As good as the film Twilight has done at the box office, the prospects of New Moon doing as well took a big hit over the weekend. Apparently Catherine Hardwicke, who directed Twilight felt the script that was done for New Moon is nowhere near ready to be shot. However, her bosses at the studio think it is just fine like it is and want to be as greedy as possible. So, what that means is they want to have the film in the theatres by the end of next year. Hardwicke didn't think that making a good film and meeting that timeline was possible so she was shown the door.
The thing is Hardwicke is a very fast director. She isn't a James Cameron type. But, when she says the script is bad and needs work, you need to believe her. The second film is always tough when you are going to be shooting multiple films. The stars all have egos from the success of the first film. Everything is being rushed because the studio wants to make a ton of money quickly. Budgets usually skyrocket because the studio knows they have a gold mine and they don't care. Throw in a script which will probably be changed as they are filming and you have a recipe for disaster.
The studio probably knows this but is so confident that fans will still throw down their money to see the film, that they really don't care. They will when no one comes to see the film after the first weekend.
A good and honest director knows what is good or not.
ReplyDeleteLike her judgment in movies is all that good anyway. Twilight was TERRIBLE! It was meant to be all serious and dramatic, but was actually unintentionally hilarious. There were a number of scenes where the music would swell and it was supposed to be all dramatic, yet the audience ended up laughing hysterically. I haven't laughed as much in some comedy movies.
ReplyDeletei heard the studio wanted to rewrite the 2nd one to include more Edward Cullen as he is not really in the second book much and she balked at changing it all and going away from the books.
ReplyDeletegood for her.
I have to agree with Rehana. I saw the movie yesterday and the audience was laughing during the dramatic scenes. The brooding by the characters was ridiculous and they seemed to overact in every scene. They better make a lot of money from these movies because I don't see their acting careers extending beyond this. Catherine, distance yourself fast!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGREED IS NOT GOOD
ReplyDeletei'm gonna jump in and say the next movie will be better without hardwicke. she was one of the problems with the first one. the directing was choppy and clumsy, resulting in the audience 'not feeling it' and laughing...the bad special effects probably had something to do with it too.
ReplyDeletei think there are good ways to possibly incorporate edward more and bridge some things.
the studio has been going out of their way to hear from the fans. so, i'll go ahead and hope that they want to please and not just make a fast buck.
all in all, they need to pump some serious money into it. the last budget didn't allow much.
I also think that the second movie will probably be better. They will learn from the mistakes done on the 1st one and hopefully make it better. It can't be as bad as the first one right?
ReplyDelete(Currently reading the series, don't really know why - morbid curiosity?) But yeah, the 2nd book is worse than the first, so... I don't think anything can help it. About the only thing that *might* is more Robert Pattinson, who, from what I've gathered, was a big draw for the first movie...
ReplyDeleteI'm torn here ...I'm a huge fan of the books (I'm reading them for a second time now, and I never re-read books), but I hated the movie, and I blame Hardwicke for that. The actors were bad, but the direction was worse. However, I heard she was fighting for a much bigger budget for the second one, which they definitely need - the special effects in Twilight were horrible! I actually think they do need more Edward in New Moon; it's my least favorite of the books due to his extended absence. Plus, I don't know how anyone could deny that Rob Pattinson brings in the ladies. So I think she should concede some on that. But I can't help but think they need a new script, bigger budget, AND a new director.
ReplyDeleteTwilight sucks.
ReplyDeleteI read the book so I could load up on ammo to make fun of my cousins and neices.
Yes, your Trogs goes to great lengths for precision and accuracy in his humor. Plus, I really really love reading.
Anyway, it's the classic boy meets girl, can't get together because of some problem (in this case, boy is trying not to eat girl) and how they get over it. Romance Mormon-style, I guess.
The movie on the other hand was horrible. I was so happy I brought a 750 of Hennessey or I don't think I would have made it. They mashed all the scenes up and left out so much of the dialogue between the leads that made the book bearable and, almost, likable.
Anyway, I noticed Meyer's name was not on there as a screenwriter and that the director was unknown. This move by the studio doesn't surprise me. I think they took her story and tore it up pretty bad. Some 14 year old girl sitting next to me was telling her mom that Meyer's was on some tv show and said she wasn't happy about the way the movie turned out and was 'surprised' by the final result. if the creator is 'surprised', you know they jacked it up pretty bad.
lol, imagine what Tolkein would have done if P. Jackson didn't use the novels exactly as a script.
P.S.
ReplyDeleteIf any of you say anything to anyone about me reading these books..
Someones gonna get'a hurt real bad!
and it trumped BOLT at the box office. i'm still pissed.
ReplyDeleteword is the disney lay-offs have been increased.
i was DELIGHTED to hear hardwicke was fired/quit (read it as you want). she was TERRIBLE. as others have said, there were so many unintentionally funny parts because the direction was just appalling. edward looked constipated in several shots when he was meant to look tortured. the scene at the end, at the prom, where the couples were dancing in the pagoda and then just abruptly walked out when bella and edward entered. the stare-off between edward and mr clearwater. i could go on and on. there were so many cheesy, heavy-handed bits in that film and it wasn't the acting or even the script (the script improved upon the dialogue in the book a thousandfold), it was the directing. good riddance!
ReplyDeletehank god!!
ReplyDeleteI was actually hoping they would get rid of Hardwicke for New Moon, and also some of the castings that obviously came from her directing *cough *nikki reed as rosalie* cough* I mean, the second one can only be better than the first, I'd rather see it executed more like Harry Potter, and come out looking less like "Thriteen"
There is no way in hell a decent movie will ever be made out of these books. They might as well rake in the cash while the phenomenon is at its peak. End of next year might even be too late.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason that Twlight (the movie) has made this much money is because of the story written by Meyer. It would not have mattered if my cat had directed the movie and my 20-year-old next-door neighbor with no acting skills had played “Edward”. The Twilight fan-base went to see their STORY made real. Period. The Twilight fan-base has put Summit on the map. Summit needs to keep it real with the Twilight fan base or New Moon is going to tank big-time.
ReplyDeleteTwlight (the movie) has not translated well to the mainstream because Twilight (the movie) is substandard. This film could have TRULY been a blockbuster IF Summit had made a film that not only responded to the already-die-hard fan-base, but also the non-Twlight fan-base (you know, the regular, old movie-goer). Really, think about how much money this movie would have made IF it had been a “good” movie?!?! Who is to blame for this…The director? The screenwriter? The actors? On another blog, someone said that Meyer is to blame for a bad story...and I think that blogger just doesn’t get it. Meyer’s story IS a phenomenon for a reason: The Twilight series is a good relationship story that tweens can identify with. Meyer’s story is what brought the fans to the box-office to spend their money. Summit needs to be kissing Meyer’s a**.
The Twilight movie was awful for anyone that wasn’t a Twilight fan. And if the movie is awful, then that is Hardwicke’s fault. Summit is 100% right for not re-upping Hardwicke. I do hope that Summit is able to find another director that loves the Twilight story, and keeps the story true to form.
I was also hoping that that Summit was going to get a new screenwriter for New Moon, but I heard that Rosenberg was already on board. TOO BAD. I felt like some of the Twilight book was cut/pasted into the Twilight movie without any kind of meaningful segue. Character development was nearly non-existent. Essential elements that could have given the Bella/Edward relationship meaning were completely missing. The movie was choppy at best.
Kristen Stewart needs to work on showing different phases of emotion. I have read other blogs where she is described as wooden, and I think that it is a bit harsh, but not really too far off the mark. She REALLY needs to work on her “game face” before New Moon. Rob Pattinson was mesmerizing to look at on the screen, and while clearly not very experienced, was able to show depth at certain points. I almost felt like Pattinson was being held back and I do not know if it was because of the script or the directing or both. With better direction and a better script, I think that Kristen and Rob can pull off a better movie.
Y’all remember Buffy…was that story about vampires? NO…it was not a vampire story at all. It was a relationship story that happened to be about vampires. THIS is the same exact thing. Bella and Edward’s story is about a relationship, that happens to involve a vampire. I read on another blog where someone suggested that Joss Whedon should direct New Moon. I laughed out loud when I read that because it is such fantastic and crazy idea. Can you imagine?? The problem now will be finding a Director that will be willing to sit aside his-or-her Hollywood Ego in order to keep the story real and true to form. This is a ROMANCE people! This isn’t Blade OR Underworld.
Again, Summit needs to recognize that the Twilight-fan-base is where they have made their bread and butter. Summit needs to keep Meyer’s story intact and not decimate the heart of this series. Can you imagine if they hire someone like Michael Bay? GAG!
Holy moly Dawn,
ReplyDeleteTell me how you really feel!
=)
lol
I've heard a couple of people say this movie was really, really good. ???
ReplyDeleteI love movies that make me laugh unintentionally. I can't wait for this to make it to The Movie Network.