It seems like everyone has been bitten with the Vampire craze since the popular teenage story of a family of Vampires attending a U.S. high school hit the theatres earlier this year. Now, there have been rumors surfacing that a Boston high school truly has resident Vampires and they are roaming the school and posing a threat to other students.
On Wednesday, Police were called to Boston Latin School to aid in their Vampire situation, MTVnews.com reports. The building is nearly 400 years old, making it a perfect candidate to house the gothic and gory old tales of Vampires.
Although “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke has been replaced for the “New Moon” sequel, some fans have held out hope that she would return to helm the third or fourth movie in the teen-vampire franchise.
Unfortunately for those fans, Hardwicke recently shot down the possibility of directing any future “Twilight” installments in an interview with MTV. “I think it’s healthier to have a new person do [each one],” she said.
“I’ve loved all the different directors that did the ‘Harry Potter’ [films], because each one had their own cool style and energy, so I think that’s good. And I’m moving on to other projects.”
With Twilight’s DVD release today, fans worldwide are clamoring for their copy of the fantastical movie. Twilight Star Ashley Greene, who plays Alice Cullen in the film, surprised L.A. fans at a DVD-release party Friday night at the Hollywood & Highland complex.
After word spread that star Ashley Greene had chosen to celebrate the film’s DVD release with an appearance at the mall’s Hot Topic store, Twilighters began lining up mid-afternoon. According to mtvnews.com, chants of “Ashley! Ashley” were filling the night air, and only discs full of bonus features could satisfy the eager mob.
Contrary to recent reports and hope from Drew Barrymore’s fans, the actress will not be directing the third installment of the Twilight Vampire series.
Instead of Barrymore, Spanish director, Juan Antonio Bayona has landed the director gig and will begin filming “Eclipse,” which is set to be an exciting addition to the Vampire narrative, Us Magazine reports.
Dakota Fanning may have only just turned 15, but the pint-sized actress is already attached to two high-profile pics slated to go into production this year.
First up is “New Moon,” the sequel to the novel-turned-movie, box-office hit “Twilight.” The studio, Summit Entertainment, has confirmed that Fanning will play Jane, an enigmatic, powerful vampire who is a member of the Volturi, an organized coven of blood-suckers.
Drew Barrymore is feeling the Twilight bite.
According to E! News, the former E.T. actress is among the top choices to direct “Eclipse”, the third entry in the Twilight franchise.
Catherine Hardwicke was the one who directed the first film, and Chris Weitz is just about to start filming the sequel, “New Moon”. Hardwicke left the franchise because of her apparent lack of authority. Read more…
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart of “Twilight” certainly wowed their audience with their incredible chemistry throughout the film. However, once those cameras were shut off Stewart told Nylon magazine that the love affair ended there. “Rob and I are good friends, we went through a lot together, so we feel very close. But if we go out in public, every little detail is scrutinized, like the way I stand next to him.” She explained that they are very comfortable with each other after working so closely. The star does have a boyfriend currently, actor Michael Angarano. Stewart reported to MTV that being in the limelight especially when it comes to personal relationships all of the time can be overwhelming.
“Anywhere we’d go for ‘Twilight’ was a psychotic situation. The sound was deafening, and it’s thoughtless, as well,” she said. “You get a slew of all these bullsh– questions, like, ‘What’s it like to kiss a vampire?’ and ‘How much do you love Robert?’ Then you’ll get one that’s actually real, but you’re like, ‘No, I can’t right now, I can’t even consider [it].” Looks like the Twilight actor has some adjusting to the media to do after the booming success of her film has made her a very popular star!
Get ready for “Twilight” fan-demonium again next year.
“Eclipse,” the third film based on the popular vampire-romance books, has been scheduled for a June 30, 2010 release.
The second movie is still months away from hitting theatres, but Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the film franchise, is jumping on an attractive date for what is considered an important release, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
As previously reported, the “Twilight” sequel, “New Moon,” will be released Nov. 20.
“Twilight,” the first movie to come out of Stephenie Meyer’s literary series, opened last November and exceeded expectations by taking in $69.6 million over its first weekend.
It has grossed $189 million domestically and $363 million worldwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
Director of film sensation “Twilight”, Catherine Hardwicke, has opted against directing the sequel, “New Moon”. Despite being offered a huge sum of money to come aboard, Hardwicke decided she didn’t want to make the film under the proposed deadline and budget restraints, reports MTV News.
The film Twilight focused on a young girl, Bella Swan, who falls in love with a Vampire, Edward Cullen. Their love proves to be a difficult one, for they must prevail through Edward’s hunger for Bella, and the thirst of other sinister vampire’s that wish to taste Bella’s blood. The movie opened on 3649 theatres around the world.
“I was devastated,” said Hardicke, who is set to release her book “Twilight: Director’s Notebook” in March. “I really did feel a strong connection to the people around the world that liked the movie, and to Stephenie and the actors. But I just didn’t think I could make a good movie under those circumstances.”
Hardwicke will be replaced by “Golden Compass” director Chris Weitz, and the sequel is due out on November 20. Rumored possible additions to the cast are Dakota Fanning as Jane, and Vanessa Hudgens, who has auditioned for the role of Leah Clearwater.
When asked about “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer Sci-fi author Stephen King said she “can’t write,” according to E! Online.
In an interview with USA Weekend, King was asked a question regarding the success of both Meyer and “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and responded with, “The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephanie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.”
Although King criticized Meyer’s writing, he admitted the “Twilight” author knows how to make her stories compelling. “People are attracted by the stories, by the pace and in the case of Stephenie Meyer, it’s very clear that she’s writing to a whole generation of girls and opening up kind of a safe joining of love and sex in those books,” King said to USA Weekend. “It’s very exciting and it’s thrilling and it’s not particularly threatening because they’re not overtly sexual.”
Summit Entertainment has announced their vampire-hit “Twilight” will be available for fans on March 21, featuring a two-disc DVD set. Although this may sound like just another movie on DVD, the makers of “Twilight” have decided to change things up.
The vampire-romance will be ready to be picked off the shelves by midnight, and on a Saturday, as opposed to the usual Tuesday release for DVDs.
The DVD version will come with many bonus features, including audio commentary by Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart as well as Catherine Hardwicke who directed the flick, a documentary of the making-of process, music videos from Linkin Park, Muse and Paramore and of course, deleted scenes.
A few months ago in November, the highly anticipated vampire-flick made its debut with a $35 million opening day, followed by a $70.6 million opening weekend. There’s no doubt these vampires will have fans running.
“Twilight” fans may be disappointed to know Robert Pattinson will appear in one less movie this year.
The actor who plays Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of “Twilight” is dropping out of “Parts per Billion,” an indie film that was scheduled for shooting in Los Angeles this month, according to MTV News.
“What you heard is correct. Unfortunately, the prep time and production schedule on ‘New Moon’ haven’t left enough time for Robert to work on “Parts per Billion” in the first quarter of this year,” Pattinson’s agent Nicholas Frenkel told MTV News.
“Parts per billion” is an ensemble film that tells the story of different people that are affected by the same event. The movie will be produced by Rosario Dawson, who will also co-star in the flick.
Pattinson’s rep sighted “New Moon” as the reason for him having to leave “Parts per Billion.”
Filming for the “Twilight” sequel “New Moon” reportedly begins in March, but RPattz fans can catch the actor in the movies “Little Ashes” and “How to Be” before the release of “New Moon”.
STUFF THAT SUCKED IN ’08
There comes a time each year where entertainment pundits everywhere reflect on the past 12 months of pop culture. We dissect the highs and lows, we place celebs on their respective naughty and nice lists and we relish the chance to give you our dissertation on the year’s hits and misses.
So basically, I’ve been waiting for this since New Year’s Day, ‘08.
It was a big year. Some monumental shit went down in 2008. America christened its first black president (holler!), Beijing brought sexy back to the Olympics (yeah!) and Canada proved its political system is just as screwed up- if not more- as anywhere else in the world (say what?). But this isn’t about politics; it’s about good ol’ fashioned fun.
It’s about ripping apart the worst movies, music, celebrity couples and Hollywood gossip of the year.
So without further ado, here are my picks for the WORST of 2008.
5. Michael Phelps
I know, I know. He’s America’s golden boy. He’s a freak of nature. He’s the faster swimmer of all time. Blah, blah, blah. I was all for the Phelps mania during the Olympics but the hype that followed the eight golds has been too much to handle. GO AWAY Michael Phelps. I’m tired of your face! I don’t care if you’re dating a cocktail waitress from Vegas. I don’t care if you have Daddy issues. I don’t care anymore! Get in a pool and maybe I’ll stop cringing at the mention of your name. Some athletes just shouldn’t have their faces plastered everywhere. Peyton Manning, for example. And Manning still trumps Phelps. GO AWAY!
4. Twilight
Twilight freaks need lives. Maybe if they had ones, we wouldn’t have been constantly inundated with this Twilight crap in ‘08. This year saw the introduction of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart into the zeitgeist. Two of the most awkward and uncharismatic celebrities to ever sit down for an interview or to walk a red carpet. Two of the most wild-haired teen stars out there. The movie sucked but no one talks about that because it made money. Twilight freaks camped out for days to see this crap. Twilight freaks are hailing this Pattinson loser as the next Teen Heartthrob (a title now held by my boyfriend Zac Efron). Oh, and the best part? The cast is signed on for two more movies- at least- in the series. Oh joy, more years of Twilight fever. I can’t wait.
3. Tom Cruise
This was the year Tom Cruise attempted to make us forget about the last couple years (the couch jumping, the Scientology) and hypnotize us into remembering his glory days (Top Gun, Jerry Maguire). And it almost worked. Tom promoted Valkyrie all over the world, taking interviews with whoever would talk to him and constantly plugging that this year marked the 25th anniversary of his first big hit, Risky Business. Oprah had a 25 years of Tom Cruise special and showed clips from all his biggest movies. I almost bought it- A Few Good Men is one of my favourite movies of all time. But Tom Cruise today is not the same Tom Cruise of the 90s. Nope. He’s lost it. The charm. The commanding presence. It’s gone Tom. But hey, 25 years? It was a good run.
2. Britney Spears
I went back and forth on this one. Ms. Spears is on many Best lists of ’08. She won a bunch of VMA’s. She “redeemed” herself by showing up to the show looking hot. She released an album that’s heating up the charts. Some people would say she’s had a very successful comeback. I am not one of those people. Losing weight and looking hot does not make you talented. And talented, Britney is not. In her prime, it was her over-the-top, jaw-dropping performances that made her what she is (that, and her relationship with JT). Now, she can’t even perform up-to-par. She released a documentary special on MTV that was supposed to make us understand why she went crazy in ’07 and why she’s all better in ’08. It did neither. She’s got a world tour coming up in ’09 and if she can get her act together, maybe, just maybe, that comeback will happen next year.
1. John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston
These two were made for each other. I’m just surprised they didn’t hook up before this year. They’re both love themselves. They both love getting their picture taken. They both love talking about their exes in public. Soul mates. John and Jennifer were everywhere in ’08. She had a movie to plug and he- well he just plugs himself. This couple is the Heidi and Spencer of A-list Hollywood. The only difference is that Jen’s body is real and John’s actually talented. Here’s hoping they put us out of our misery and break up in ’09.
Honourable Mentions
Katherine Heigl – Single handedly ruined Grey’s Anatomy. And television. And the world.
Madonna and A-Rod – Ew. Enough said.
Jonas Brothers – Can these guys please go away in ’09? Please. And take Miley Cyrus with you.
Soon after finding a director, “Twilight” sequel “New Moon” now also has a release date.
The second installment of the vampire series will open Nov. 20, 2009, just 12 months after the first movie debuted amid fanfare at the box office.
It will be up against some tough competition. Also scheduled to hit theatres that weekend are Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes,” the as-yet-untitled Three Stooges project and Sony’s animated feature “PLANET 51.”
Chris Weitz, whose credits include “The Golden Compass” and “American Pie,” was confirmed last week as the next director to bring Stephenie Meyer’s book series to the big screen.
“I am honored to have been entrusted with shepherding ‘New Moon’ from the page to the screen,” Weitz said in a statement released Saturday.
“The extraordinary world that Stephenie has created has millions of fans, and it will be my duty to protect on their behalf the characters, themes and story they love. This is not a task to be taken lightly, and I will put every effort into realizing a beautiful film to stand alongside a beautiful book.”
“Twilight,” directed by “Thirteen” helmer Catherine Hardwicke, has taken in US$150 million at the box office since opening Nov. 21.
“The Golden Compass” director Chris Weitz is in negotiations to helm the highly anticipated “Twilight” sequel, “New Moon.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Weitz is believed to be closing in on a deal to bring the second book in Stephenie Meyer’s vampire series to the big screen, though Summit Entertainment has yet to confirm the director’s attachment.
Weitz, whose directing credits include “American Pie” and “About A Boy,” would replace “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke.
“Twilight” screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg is returning to pen “New Moon,” which is expected to have a slightly larger budget than its predecessor.
The sequel will likely hit theatres in late 2009 or early 2010.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Bell will reprise their roles as the vampire Edward and the ordinary teenager Bella.
Despite it’s amazing success and enormous fan base, Twilight Director Catherine Hardwicke will not be returning to run the second installment of the Twilight series, “New Moon”.
“I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct New Moon, ” Hardwicke told E News. “Directing Twilight has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel—it is a great story.”
Considering all the elements that went into the film—a successful series of novels, an attractive cast and, of course, teen vampirism—does this seem like a decision that might put the series in jeopardy—or just par for the course in Hollywood?
“Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke, who recently broke the record for the largest opening by a female filmmaker, says that the first step for a ‘Twilight’ sequel is making sure everyone is on the same page.
“Well, right now we’re trying to figure out if the studio people, and me, and everyone’s on the same page,” Hardwicke told MTV News, “I want to do ['New Moon'] better than we did ‘Twilight,’ and do it really cool. I definitely don’t want to do it as something just tossed off, like a ‘Saw II’ or something like that.”
Hardwicke said “New Moon” could be finished by the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010. “Cameras could be rolling in about five moths,” Hardwicke explained to MTV News. “We spent about a year and three months getting ['Twilight'] ready, between writing the script and casting. We could probably do things a little bit faster this time, but who knows? It depends.”
The director also revealed to MTV News a draft has already been made by “Twilight” screenplay writer Melissa Rosenberg, “There’s a draft, but then of course, you do more than one version of the script. You work on it. You try to bring it to life”.
Kristen Stewart, currently starring in the box-office hit “Twilight,” will play Joan Jett in an upcoming rock ‘n’ roll biopic.
“The Runaways” will centre on the titular ’70s band, which was co-founded by Jett in 1975 and went on to become the first successful all-female hard rock group.
The movie is expected to follow the members from their sudden rise to fame as teenagers to their disillusionment and breakup in 1979.
Jett eventually formed the Blackhearts, coming out with such hits as “I Love Rock N’ Roll” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and is still recording and touring.
Floria Sigismondi, known for her music videos, will direct from her own screenplay, while Jett will act as an executive producer.
The movie is expected to begin production in 2009 and will need to work around Stewart’s “Twilight” commitments. The 18-year-old has already signed on to reprise her role as Bella in the sequel “New Moon,” scheduled to shoot in early 2009.
“Twilight, which sold a record number of advance tickets in Canada ahead of its Nov. 21 opening, has since taken in more than $120 million at the domestic box office.
After its $70.5 million debut at the box office, Summit Entrainment LLC has given the green light for “New Moon,” the sequel to Stephenie Meyer’s hit novel “Twilight.”
“Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke described the difference between the first film and “New Moon” to MTV News, “It’s got werewolves, it’s got visual effects that turn people into werewolves, it’s got motorcycle stunts, you go to Italy. It’s probably twice as much as this [to film]”
And even though the second book reduces Edward Cullen’s presence, Robert Pattinson explained to MTV News that “New Moon” is one of his favourite books in the series, “I’m looking forward to doing the re-emergence … at the end of the second book, when he’s killing himself, I think that’d be kind of spectacular seeing that. And the second book is my favorite book, so I’m quite looking forward to doing it.”
The film adaptation of “Twilight” will most likely get thumbs up from fanatic readers of the series, but will it pass the test with people hearing the names Edward and Bella for the first time? It depends.
Although I did not read the novel by Stephenie Meyer, I do have a friend who’s obsessed with the series. I asked what a “Twilight” fan would want to see in the film, and what it would need to have in order to stay true to the book. She gave me a few golden points to look for:
1) “Twilight” should be character-driven
The film succeeded in this aspect. It starts with the narration of Bella (Kristen Stewart), who is leaving her mother and stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona, to live with her dad in rainy Forks, Washington. She then encounters Edward Cullen (the vampire), played by Robert Pattinson, and the movie really kicks off from there. In many ways it relies solely on the characters’ actions and reactions, mainly between Bella and Edward. You want to know if she’ll accept him as a vampire (and if Edward will have the willpower not to bite her head off).
2) Bella could come off as annoying and stupid if portrayed incorrectly
This is not the case in the adaptation. Stewart manages to make Bella real, even through cheesy lines like “I want to know the truth” – and that’s a challenge. There’s a scene where Edward wants to take Bella to meet his parents, and instead of worrying about getting killed, she’s preoccupied with whether they’ll like her or not. This scene could have come off with Bella looking like anything but the smartest bulb, but with Stewart, it comes off as blind love – a plus.
3) Edward is very intense and can be interpreted in many different ways
Pattinson walked into the role with the enormous challenge of satisfying all the readers. Edward is described in the book plainly as “beautiful,” meaning there are a million and one interpretations of how he could look. But I think readers will be happy with Pattinson’s Edward because he manages to be intense through some of his actions (like saving Bella in a split second from a car accident), but he also brings human-like qualities that people would never associate with vampires. In their very first encounter, Pattinson struggles to open his mouth to speak with Bella in a biology class, but he does it in a way that any other guy could have had the same reaction, which is refreshing in a vampire movie.
4) It is NOT an action-based novel
Readers will be happy to know that the film stays true to the book when it comes to action. Yes there are a few action-filled moments, most notable a scene where Edward takes Bella to play baseball with his vampire family (baseball never looked so cool!). It was surprising that the hyped-up battle between Edward and evil vampire James (Cam Gigandet) wasn’t overly long.
But another question here is will the film satisfy non-readers? Plenty of friends and boyfriends will be dragged to see the film, and they may really enjoy it, or dismiss it as “random.” At times the sequences are a little choppy, and although the camera technique was nice overall and added to the film, it was sometimes too shaky. The sequences with Bella and her friends in High School were nice and added to the comic relief, especially Jessica Stanley (Anna Kendrick), Bella’s school friend . Although there are quite a few scenes based at school in the beginning, the movie could have used more of those in the middle. As for the effects, they’re used but not overdone, so don’t expect to see crazy special effects. Non-readers can also appreciate the scenery and location which is rainy and cloudy for almost the entire film, but unique.
Overall I thought the movie gave a different perspective on vampires. It might not be for everyone, but it’s worthwhile seeing for the readers – and there are plenty of them. One thing is for sure: the vampires of “Twilight” will be leaving their mark on the box office.
