New Moon News: DVD Sales!
Entertainment Tonight had a video during ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ DVD Release! Check out the excitement of our fellow Twilighters!
CNN had a video interview with Nikki Reed and Chris Weitz regarding our New Moon DVD.
Monsters and Critics had an interview with Cameron Bright after the release of the ‘New Moon’ DVD.
M&C – The Twilight storm is so over the top. What do you think about the fans have reacted to it?
CB - It’s amazing, the things I’ve gotten to do – travel to Australia, go to Twilight conventions around the world, and meet people who’ve been following me and watching my career since I was 6. I’m 17 and I live in a town of 100,000 people and not very many people get to do that. People ask me if I’d turn back because of the hype but I don’t regret anything I’ve done in my life. If I can’t walk down the street, there is a possibility that I would turn into Robert Pattinson, I would regret it. But no one strong armed me into doing this and no one really cares.
Summit Entertainment has released a press release regarding the sales of the New Moon DVD during its first weekend!
Los Angeles, CA March 23, 2010 – Summit Entertainment announced today that the home entertainment release of the studio’s action-packed, modern day vampire love story THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON sold just over 4 million DVD units in its first weekend of release. The tally surpasses the first weekend sales of TWILIGHT in 2009 which sold 3.8 million DVD units, and went on to be the top selling DVD title of the year with 9.2 million units sold. The DVD launch of NEW MOON commenced this past Saturda
y morning with 7,000 retail locations nationwide taking part in events at midnight giving fans their first chance to obtain a DVD of the film.
Thousands of TWILIGHT fans across the nation participated in the “NEW MOON at Midnight” event and some were treated to surprise appearances by members of the cast as well as the film’s director. Fans saw actors Justin Chon who plays Eric, Christian Serratos who plays Angela, and Michael Welch who plays Mike in Salt Lake City; director Chris Weitz and Nikki Reed who plays Rosalie Hale in Los Angeles; Peter Facinelli who plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen in New York; Edi Gathegi who plays Laurent in Pittsburgh; and Liz Reaser who plays Esme Cullen in Phoenix. Other cast members of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON made appearances nationwide including Kiowa Gordon and Tinsel Korey in Cincinnati; Charlie Bewley in Denver; Chaske Spencer and Tyson Houseman in Atlanta; Daniel Cudmore in Houston; and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg in Seattle.
Summit Entertainment’s Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger stated, “Once again the incredibly dedicated fans of the TWILIGHT SAGA came out in massive numbers this weekend for the opportunity to be one of the first take home the second movie in the series. As we have said all along, the fans are what make this franchise and we once again thank them for their support.”
“The support that we have received from our retail partners in accommodating the incredible demand for the title has been nothing short of amazing,” said Steve Nickerson, Summit’s President of Home Entertainment. “The ground we have broken with in-store partnerships and the availability of this title has been a positive influence on the retail DVD business.”
Congratulations, Summit! 
New Moon News
Metro News interviewed young actor, Cameron Bright for his role of Alec in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
“They’re the leaders of the vampire nation, the ones who enforce the laws. And if you’re a leader you have to make difficult decisions, sometimes, and you have to be strong… and feared.”
And fear is what the Volturi trade in. Bright’s Alec is at first glance, an almost cherubic figure, but one who wields the lethal ability to completely shut off his victims’ senses, rendering them virtual vegetables. It’s just another novel re-imagining of an iconic monster — the vampire — that has caused both the Twilight books and the films to be controversial amongst purists.
Daniel Cudmore, who plays Felix, was interviewed by Studio 39 for his role in the Twilight Saga films.
MTV Movies Blog was at one of the New Moon DVD release party where Nikki Reed and director, Chris Weitz has made an appearance.
“I like to go to Wal-Mart to hold press conferences just at odd moments, so this is not my first time,” Weitz joked when he spoke with MTV News at the event. “But usually people don’t show up with cameras. I’m just talking to an imaginary microphone.”
“The first question I always get asked is, ‘Did you feel a lot of pressure coming in doing the second movie of the franchise,’ ” said Weitz. “And I actually didn’t even think about that until people started asking me.”
Weitz has made a point not to claim the series as his own. Even after the popularity of “New Moon,” he repeatedly said he would not return to direct the final film(s),“Breaking Dawn.” Still, he acknowledged his role in making the series reach an even higher level of popularity.
‘New Moon’ Star Nikki Reed On Who Should Direct ‘Breaking Dawn’
“I was trying to ask them earlier today, and they wouldn’t give me anything,” she said. “But all the directors that you mentioned, I mean, that would be fantastic, both [Van Sant and Coppola]. Either one. I mean, we would be honored.”
Our very own, Twilight Guy, Kaleb Nation has also managed to interview Nikki and Chris!
Well done, Kaleb!
New Moon News
Access Hollywood has a new Behind-the-scene of Kristen Stewart doing the cliff diving scene!
Parade.com has Kristen Stewart: ‘I Know What It’s Like to Get Broken Up With’
Her toughest scene.
“It’s when Edward tells Bella it’s all over and they’re never going to see each other again. There’s nothing like it in reality. It’s not even like a normal breakup scene because I know what it’s like to get broken up with. I don’t know what it’s like to get broken up with by a vampire. It’s like suddenly whatever has addicted an addict is taken away from them and they go through total withdrawal. That’s what Bella was going through. To portray that was really intimidating.”
And here’s another behind the scene of Taylor Lautner trying out his dirt bike.
Parade.com has Taylor Lautner: ‘I’m Having the Time of My Life’
The big makeover.
“I had my eyes on the prize. My trainer was like a sculptor. He was going, ‘I want this bicep to peak more.’ He was very detail-oriented. The hardest thing was the diet I was on, while getting in the gym and pumping up was easy. I had to consume at least 3200 calories a day just to maintain my weight. Putting something in your mouth every two hours is difficult. I was going from meeting to meeting, so there was no time for eating. I literally would have to carry a little baggy full of beef patties, raw almonds, and sweet potatoes. I mean, it wasn’t like eating ice cream and cake every two hours.”
Lastly, Mirror.co.uk has a Never-Seen-Before Robert Pattinson scene from The Twilight Saga: New Moon DVD!
Parade.com also has on Robert Pattinson: ‘Love Can Be More Lethal Than a Vampire Bite’
The scene where he almost took it all off.
“I felt pretty goofy stepping out into the sunlight in front of 2,000 people in a town square, ripping my clothes off. I was essentially doing a striptease. But here’s the irony, it was also one of the moments where I’ve really felt closest to people’s emotional attachment to Edward. There were so many extras in that scene who were Twilight fans who had flown in just to be a part of it. It was a moment where I’ve felt the whole weight of anticipation, and I guess responsibility as well, of being Edward, for all the people who were kind of so obsessed with the stories. It was quite uplifting and it was also very nerve-wracking.”
Check out the music video debut of Lykke Li for her song ‘Possibility’ that was the soundtrack for the movie, The Twilight Saga: New Moon!
CNN has managed to attain a very interesting interview with director, Chris Weitz. ‘New Moon’ director gets away from frenzy
CNN: In the DVD commentary, you said you let the opening shot of the moon go on and on because you figured there would be 30 seconds of screaming when the titles came up. Was that true?
Weitz: The first time I saw it, there was quite a lot of screaming, just because of the buildup and anticipation were so great. People had been waiting so long to see it that it was good that they had a bit of time to calm down before you first saw Bella.
New Moon News
Entertainment Tonight has a special Behind the Scenes footage of ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’! Check it out!
And here InStyle UK has got more on Taylor Lautner being Jacob Black.
MTV Movies Blog has announced that ‘New Moon’ will be receiving the ‘Fan Choice’ Award at ShoWest! YAY!!!!
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” has been selected for the ShoWest/Fandango Fan Choice Award, which will be presented Thursday at ShoWest’s Final Night Banquet and Award Ceremony at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas. The Fan Choice Award was voted on by nearly 50,000 moviegoers, who were asked on Fandango to select their favorite film of 2009.
New Moon News
MTV Movies blog has an interview with ‘New Moon’ director, Chris Weitz where he reveled 5 secrets regarding the film.
Why So Torn Up, Edward?: At one point in the film, Pattinson’s Edward Cullen appears in a ripped T-shirt, but we never learn why. So … what the heck happened?
“What it’s supposed to be is that he’s essentially been wearing the same clothes for several months, and that eventually they’ve just worn out because, as you I’m sure know, his body is like stone. So he must’ve rubbed up against something and it ripped,” Weitz said.
Here’s Rob at the premiere of ‘Remember Me’ being interviewed by Access Hollywood.
If there was anyone would choose whether a girl should date someone like Edward Cullen or Tyler Hawkins, who else to ask other than the man who played both chracters, Rob!
New Moon News [UPDATED]
With The Twilight Saga: New Moon DVD coming out on our shores on March 20th. We’re looking forward to the film commentary by Director Chris Weitz! Here’s a preview first published on Buzzsugar and reblogged on Twilighters Anonymous! Thanks guys!
Twilight fans still have a few months to go before Eclipse hits theaters this Summer, but they’ll flock to the stores in a few weeks to pick up copies of New Moon on DVD on March 21. There are a few editions featuring all kinds of bonus features, and I was lucky enough to chat with director Chris Weitz on everything from his favorite scene, to Rob and Kristen’s relationship, to what he wishes had ended up on the cutting room floor.
There are lots of different editions of the New Moon DVD. Which bonus features are you particularly excited about?
Chris Weitz: I’m excited that my voice will finally be heard! For me, the fun thing was doing the commentary with Peter Lambert, my editor, because it kind of re-created the atmosphere in the cutting room. Peter’s a really funny guy, and we were able to delve into not only the behind-the-scenes moments, but to explain why certain things were shot or cut together in certain ways. So that, for me, was the most fun.
When you go back and watch it again, are there things you’d like to change if you could?
CW: I would like to never have shot Rob and Kristen running through the forest and Kristen’s just turned into a vampire. Because everybody always laughs and it makes me feel terrible. [Laughs] I would have shot it a different way so it wouldn’t get that response. But otherwise, I’m very happy with things.
What was your favorite scene to shoot in New Moon?
CW: I’m very fond of the memories that a lot of the scenes invoke in me. My favorite scene is probably somewhere between the very last scene, and the cliffhanger that it’s left on, and the scenes in Italy. Just the experience shooting those scenes was so magnificent. We were in this beautiful hillside town in Tuscany, and going home to fresh-made pasta every night, and surrounded by thousands of fans of the series while we were shooting it. I know I’ll never experience anything like that ever again.
Read the complete interview here!
[UPDATED]
IESB.net Christina Radish’s Exclusive with Chris Weitz reveals more about his experience in doing New Moon and working with the cast. And of course he has also talked about the New Moon DVD.
IESB: Having had to deal with stunts, green screen, CGI, weather, bugs and everything you had going on, what was the biggest challenge in bringing this film to the screen, so as to please as many of the fans as possible?
Chris: I think the greatest challenge was the logistical load of it. When you’re talking about taking a film from beginning to end in one year, it’s difficult to do that with a normal film where people are just sitting on their butts, talking to one another. But, when you add in underwater work, heavy CGI work and wire work, it becomes extraordinarily complicated. And then, you add in getting the London Symphony Orchestra to record a soundtrack, and getting 10 or so indie bands to compose songs especially for the film, there are a lot of timelines that are ticking along, at the same time, and you hope that you are able to combine it all at the right point. And, you always end up, just at the last minute, on the last day, your final CGI shot comes in. There are about 400 and something CGI shots, which actually isn’t that many compared to what I’ve done before, but it’s quite a lot. It can complicate things when you’re in the editing room.
IESB: Did you have any preconceived notions, coming into this film, about what it would be like to work with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, prior to filming with them? And, was there anything you learned about working with them that really surprised you?
Chris: I think what surprised me most was how level-headed they were, given the kind of pressures that they were under from the attention of the fans and the number of things that could have taken their head out of the game, and how much they really cared about getting their characters right. In the second film, in a franchise in which you know that people are going to go see it anyway, it’s very impressive to see young actors who really care about getting things just right. It’s the first time I’ve actually been twice the age of the actors, except on About a Boy, but that was really working with a child actor. These guys are actually rather grown up. I was surprised at how old I actually felt, in comparison to them. At the same time, I was really impressed by their professionalism.
IESB: Is there a specific reason why you didn’t include any commentary from Kristen, Rob and Taylor on the DVD? Were they just not available?
Chris: I just didn’t want them to say anything bad about me. No. It was actually happenstance. These things are scheduled during the whole press bonanza that you’re doing and, on that particular day, everyone was in motion between one screening and the next, and I happened to be the only piece of the puzzle, as well as Peter Lambert, who was in London, that was available. Now, I’m sure there will be something on the Internet about some kind of scandal where we don’t like each other, or something. That will be interesting. I’ll have to check Twitter for that. But, it was really a much more boring reason than that.
IESB: Looking back on the process of making New Moon, from pre-production to the finalization of the DVD, what will you remember most about the experience? Was there anything that you learned about directing or filmmaking that you’ll carry with you to future projects?
Chris: What I learned was the power of a devoted audience, in supporting the filmmaker’s efforts. I felt incredibly supported by the fans throughout the process. And then, to see their enjoyment and anticipation was such a visceral experience that you don’t usually get to have on a memory. What I learned, as a director, was that very early on I promised myself and the actors that I would never rush them along or expect them to do something, just because it was a movie and we had a schedule to meet, and that we could always talk things through, no matter what. When I worked with my brother, I was probably the guy who was less likely to talk with the actors, and this was a full commitment to always engaging with them, and that’s something I’ll always take with me.
Awww I really like this interview. Thank you Chris Weitz. Hope you’ll find it interesting too. Click here to read more!
Over at HitFix.com Chris Weitz talks more about ‘the scene’ which he would rather be on the cutting room floor, on whether he will come back for ‘Breaking Dawn’ and about his new film, The Gardener.
“I think it could have been less than an Arcadian fairy tale running through the foresty movement and more of an abstract at Kristen flash on her face,” Weitz says of what he would have changed. “That would have avoided laughter, which wasn’t only heard at the premiere where there are cynics and jaded Hollywood types, but the most packed fan screenings.”
Weitz, who is currently prepping his independent drama “The Gardner ” for Summit Entertainment (the same company that shepherds “Twilight”) was taking time out of his busy schedule to talk about the release of the highly anticipated two-disc DVD on March 23. It’s clear one of the reasons he’s doing more publicity for the film is because he feels “tremendously grateful” for the support of the “Twilight” fanbase which helped “New Moon” hit $706 million worldwide and revitalize his career. He notes, “I feel like it was two-way street. The reason the fans have been kind to me is i really approached it from step one as ‘What would I want as a reader of the book?’ I didn’t concern myself with making a four quadrant movie or any overall effect other than to be true to the nature of the book. To be able to entertain people and give people joy in that way is something a director looks for his whole life.”
One of the other interesting aspects of Weitz’s audio commentary is that the filmmaker refers to a number of deleted scenes from the film. Like many commentaries, Weitz’s was recorded soon after “Noon Moon” was released. At the time he was unaware the DVD would contain none of the deleted scenes he mentions although he suspects they might be included on new DVD packages down the road.
“I think those were kind of made at the corporate level,” Weitz says. “I am very satisfied with the cut we did. Goofy running in the forest notwithstanding.”
More at HitFix.com!
New Moon News
Summit Entertainment’s Twitter.com/Twilight has a winner for their New Moon Contest – who won a call from the director Chris Weitz!
Her name is Jenny and here’s the link to her Twitter and her livejournal account where she posted her conversation with Chris Weitz.
OKAY! so i won a contest, from Twilight’s official twitter.. so i’ve been communicating via phone and email with Summit Entertainment as to when the phone call will take place depending on availability.. and today was the day of the phone call!!
Chris said he was glad I won the contest and that he really enjoyed my questions! =]]
the following, due to demand and my own desire, are my questions and Chris Weitz’s answers! (some parts are paraphrased)
How nerve-racking was it to know you had to relocate several location for New Moon?
A.) It was really nerve-racking because I thought people would notice and be upset, it was a puzzle to get it just right. The outside of the school is all CGI, we built the stairway for the school and took stills. In the Cullen’s house I also tried to show different rooms in the house to add to the feeling of the house. When Taylor was traveling during Twilight a fan gave him a hand-carved Native American ornament. We used that ornament in Jacob’s room in New Moon.
How did you decide to shoot the scene where the months are passing by, considering the books only name the months that pass?
A.) We originally thought we could use a blank screen with names of the months passing but felt that it was best to portray depression visually. CGI was used and the windows were covered by green screen. We used a robotic camera for revolvement to mimic the original hand camera as much as possible. I’m not sure if you noticed but with each revolvement the room changes, there are less pictures of her friends and the room gets more sparse.
I really enjoyed the added scene with Victoria swimming towards Bella. (The book hints to the orange colour the water was reflecting, in a later revelation by Bella.) How did this scene come to be?
A.) Well, the orange coloured water wouldn’t have looked right in the scene so we put her in the water visibly. That scene was difficult because we wanted to film her swimming towards Bella but it had to be at a distance. If it wasn’t at a distance fans would wonder why Victoria didn’t just get her in that short scene, but at the same time it had to feel threatening. That was all shot in Vancouver in a swimming pool, we had the actors underwater with four or five frog men with air tubes for security purposes. We also had green screens in the water surrounding the actors so we could CGI in all the particals in the water. Theres actually a program to add in all of the floating debris and colour differences in the water after filming. Kristen had a cold at the time and was scared of drowning. We had to force her to stay in the water [laughter] But Rob was more comfortable in the water, hes had to shoot underwater scenes in the past. [Harry Potter]
She really had great questions for Chris Weitz. Head on to Jenny’s Livejournal for more!
Amazon.com has posted pictures of the New Moon DVD. Thanks to Twilight Source for the images!
There is no specific dates for the DVD release yet but we’ll keep you posted!
New Moon News
Chris Weitz reveals 5 secrets in the New Moon film. Check out Entertainment Weekly:
1. Hidden wolves
”Look for an upside-down engraving of a wolf in the shot of the bowl in which Carlisle burns his first-aid equipment; on Jacob’s T-shirt when he meets Bella in the school parking lot for the first time; and a wolf trinket on the dream-catcher that he gives her.”
& in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly (see cover below), The Big Bang Theory recreated some of the most memorable moments of 2009. New Moon included, of course
I spot…Taylor, Kristen & Rob!
New Moon News
STAR MOVIES’s Stevie Wong spoke to the NEW MOON cast and Chris Weitz…
Haha this interviewer doesn’t know how to say ‘Pattinson’ properly when asking his question ” The Paterson Effect” ???!!
And oh check out Michael Sheen’s insightful answer!
New Moon News
From Twilight on Twitter : ” From CW – Thx for 200K! Here is an exclusive, special treat from my personal photo book:”
From his own personal photo book, director Chris Weitz presents a very special inside look for fans into one of the key scenes from THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON. The images below were taken during Chris’ first scouting trip to Italy, before Montepulciano was selected for the shoot. Enjoy!
“In other words, she sort of ascends through a series of alley ways and streets to the square itself. Here is a shot from the top of the clock tower itself, showing the square from above which, like the throng of visitors to the festival, also happens to be red –” -Chris Weitz
Head on here for more treats from Chris Weitz personal photo book.
Taylor Lautner will be appearing on Saturday Night Live Soon! Woots!
And here’s a still from the show.
Can’t wait for the funny skits they’ll come up with.
Here’s Kristen throwing footballs during her time in The Late Night Show with Jimmy Fallon. You go, girl!
New Moon News
Oh my gosh Twilighters – Entertainment Weekly has released their multiple New Moon covers – This year Taylor, Kristen & Robert have their own cover! Check it out!!
Aahh ! Lookout bookstores & newsagents – we’ll be raiding your shelves – again! 
Thanks to TwilightPoison for the awesome HQ Covers!!! Danke Vale!!
Chris Weitz has done yet another great interview ( We officially heart Chris Weitz!!) this time with EW.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your biggest fear going into [opening] weekend?
CHRIS WEITZ: I didn’t have any particular fears. The tracking numbers were enough to indicate that I wouldn’t be letting the studio down. But if one could imagine their biggest fears, it would be complete rejection of the movie, by the fans. What I’ve realized over the last week is I won’t necessarily get good reviews for this movie. Having swallowed that, this was made for the fans, and if you don’t get it, then you don’t get it.
Did the negative reviews surprise you?
Nothing surprises me in terms of reviews. Having been a reviewer myself, there are only two ways to spin this story. You can either be the one guy who says this is a great movie, or more likely, take a more jaundiced view of the whole thing. And given the media blitz that has accompanied New Moon, it’s rather unsurprising. I do wish there was more appreciation for cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe. I think he’s a genius and I think he made something beautiful.
A lot of fans say they like the movie more than the book, that New Moon was their least favorite book in the series.
New Moon takes a lot of time to read and you have a lot of time without Edward in the picture. And here in the compressed scenario of the movie, there is less time without RPatz. And the fact that Taylor [Lautner] does such a great job, to the reading audience who’s been very skeptical of him, here he is in the flesh, and it’s quite something.
It’s interesting then that you went forward with another book adaptation with another studio, considering how badly it went the last time.
I really liked the actors. I saw the first movie and I thought there was something special about Kristen [Stewart] , Rob [Pattinson], and Taylor. I liked the emotional tones to the book. It was stuff I knew how to do. I had this theory that if you stay true to the book, you would win. You would not only win with the fans, but other people will get what the fans care about. If the box office tells us anything, then it’s a win. It’s made more in its first day then the entire domestic run of Golden Compass. It’s extraordinary.
What were the highest and lowest points of making New Moon?
The lows had to be shooting at 5 a.m. in a forest and struggling to get certain shots so a sequence would string together properly. It was a very cold forest in British Columbia, and we knew we’d have another night shoot just like it the next day. The highs were the moments of real identification with the actors. With Taylor, the moments early on when he realized he was going to do it. That was very gratifying to me.
****SPOILER ALERT *** SPOILER ALERT****
Melissa Rosenberg did some ‘tweaks’ on New Moon’ . Read it all in MTV or watch the videos below
New Moon News
Rolling Stone Magazine has published their exclusive interview with Taylor Lautner this month.
Don’t you think that when some fans see New Moon, they may be disappointed, because you’re kind of the villain in a way.
I have some pretty passionate team Jacob fans [laughs].Right. But you’re also the obstacle getting in the way of the great romance between Bella and Edward.
I can see where you’re coming from. The thing is, Jacob and Edward are two completely different guys. They are opposites. And it’s just what kind of girl you are. If you like that more mysterious, dangerous type, then that’s one guy. I personally love Jacob and Bella’s relationship, and how they began as friends. They are so much more open, and can tell each other anything. And Bella and Edward’s relationship, it’s always tense. It’s always serious. But Jacob and Bella’s friendship starts growing stronger and stronger and you just wonder if they can go past friends. It looks like that at some points.
And then Bella is always lying to Edward so she can see you. This is supposed to be like true love forever, so why can’t she just be honest?
You know, she’s serious with Edward and then she meets best friend Jacob. She gets confused.But you’re not really her friend. You have an agenda with her, and you’re always making snide comments about Edward.
If I was Jacob, and I feel like I have lived as him, it gets so annoying. Because she’s in the car with you one moment, about ready to kiss you and then she leaves and is with Edward. And then she’s back with you, you know.
Head on to Rolling Stone Magazine for the whole interview and Taylor’s photoshoot gallery.
TIME Magazine has another article about The Twilight Saga: New Moon setting records at the box-office.
For now, though, New Moon is the big news. The international grosses will also be massive. The first film earned $192.7 million in North America and almost exactly the same abroad. The worldwide five-day total for New Moon(which opened two days earlier abroad) is already at $258.8 million; expect a final worldwide gross to near $700 million. The thing’s a phenomenon, and all the analysis of its popularity can’t explain or diminish it. Sometimes the best strategy for canny film people is to step out of the way and let a hurricane sweep by. Nobody knows anything, except the customers. And you could bet your shirt on that.
Read the whole story here. Also check out their gallery of New Moon characters – we love Victoria’s portrait!
TIME Magazine have also interviewed Robert Pattinson and Chris Weitz.
Seemingly overnight, Robert Pattinson went from playing Voldemort’s roadkill in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to being the immortal half of one of the hottest screen couples of all time. He spoke with TIME about how he landed the role of Twilight‘s Byronic vampire Edward Cullen, what it’s like to be a generational crush and how to walk unmolested along the streets of Vancouver.
You took on an edgy vampire movie and it’s become this. Did you know what you were signing up for?
I had no idea it was going to be like this. I really had no idea until … I guess I still don’t. The time that it hit me really was when we were shooting in Italy and the emotional reaction — it wasn’t just screaming. It was like people were so intently listening and watching. After every take there was polite applause. And it wasn’t hysteria. It was literally devotion to the characters. It was amazing. I haven’t felt that in any other situation.…Why are America and the world so mental about it?
I was just in Japan, but when I first went there in February, the people who went to the fan events there were mainly people who went to American schools. This time it was an entirely Japanese audience. No one could really speak English, but they reacted in the same way as they have around the world. Even the distributor was saying, Japanese audiences don’t react like this. And they were stunned by the whole thing.There must be this weird, primal thing in people that they react to. There are so many love stories that come out. So many vampire stories that come out. Even the load of vampire stories coming out now have the exact same story line. This doesn’t have the same reaction. I think it’s all about being part of a club. People used to say it was a guilty pleasure. But I don’t even think it is that anymore. I think people genuinely appreciate that they are part of something.
… A whole generation will remember you as Edward. You’re a generational crush. Is that hard to live up to or difficult to accept?
There’s no living up to it. I think the major fear is just fighting too hard against it. Most people who have a downfall from a like situation is when they do try to fight, and fight and fight: I’m not this teenybopper person, blah, blah, blah. Even if a lot of people see me and the franchise as like that, I never have, at any point. But I don’t feel the need to fight against it. I’ve never tried to pander to any kind of audience. I’ve tried to make the films as intelligent and uncheesy as you could. And I’ve tried to make them the best they can be. I’ve never thought about it any other way. So I hope that pays off.
True, he’d already made one iconic teen movie. But Twilight fans were initially shocked when American Pie director Chris Weitz was handed the reins forNew Moon. TIME spoke with Weitz about his immersion in the Twilightworld, dealing with Internet rumors and winning over the fans in the run-up to New Moon‘s Nov. 20 release.
How much do you pay attention to what the fans are saying on the Web?
During shooting I tried to not go onto the Internet at all if possible. I started to pay attention to fan reaction to the trailers that have been out and what kind of stuff they like, just in order to get a temperature of where things were heading. I think you end up being a politician responding to polls if you pay too much attention to the Internet. Because it’s a quick way to convince yourself that one particular person who happens to be Twittering at the moment just happens to be the authority. I try to put out fires when bizarre rumors get started. One rumor I addressed was that the Volturi scenes were supposed to be set in a bathhouse with everyone naked.Real or not, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are reported breathlessly to be a couple — does that help the franchise?
I don’t know whether it helps it or not. I just know that it will be around as long as they keep making these movies. People always want the stars of movies to fall in love with one another. There’s no calculated effort to make it seem that way on the part of Summit Marketing. You really want it to be about the characters themselves. It neither helps nor hurts. It just gives fans waiting in between movies something to talk about.
Lastly, The New Moon cast Twittered yesterday and today to thank fans for their support – on Summit Entertainment’s Official Twitter page – Twilight
New Moon News – BTS Clips Revealed and On location Interviews [Part Zwei]
We posted Part One this morning, NOW here’s more! Thank you Thank you Collider.com! And special THANKS to Summit Entertainment for knowing what we want and made these videos!
NEW MOON NEWS – NEW MOON Press Junket Interview of Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson
Wah LIOW!!! Minutes after the New Moon Press Junket wrapped – a plethora of tweets, videos, audio recordings and print interviews flooded the internet. I am trying to sort them out and give you a run down of it all or rather the ones that covered it all.
Am also thinking about Channel 5 ‘s interviewer and how he/she is doing. Did they have fun interviewing the cast and did any of our questions get asked!?!
Okay first up the BIG NEWS / EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!
1) Robert Pattinson says that BREAKING DAWN will start filming in the fall of 2010!!! Summit Entertainment of course has not confirmed it. So NO literal Green Light yet. Read here.
2) Chris Weitz says that there will be 10 extra minutes of Deleted Scenes in the New Moon DVD and he will be joined by Kristen, Taylor and Robert on the DVD Commentary!! WOOT!!
Okay lets get on the press junket interview. Coming up are transcripts of the interviews and audio recordings as well if you’re too lazy to read.
Chris Pizzello has shot new potraits of Robert Pattinson during the Press Junket. Here’s one and check out the rest here.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon Robert Pattinson Interview
Q: Can you talk about working with Chris Weitz, and how the syllabus he gave the cast helped you?
Rob: I’ve never had that, from any director. It was 40 or 50 pages long, in addition to a bunch of letters and emails, trying to show that he was on the same page as us and was completely with us, in making the film. And, he didn’t falter from that attitude, throughout the whole movie. It probably sounds ridiculous how much praise he gets. I was just with him and his wife in Japan, and she was even kind of sick of it. But, he is like a saint. He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met, let alone directors. In a lot of ways, it shows in the movie. It’s got a lot of heart, especially for a sequel in a franchise. He’s just a great person to work with.
Q: What was it like to film that break-up scene between Edward and Bella?
Rob: There’s something weird about it. One of the main things I felt doing that and what really helped was people’s anticipation of the movie, and the fans of the series’ idea about what Bella and Edward’s relationship is and what it represents to them. It’s some kind of ideal for a relationship. And so, just playing a scene where you’re breaking up the ideal relationship, I felt a lot of the weight behind that. Also, it took away a fear of melodrama. It felt seismic, even when we were doing it. It was very much like the stepping out into the sunlight scene, at the end. You could really feel the audience watching, as you’re doing it. It was a strange one to do.
Q: What were your thoughts while you were filming that scene in Italy, where Edward reveals himself in the sunlight?
Rob: I just came to a realization about that scene. It was one of the closest moments I really felt to people’s emotional attachment to the character because there were so many extras there who were just Twilight fans, who had flown in to be in the town square. Just taking that one step into the light, it’s been the one moment, since the first Comic-Con, where I’ve felt the whole weight of anticipation and responsibility to all the people who are so obsessed with the stories. It was a good moment. It was very nerve-wracking, but I probably felt the most in character that I’ve ever felt, throughout the whole series, at that moment.
Q: With all of the fan encounters that you’ve had, has there been anything that’s just made you laugh?
Rob: Yeah, a lot of the time. Recently, I have less direct interaction with people because there’s way more security and stuff on set. But, I always find it funny when older people come up. There was a woman who came up to me the other day who must have been in her 90′s. It’s very unusual. And, they say exactly the same things as 12-year-old girls. That is kind of bizarre.
For MORE of interview head on to iesb.net or to listen to the interview Click Play on the following links PART 1 and PART 2 . Thanks to Hollywood Break for the audio footage.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon Kristen Stewart Interview
Steve Weintraub of Collider.com wrote this about Kristen
While at last year’s press junket for the first “Twilight” film, I got the sense that the massive worldwide interest was a bit much for this talented young actress. But, on stage today, she not only handled the media like a pro, she seemed a lot more comfortable being closely associated with Bella Swan. In fact, she seemed really happy to be talking about the movie. So if you’d like to read or listen to what Kristen Stewart had to say about “New Moon”, hit the jump and take a look:
Question: A year ago when we talked to you seemed to be a shy, sensitive young actor. How has this past year been for you in terms of this nonstop thing on ‘New Moon’ and you and Rob Pattinson?
Stewart: I think I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with talking about myself and knowing that what you say people are really going to take into consideration and that always intimidated me so much that I minced every word that came out of my mouth. I couldn’t finish a sentence because I was so concerned about how it was going to sound. I didn’t want to come across insincere about something that I really love to do. So I realized that instead of refraining from saying I’ve put my heart and soul into this thing and I love it, that’s what I should’ve said instead of, like the really logical, over analytical reason why I love it. You just do. I’ve gotten more comfortable with. The whole rumor, tabloid stuff, it’s so obviously false to me. Look, even before I became a part of it, once I sort of became a star…it’s like a show. It’s like a ridiculous show.
Question: Can you talk about breaking in your new director? How did you work with Chris Weitz?
Stewart: Chris has everything. I think to be a good director you have to be a good person and you have to care about people. I don’t know a more compassionate human being. I couldn’t have done this unless I had such a believable environment, a comfortable and safe environment to be so vulnerable in. He provided that tenfold. He’s one of the coolest, one of the smartest and funniest guys I know. He really loves the project as well. He wasn’t just jumping on the next big thing. So it wasn’t about breaking him in at all. He only helped make everything better. He made everything what it is. He’s incredible. I love him.
Question: These films have come out so fast, one after the other. Can you talk about the intensity of that and also if you think you’ll remember all of it in five years?
Stewart: There’s already a lot of stuff that I have to say, ‘Okay, Kristen, be here. Experience it. Make sure that this isn’t another fleeting situation that you’re going to barely remember.’ You have to force yourself to sort of be present but I feel like the fact that I have the opportunity to pick and choose moments that I want to remember and I have to focus on remembering cool moments, that only tells you that I literally have an influx of them. I’ve had the coolest two years and I’m so lucky.
Question: What do you find the most rewarding part of being involved in something so popular and what are some of the challenging parts of that?
Stewart: I think my favorite thing about this is the fact that I can keep it personal. It’s still something that if the franchise, if the saga didn’t become a franchise and it was literally was just a series of movies that I had done they would mean just as much to me. That’s also the best part of it, the fact that it isn’t like that, the fact that so many people are affected by it and are invested in it just as much as me if not more. Like I said about Chris, if you don’t like people and if you don’t want to make movies because you care about people then you probably are just wanting to be just rich and famous. So the fact that this is so important to so many people makes me so happy. That’s it. I think that’s it.
Question: Can you talk about the breakup scene with Edward and how emotional it was to do that? I know a lot of young girls in the audience last night were crying.
Stewart: Oh, that’s good. That was the scariest thing. I was almost as worried about messing it up than I was about what I actually should have been thinking about which was the issues that Bella is dealing with. Reading it, it’s so inconic. There’s nothing like that moment in reality even. It’s not even like a normal breakup scene. I know what’s it like to get broken up with but I don’t know what it’s like to get broken up with by a vampire who I’ve now been physically and chemically altered by. Suddenly you take an addict, you take whatever they’re addicted to away from them and there’s withdrawal. So that was the most intimidating scene in the entire movie. I don’t know how to explain how I did it. Chris really helped me out. It was just about talking. I don’t know. It was just about talking to him and reading the book and I had no other actors play off. I mean, the breakup scene that I did with Rob, that’s not where it happens yet. That’s not where I was intimidated. That was still, like she doesn’t even believe it yet. It’s when he goes, the absence of him that I was scared of. I was like, ‘How am I going to by myself in the woods with a hundred guys standing around me, filming me, die?’ Basically, literally having the equivalent of like a death scene but stay alive and get up and keep walking. It was hard. It was really intimidating. I still don’t know. I’ve seen the movie. I really like the movie but I don’t know if anyone ever really would’ve been able to bring that to life the way that Stephenie [Meyer] writes it.
Read the WHOLE interview here (very long) and listen it all here.
Latest New Moon News from Japan [Update]
Katie, Nurul and Azlina have entered the hall for the fan meeting. The event has started and Katie has just sent us a picture vua handphone email. No worries, we will post the pics once Katie has compiled her pics from her camera.
Here’s Robert and Chris!
Thanks for the picture Katie!
[UPDATE] We have another update from Katie and she took a picture of their gift bag which consists of a poster, 4 pics and a balloon!
Thanks Katie for the pic! Hope you’re enjoying the goody bag! =)
Twilighters Malaysia also updated their Twitter page and here’s what they wrote:
event has ended. Quite good pics of Rob and Chris (Weitz), but did not get to ask q’s as ONLY TWO FREAKIN Q’S WAS ALLOWD!
Oh my… I hope the questions were meaningful but at least they’ve gotten good pics of both Rob and Chris! No worries Nurul and Azlina, hope you have fun at the event and do enjoy the city of Tokyo!
Robert Pattinson & Chris Weitz Reached TOKYO!!!!!
Look who’s already in Tokyo!? IT’S ROBERT PATTINSON & CHRIS WEITZ AT NARITA INTERNATIONAL AIRPOT! Pictures from LIFE.COM! Ah, here’s our Mr.Director, Chris Weitz! *bows* THANK YOU CHRIS WEITZ! If you scroll slightly below, you’ll see ROBERT PATTINSON!
Welcome to Tokyo, Chris & Rob!
Aw, I’m feeling nostalgic now. Why? ‘Cos earlier this year, Maria & Aishah made it all the way to Japan to document the whole event for us! A truly wonderful experience!
New Moon News
Here’s Chris Weitz as he reveals more about New Moon:
He explains more about the use of colour in the film as compared to Twilight. (Remember the blue tint? ) Plus a little bit more on Italy and the Volturi. Read the full article here.
Next, Jackson Rathbone says that the Volturi are ‘Nice to See’. Woots!
MTV: Out of the new characters joining the franchise for “New Moon,” which is your favorite?
Jackson Rathbone: My favorite character in “New Moon” that wasn’t in “Twilight”? I guess my favorite character in “New Moon” is a collective — the Volturi. It’s one of those things that’s really nice to see, these decadent older vampires that run this vampire society, if you will. I think they’re an amazing group of actors that we were able to get for the film, and they are very scary and intimidating. They’re all perfect — I mean, Dakota Fanning is a terrifying Jane; absolutely terrifying.
New Moon News – Chris Weitz Wants To Make You Cry!
Chris Weitz wants to make you cry big time watching New Moon!! Looks like the New Moon director worked really hard on the ‘romance part’ of the story which we missed in Twilight cos it happened just so fast!
“We’ve tried our best to deliver on the romantic scenes in the film, and I would like to be able to produce more tears than any movie before, if possible,” Weitz told PEOPLE at the Hollywood Film Festival’s Hollywood Awards Monday of capturing moments in the Twilight saga’s love triangle. “If we could only weigh them with some kind of cubic tear measure!”
He adds, the intense level of attention – including speculation about cast members’ love lives – was challenging for everyone. “To be honest, even making the movie is under a tremendous amount of scrutiny now, so that when the cast went back to Vancouver there were cameras
everywhere,” he said. “Everyone knows where every set is going to be. It goes with the Internet and all the information is out there all the time, and whenever one of them is spotted it’s immediately Twittered.”
..Nevetheless, Weitz thinks the New Moon stars are gracefully dealing with the attention. “I think that they handle it very well really. They’re smart kids – I can say that because I’m 40 – and they’ve got good heads on their shoulders. So they’ll be all right.”
Read the whole feature at People.com
Well I say – BRING IT ON CHRIS WEITZ!!!
(….Actually we really want you to!)
Ever wonder what the New Moon cast keep in their trailers during filming of the Twilight Saga Series? Here’s what they say!
New Moon News
Foforks.com has an interview with Daniel Cudmore. Read it all here:
Ok, so now about that terrible, horrendous, no-words-for-it scene when you beat the shizz out of The Sparkle One in New Moon, how did you feel about beating up our most beloved creature known as Edward? How did you sleep that night knowing that thousand of hearts had been broken and that now you are the hero of those Twilight widows? (FYI, those who girlfriends and wives were stolen by Mr. Edward and wanted to beat him up themselves lol)
- Haha, it was a fun fight scene to work on and Robert really liked doing as much of the fight as he could, I slept like a baby afterwards. We’ll see how everyone feels after the movie comes out, and if they don’t like my character, then i did a good job.
We already saw the WolfPack and Edward shirtless a number of times, and you know that we want to be fair with everyone and all, so is there any way that we could get Volturi (minus Marcus because well… he’s scary as hell lol ) on that train too? And also you’ve said once that while filming the scene when you fight with Edward you ripped your pants 4 times, is that a special feature that we could see when the New Moon dvd comes out? haha
-Haha, the Volturi very rarely are shirtless, so i don’t think that will happen anytime soon. As for the ripped pants…I don’t think that will be seen on the dvd since my coat covered it up.
Meet Chad Hudson….the events planner from CHE. Chad and his team will be responsible for the smooth operation of the New Moon premiere party.
Chad explains that they are very busy right now preparing for the anticipated premiere party for “New Moon,” the “Twilight” sequel. “It’s exciting for us and also a lot of work. We work hard to make things perfect for those involved in film projects,” says Hudson. Chad also introduced me to his staff, which includes from left to right, Anthony Saracino, Chad himself, Paul Boisvert, production lead Travis Jackson, who works for 15/40 Productions, Mark Cornelsen and transportation lead Brad Levine, who is at B Production and who is just handsome enough that he may find himself being cast in the next “Twilight” production when the film’s producers get a look at him.
Find out more about Chad and his team here!
tMF features Chris Weitz & New Moon! A great read as we say hello to the New Moon month soon
In a recent interview, it was noted that “Chris Weitz, who also writes and produces, sometimes with his brother Paul, had done a fantasy adaptation in 2007′s “The Golden Compass” and felt a connection to the material.” Also, there is one particular segment of the moviegoing public that Summit wants to impress – the male audience who have been lukewarm (another word might be hostile) in their reception of Twilight.
In this article, tMF will also attempt to find some answers to three specific questions: Can he make a difference and give the fans what they really want? Can he entice this ‘hostile’ group into watching New Moon? Can Weitz level the playing field between Taylor Lautner and the very popular Robert Pattinson?
VOLVO & SM MOTORS Exclusive: Meet Edward In Tokyo!
Here’s an exclusive news for all of the fans of Twilight Singapore!
Organized by Volvo and proudly supported by Twilight Singapore, here’s your opportune moment to meet Edward Cullen Robert Pattinson & Chris Weitz in Tokyo! Yes, for real!
From now till 1st November 2009, Purchase a VOLVO C30 or XC60* and get 2 tickets to attend The Twilight Saga: New Moon Fan Meeting with Robert Pattinson and Director, Chris Weitz in TOKYO, JAPAN! Limited to 5 pairs only. *Inclusive of return airfare for 2 to TOKYO. Terms Apply. Specifications may vary from picture shown.
FAN MEETING
3rd Nov (Tues) / 1830-1930 Hrs / Shinagawa Inter City Hall, Tokyo
PROGRAMME
Q&A with Robert Pattinson & Chris Weitz, Lucky Draw to win 1 pair of tickets to the World Premiere of The Twilight Saga: New Moon in Los Angeles on 16th Nov & Exclusive “New Moon” Merchandise to be presented to all participating fans!
For more information, kindly contact Volvo’s main hotline at: (65) 6473 1488
Be sure to check out the advertisement from Volvo regarding the exclusive promotion in this Saturday’s Straits Times!
New Moon News
Thank you Everglow for these great scans of the People Magazine Special Collector’s Edition. Be sure to check out the scans as there are a couple of new pictures from ‘New Moon’. Yesterday we posted the first Edward/Bella picture from ‘Eclipse’…Now, you may take a good look at the HQ scan below too!
[EDIT] As mentioned by Paula in the comments section of this post – People Magazine Special Collector’s Edition is NOW ON SALE IN KINOKUNIYA!! Thanks to Jan for the update as well.
For those who followed Twilight’s Official Twitter, you’ll be surprise to receive an exclusive Tweet of a new ‘New Moon’ still:
And from Chris himself:
Meanwhile, The Twilight Saga: New Moon: The Score gets a cover!
As you know, the score is being composed by Alexandre Desplat – recent recipient of a Hollywood Award.
Twilight‘s score was composed by Carter Burwell, whose music will still be a part of The Twilight Saga: New Moon as well.
New Moon News – Japan will see New Moon first!
Breaking News!!
According to Twilighters’ Square, Japan will have 02 events in conjunction with the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon!
An advanced screening of New Moon and a Fan Meeting with Robert Pattinson & Chris Weitz in Tokyo!
Fans in France WILL NOT be the first to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon!! It will be the fans in Japan!! Come to think of it Japan was one of the last country that opened Twilight (earlier this year) and now they will be the first!! Japan will have an advanced screening of The Twilight Saga: New Moon on the 17th of November.
Fans in Japan can buy the Twilight Ultimate Ticket for the advanced screening which will be sold on Sunday 18th October. It will cost 10,000 Yen (SGD155). Its limited to 400 seats only. Part of the proceeds of the sale will be donated an educational body.
Point of sale : Ticket Pia /Chiketto pia (Actual location to be determined – so we’ll keep a look out for it!)
The advance screening of New Moon will be at Shinjuku Picadilly cinema.
Details- Date: 11/17 (Tue)
Hours: Open 18:00 ~, 19:00 - Movie will start
Incidentally Shinjuku Picadilly has one of the biggest movie memorabilia shop in Tokyo. [To get there go on Marunouchi Line and it is one stop from Shinjuku Station called Shinjuku sanchome Exit B]. We have also learnt that they will start selling New Moon Memorabilia on 30th October so anybody on holiday in Japan on that day head on to Shinjuku Picadilly to get exclusive Japanese New Moon stuff!
Chris Weitz and Robert Pattinson are scheduled to be in Japan from November 2-3rd to promote New Moon! Which makes sense because we’ve been hearing news that Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner on the other hand will be promoting New Moon in Europe and other locations. Japan was one of the last countries that Twilight opened in (April this year) and now it will be the first country that the New Moon promos will kick off!
Fan Meeting
Date: 11 / 3 (Tue)
Open 18:00 ~, 18:30 ~ Start
Location: Tokyo (exact location is yet to be determined)
During the Fan Meeting Event on 3rd November – Robert Pattinson and Chris Weitz will pick 02 LUCKY FANS to attend the WORLD PREMIERE OF THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON in Los Angeles on Monday evening, the 16th of November, 2009
So if you are in Japan and heading there during the mentioned period – Heads UP!!
New Moon News
MTV Movies Blog had an interview with Taylor Lautner at the VMA’s about his workout and Rob. Taylor Lautner: Robert Patinson Doesn’t Need Workout Advice
But Lautner isn’t the only one Twilighters got an eyeful of in the trailer — Robert Pattinson also appears sans shirt. And Lautner insists that if the two were to compete in some kind of shirt-off, the competition would be stiff. “I don’t know [who would win]. Rob, he’s getting some muscle,” he explained. “There’s some good competition.”
MTV also did another article with Anna Kendrick about her level of fame. ‘Twilight’ Actress Anna Kendrick Is Fine Without RPattz-Level Fame
“The thing about playing one of the human characters, the non-supernatural characters in the ‘Twilight’ series, is we have a lot more liberty to make it our own and change things, because people don’t have that attachment that they do to the myth, the world that Stephenie Meyer created in terms of the supernatural aspect,” the actress explained.
Here’s another interview with Anna by HitFix. Q&A: Anna Kendrick talks ‘New Moon’, ‘Scott Pilgrim’ and her breakthrough in ‘Up in the Air’
Q: Do you know if you’ll be back for ‘Breaking Dawn’ if and when those movies happen?
It does feel like to us — when I say ‘us’ I assume people know I’m referring to the human characters — it feels like it’s probably coming to a close. We appear in a dream sequence or one sequence in the book of of ‘Breaking Dawn’ so I don’t know if we’ll be back for it and we’re only signed up for three, because the three books were only out when we made the first film. So, I don’t know that we will be involved in ‘Breaking Dawn,’ but it’s a really fun thing to go back to. Particularly when I go back for this short period of time it feels like I’m going back to summer camp and I’m seeing my friends from summer camp.
Radar Online had a meeting with Edi Gathegi where he actually tried to scare the author, Stephenie Meyer! EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Twilight Actor Edi Gathegi Scared Stephenie Meyer
Radar: How scary is your scene?
Gathegi: Let’s just put it this way. I told Stephenie Meyer that my goal would be to scare every 14 year-old girl, and she looked at me and said “Edi, you’re so sweet and you have such a little baby face, no one is going to be scared of you at all.” Then she saw the movie and the dailies said, “OK Edi, you scared me!” And I said “That means a lot coming from you,” especially since she told me I wasn’t even going to be able to BE scary!
The Twilight Examiner has had an interview with ‘How To Be’ director, Oliver Irving. Exclusive Interview – How to Be Director gives insight into Robert Pattinson and his character
Were you familiar with Rob, or had you heard of him before he was cast?
No – he told me he was in a Harry Potter movie but made it seem like a small part. After the first audition I was sure he could be good, so checked him out online and realized he had a huge fan base already. Another call back or two to doubly make sure we had our man, and we were set.
The LA Times has behind the scenes photos of ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’! Here’s just a few of them…
Check out MORE of the behind the scenes photos from The LA Times: David Strick’s Hollywood Blacklot.
New Moon News
Boxoffice.com has a great interview with Chris Weitz talking New Moon.
How do you direct a film when everyone knows the story and ending?
In a way, that’s an advantage. That people know and love the book means that people know and want to see the movie, which is what you hope for when you’re making a film. It’s a fine balance between being as faithful as possible to the spirit of the book, and bringing changes. I regard myself as fan as much as any other, and the way that I see the book in my head is just like any other fan’s ability, except that I happen to have tens of millions of dollars at my disposal to realize that vision. One hopes that it’s a strong enough envisioning of the book that people will be amused and entertained and excited even though they know how things are going to end.
There are so many films about vampires, vampire romances, teenage romances—what is it about Twilight‘s love triangle that’s catalyzed this phenomenon?
To me, it has a lot less to do with vampires and werewolves than with readily identifiable emotional situations. Bella has a choice between the loving friend who’s nearby and the distant, unattainable object of her affections. That’s a pretty common scenario, and unfortunately also, so is being dumped. I know I’ve experienced it—pretty much anybody except the incredibly lucky has experienced it—and the supernatural element of things just allows for a degree of wish fulfillment. We can play out these scenarios on a grand scale. When you get broken up with, you’d like to think that if you just did something brave enough, something amazing enough, you could rescue the relationship that’s been broken. And you would like to think that the person who’s left you has left you for your own good against their heart. That’s usually not the case, but in New Moon it happens to be, so that’s a lovely way to fulfill one’s wishes. A great thing that Summit as a studio understands is that there are dark places that the movie has to go in order for it all to work. They’re not afraid of the angst and the sorrow that’s in the book. In a way, the film can be kind of a throwback to weepies as well as very cutting edge in terms of visual effects.
It’s got this operatic tone that’s like soma for anyone with a broken heart.
We’re probably going to put out one of the greatest breakup mix albums of all time on the soundtrack. Alexandre Desplat doing the music means there’s this sense of French Romanticism that goes back to Alexandre’s mentor Maurice Jarre and everything he did for David Lean’s movies—going back to Debussy and Ravel and that kind of stuff. There is a lot of luxuriating in the emotionalism of the piece. I think I’m probably now supposed to add at this point that there’s great stuff for guys as well. But leave that aside for the moment.
I heard that the on-set experience has been like living in A Hard Days Night.
It was like that in Italy. Although it wasn’t so much running and chasing. I’d compare it more to The Birds. You look around and then there’s suddenly ten girls over there. And then there’s 20. Then 30, then 40. And then suddenly the street you’re intending to walk down to get to your next location or lunch is just blocked and there’s no way to get through. Or you will get through, but it’ll take you hours because you’ll take pictures and sign autographs. Which is fair enough because they’ve come all this way and they’re really the reason that we’re there. Or you’ll have to be a real meanie and just run past. I’ve developed a preoccupied look that sometimes works. I try to seem as though there’s something going really badly at a different location, and sometimes that gets me out of situations.
Looks like there are new images out for the New Moon Calendar – this time with more scenes from the movie.
NICE!!
[Updated] The Official Spanish The Twilight Saga: New Moon or La Saga Crepusculo: Luna Nueva has a new image from the movie. You’ll see the image after clicking ‘DESCARGAS’ (Downloads) on the menu.
Thanks to ROBsessedpattinson.com. for the pic.
Wonder if this scene will be in the movie…
Lastly, here’s some pictures taken of Rob with CGI dots and all during the film shoot in Italy.
Can’t wait to see the CGI effects those dots represent!
