuine.]

Collider has posted their interview with Stephenie Meyer here. It's actually the same as the About.com interview we linked yesterday. :D

In this week's MTV Twilight Tuesday, Larry Carroll wonders if Rob and Kristen's careers will follow the path of Mark Hamill's or Harrison Ford's at the Movies Blog, while Kristen Stewart is featured in the main article here. She likes nerds! ;)

BAE has posted a recording of the Twilight clip that aired during a Heroes episode, along with Rob's intro.

The Christian Science Monitor explores why Twilight fascinates teens.

The Movie Fanatic has a feature on the hype surrounding Rob Pattinson and about the phenomenon they call "Robsession".

Film.com has featured Twilight Costume Designer Wendy Chuck in their Fashion in Film section here.

Part 4 of Entertainment Weekly's Rob Pattinson interview is here.

Angry Alien Productions, creator of the 30-second Bunnies cartoons [which I absolutely adore], has announced that their next re-enactment will be Twilight! While waiting for that one to be uploaded, you guys may want to check out the other movies in the library. They are hilarious. :)

About.com's interview with Nikki Reed has been uploaded here.

The official Twilight Saga website has announced that publication date of the highly-anticipated reference to the whole Saga, "The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide" by Stephenie Meyer, is being pushed back to 2009. They will be announcing the exact release date soon. Meanwhile, they have released the cover art for the book, which you see here.







NOW AVAILABLE: The Twilight Saga Collection (Hardcover Box Set)
Cygnus reports that the Box Set is now available at National Bookstore branches for PhP2789 (with a 10% discount). Other Twilight Saga books are available with a 10% discount. Thanks, Cygnus!

UPDATE (Oct. 27): This item is currently sold-out in Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street, and other branches carry them in very small quantities, and most are being held for those who have reserved copies. We will update you when new stocks are spotted in various bookstores.
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"Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion" by Mark Cotta Vaz (yes, the one with lots of photos from the movie) is now available at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street for PhP680. You can inquire if the nearest Fully Booked / Bibliarch / Sketchbooks branch near you already carries this title. :)

Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion
Author: Mark Cotta Vaz
ISBN: 9780316043137
Description: Designed as a celebration of the film, this lavishly illustrated paperback edition is an exclusive behind-the-scenes guide featuring full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets, as well as storyboards, interviews, details of the special effects, and much more.

Thanks to Rome for the heads-up. :)

There's a lot of Twilight Saga news today, so let's round them up and let's try to forget yesterday's depressing news for a while....

CrepusculoMeyer.com has posted more new photos from the Twilight film. Seen here is Angela Weber and Eric Yorkie. HGE has collected them here in their gallery.

Media Blvd has an interview with two of the coolest guys in Twilight who don't get as much love as the Cullen boys do: Edi Gathegi and Taylor Lautner. They discussed their respective roles in Twilight and talked about filming and working with Catherine Hardwicke and the other actors. Taylor talks action figures and asks "Who's Edward?" (LOL), and Edi talks about his inner vampire and admits to being a Twi-hard. Read the full interview here.

Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News writes "In Defense of Twilight... and the Oh-So-Dreamy Edward" in response to the reactions of the hardcore male geeks and horror fans to the increasing popularity of the series. Read the article here.

About.com has an interview with Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene from the Sex Drive premiere. View the clip here.

If you're thinking about buying the Twilight Saga Collection (Hardbound Box Set), check out BAE's gallery for some photos of the product here. The Box Set may now be pre-ordered from all major bookstores. Approximate retail price is PhP3500.

Premiere.com has an interview with the always fascinating Peter Facinelli. He talked about how he auditioned and got the part of Dr. Carlisle Cullen, what he thinks of vampire movies, graduating from cop roles to doctor roles, and how his family has reacted to the Twilight series so far. Read the interview here.

Anna Kendrick is featured in this week's Twilight Tuesday at MTV. Although the real Jessica Stanley loved to gossip, Anna says she tries her best to steer clear of them. She also revealed that most of the Twilight cast have become good friends, and mentioned seeing Rob Pattinson play one night. What happens when you go googly-eyed over Rob? find out by reading the Movies Blog post here, the main article here, and viewing the accompanying video interview here.

Yet another new movie still, this time of Rosalie during the baseball scene, has surfaced. (Source: BAE)

Vampires and Slayers have another interview with Catherine Hardwicke, and this time, the director of Twilight talked about the reshoots. Read the interview here (free registration required).

Insider.com has a preview of Kristen Stewart's upcoming appearance on GQ Magazine.

The Manila Standard has an article about Twilight here.

We've been getting so many questions about the new Twilight Saga books, so we're compiling all the information we've gathered about them so far.

Hachette Book Group USA (Philippines) has informed us that the Movie Tie-In Editions of Twilight are now available in most bookstores. The Mass Market Paperback Edition is less expensive (approx. PhP288) and is the size of regular pocketbooks. The Trade Paperback Edition (approx. PhP358) is printed in a bigger format like the original Twilight books, and has a pull-out poster included. The Movie Tie-In Editions have the same text as the regular editions.






"Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion" is available for pre-orders/reservations (price should be above PhP800) in most major bookstores. It is currently shipping to the Philippines, and stocks are expected to arrive by the end of October.




We will post about the upcoming releases for "Twilight: Collector's Edition" (available for pre-order) and "The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide", which are both expected to be released in December, when we have more information.

Thanks to Hachette Book Group USA (Philippines) for entertaining our questions.

If you have further questions, please post a comment. :)