Stephenie Meyer reaches out to fans as “Twilight” film franchise changes directors
Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer, the author behind the super-popular “Twilight” book series, is trying to soothe fans left worried by the change of directors for the saga’s film franchise.
Last week, Summit Entertainment announced that Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the movie version of “Twilight,” would not be directing the sequel “New Moon.” The company subsequently named Chris Weitz (”About a Boy,” “American Pie,” “The Golden Compass”) the director of the “New Moon” movie.
Meyer has been outspoken about her admiration and friendship with Hardwicke, including during her press conference at the “Twilight” press junket last month in Los Angeles:
“Catherine’s fantastic. The first time we started talking to each other about things, I was surprised. Because I knew this was the person whose focus was going to shape this film, and so if this person had a different idea from me, it wasn’t going to turn out very much like how I’d seen it in my head. And we were on the same page from the very beginning, and things that I was worried about, she was already on top of. … She was great because she got it, the same way I got it. And I just really loved working with her, and you know, we’re kind of buddies. She’s really cool to hang out with; she’s just an awesome person,” Meyer said.
Meyer’s “Twilight” saga has a huge, passionate, mostly female fan base, including many, many fervent tweens and teens who know all four books by heart. To give you an idea of the level of popularity we’re talking here, it took J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame releasing “The Tales of Beedle Bard” to knock Meyer off the top of the USA Today best-sellers list, according to IMDB.
Meyer’s fans have made “Twilight” a $150 million+ hit, and they have been hit with a lot of big news in the past week or so.
The author has posted a message on her Web site, www.stepheniemeyer.com, urging her fans to trust in Weitz. She said she already as spoken to the newly named “New Moon” director. She writes on the site:
Hey guys,
There’s been a lot of worry and speculation on the boards lately, and I want to let you know what’s going on.
First of all, like you, I’m sad that Catherine is not continuing on with us for New Moon. I’m going to miss her, not just as a brilliant director, but also as a friend. She has such a distinct, authentic voice that did amazing things for Twilight. I’m looking forward to every movie she does in the future.
And she didn’t leave us empty handed. We still get the benefits of her amazing casting and the beautiful visual world she created. This foundation puts us in a good place for New Moon.
Summit Films is moving forward with a new director for New Moon. They’ve asked Chris Weitz, director of American Pie, About a Boy, and The Golden Compass, to join us, and I am very pleased to announce that he’s agreed to be a part of our Twilight world. I’ve had the chance to talk to Chris, and I can tell you that he is excited by the story and eager to keep the movie as close to the book as possible. He is also very aware of you, the fans, and wants to keep you all extremely happy. (Torches and pitchforks are not going to be necessary.)
I’m excited to work with Chris and I think he brings a lot to the table, not the least of which for me is that he wrote the screenplay for and directed one of my favorite movies of all time, About a Boy. I’m really looking forward to seeing his vision for New Moon.
Below is a letter from Chris to you. I think you’ll get a glimpse in this note of how cool it’s going to be having Chris as part of our community.
In his letter to Meyer’s fans, which you can read in its entirety on Meyer’s site, Weitz says his job is to live up to the fans’ devotion to the story and its characters. He also declares himself a Hardwicke fan and asserts his view that a male director can faithfully tell Meyer’s female-focused story:
Like many of you, I am a fan of Catherine Hardwicke’s work. I can’t really say much about why she is not doing New Moon because I wasn’t involved in those decisions. But I can say that I will devote myself to making the very best and most faithful version of New Moon that can be brought to the screen. To those who doubt that as a male director I can capture Bella’s experience, I can only say that emotion is universal and that my work has often involved working with some of the most talented actresses in the world.
For the rest, the proof will have to be in the pudding. But I promise to remain responsive to your hopes and fears.
I thank you for this opportunity and for your faith.
It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out and how it affects what will appear in film form when “New Moon” opens Nov. 20, 2009.
-BAM
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