Exclusive: Summit looking at Academy Award-nominated directors for 'Breaking Dawn'
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Yes, it's still early days, but Summit is trying to up its pedigree for its big-screen adaptation of the final installment of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Sources tell EW that the studio has reached out to at least three top-notch directors, including Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), Gus Van Sant (Milk), and Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) to gauge their interest in what is likely to be two movies. (Van Sant's reps confirmed that he's been approached, but Coppola and Condon's people didn't return phone calls by press time. Summit declined to comment.)
No decisions are likely to be made until the studio delivers screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg's detailed outline to the directors. That should happen sometime next week. Until then we can just wonder how these three very diverse directors will approach Bella's controversial birthing scene.
Is Bill Condon About To Sink Fangs Into `Twilight Saga's' Two Final Segments?
By MIKE FLEMING; Deadline Hollywood
EXCLUSIVE: Bill Condon has emerged as the number one choice to direct the final two installments of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, I'm told. Summit Entertainment hasn't signed him, but I'm told that after several strong meetings, they are negotiating. Condon was among a list of A-list directors approved by Summit and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. That list included Gus Van Sant, Sofia Coppola and Fernando Meirelles. Shooting will begin in the fall, and I heard the plan is to shoot two films back to back. That was just what my colleague Nikki Finke reported. She also wrote that Summit was looking for a big director and Dreamgirls and Gods and Monsters director Condon certainly fits that bill. Presumably, Condon would do this as his next project, and push back the picture he had planned to direct. That's an adaptation of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which he was putting together to be distributed by Fox Searchlight. Casting had been difficult on that one, as Colin Firth was in and out, along with Rachel Weisz and Kristin Scott Thomas. The Twilight job came open when The Twilight Saga: New Moon director Chris Weitz decided not to reprise, despite directing a film that grossed $707 million worldwide., almost doubling the Catherine Hardwicke-directed original's $385 million worldwide gross. New Moon also broke Twilight's opening weekend DVD sale record when it moved 4 million units to the 3.8 million of the original Twilight, which went on to become 2009's top DVD title with 9.2 million sales. David Slade helmed the upcoming installment, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which Summit releases June 30. Condon is also going to direct the Richard Pryor biopic that will star Marlon Wayans and will be made by Columbia Pictures through a put deal held by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison, which is a producer on the project. Like Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, that is going to have to wait for Condon to finish the double feature. Hollywood hasn't given Summit its due on the Twilight pictures. Like them or not, these pictures have been better than they had to be, given the ferocious fan base. They are exciting movies with a fresh contemporary feel. That Summit keeps pushing the envelope, where director quality is concerned, says a lot in how to keep franchises engaging for fans--something that studios now readying prequels, four-quels and reboots, would be smart to emulate.
Bill Condon to direct 4th "Twilight" movie
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Confirming recent speculation, Summit Entertainment announced Wednesday that "Dreamgirls" writer-director Bill Condon will direct the final film in the "Twilight" series, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn."
No decision has yet been made as to whether the long final book will be divided into two movies or whether one (or both) will be filmed in 3D.
Regardless, as with the previous three films, Melissa Rosenberg is adapting the Stephenie Meyer novel, while Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner will return to star.
"I'm very excited to get the chance to bring the climax of this saga to life onscreen," said Condon. "As fans of the series know, this is a one-of-a-kind book -- and we're hoping to create an equally unique cinematic experience."
The film franchise, which unfolds as a youthful romantic saga involving humans, werewolves and vampires, has already generated more than $1 billion in worldwide grosses. The third film, "Eclipse," directed by David Slade, will hit theaters June 30.
"Bringing Stephenie Meyer's 'Breaking Dawn' to the screen requires a graceful and intelligent hand, and we believe Bill Condon is exactly the right steward, having shown equal and abundant talents of immense creativity and subtle sensitivity," Summit production president Erik Feig said.
Condon wrote and directed "Kinsey" and wrote the adapted screenplay for "Chicago." He won an Oscar for adapting the screenplay for "Gods and Monsters," which he also directed.
Condon recently directed the pilot episode for the Showtime series "The Big C" and produced the Hugh Jackman-hosted Academy Awards telecast in 2009.
Compilation of Robert Pattinson failing to pretend like he likes Twilight: