Update: Looks like Chris Weitz will be directing “New Moon.” OK, I’m the first to admit that the box office juggernaut “Twilight” was not a groundbreaking movie or anything. But what surprised me about it was how convincing the love story was. Yes, it was shot on a woefully low budget and it was missing a largescale conematic vision. But for a movie based on a teen-oriented book, the relationships between characters were surprisingly well-formed.
I chalked that up to the direction of Catherine Hardwicke, who navigated the tricky waters of teen alienation so well in “Thirteen,” and who was just fired from directing the next installment of the popular vampire series by Summit Entertainment. I guess that’s how they treat someone who made a $37-million-dollar movie that has so far grossed over $138 million. Nice.
This story on Deadline Hollywood broke the news last night, and from the looks of things, they fired Hardwicke because she was “difficult.” What director isn’t? Filmmaking is a series of compromises and they gave her no budget to speak of to work with. There’s a bunch of other inside industry soap-opera action in that article, and I hate reading about that stuff, but if you want the scoop there it is. I wish all movies could be made with the creative intent as the number-one priority, but obviously, that’s not the way Hollywood works.
They’ll probably bring in some hack-for-hire who’ll do whatever they say and will spend more time on special effects than character, and the series will decline until the fourth installment finally sputters out and nobody cares anymore. Oh well, at least Hardwicke has her upcoming gig as the director of “Spider-Man” on Broadway to look forward to.
Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of Scene-Stealers.com, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and contributor for The Pitch. He’s former President of the KCFCC, and drummer for The Dead Girls, Ultimate Fakebook, and Truck Stop Love . He is also the 2013 Air Guitar World Champion Mean Melin, ranked 4th best of all-time. Eric goes to 11. Follow him at:
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I’m sorry, but I thought “Twilight” was directed at a seemingly amateur level. Her choices amplified the low budget and made the movie almost sillier than the book. A new director could be a chance to try and make a better sequel. At the same time, the movie did really good business, and I’ll never condone firing someone who did a “good” job (money wise). In fairness, they should offer her more lenience on her contract.
I’m sorry, but I thought “Twilight” was directed at a seemingly amateur level. Her choices amplified the low budget and made the movie almost sillier than the book. A new director could be a chance to try and make a better sequel. At the same time, the movie did really good business, and I’ll never condone firing someone who did a “good” job (money wise). In fairness, they should offer her more lenience on her contract.
I wouldn’t slam the follow-up director until he/she is named. I’ve read that it was not Hardwicke who had the emotional impact you stated Mr. Melin, but that the writer and editor accomplished that.
I disliked a lot of what Hardwicke tried to do, using wildly different camera work. The cast looked pretty listless, too, which I think owes much to her firing.
I geniunely enjoy the books, despite being written from a female first-person perspective. The mythology is what ties it together for me; the lead character of Bella is annoying enough in the books. Kristen Stewart just made it worse 😉
The funny thing is Hardwicke’s biggest foil was directing the action pieces, yet the next installment features little action; it’s mostly an emotional lead-up to the last two books.
I wouldn’t slam the follow-up director until he/she is named. I’ve read that it was not Hardwicke who had the emotional impact you stated Mr. Melin, but that the writer and editor accomplished that.
I disliked a lot of what Hardwicke tried to do, using wildly different camera work. The cast looked pretty listless, too, which I think owes much to her firing.
I geniunely enjoy the books, despite being written from a female first-person perspective. The mythology is what ties it together for me; the lead character of Bella is annoying enough in the books. Kristen Stewart just made it worse 😉
The funny thing is Hardwicke’s biggest foil was directing the action pieces, yet the next installment features little action; it’s mostly an emotional lead-up to the last two books.
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