Twilight’s been out for weeks now, and as it continues to earn loads at the box office—and battling contending opinions between fans who love the film, fans who are disappointed with the film, and critics who probably don’t get it—the biggest question is about the future of the franchise.  Sure, we know New Moon is on its way, and we know both Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are reprising their roles (with a much bigger paycheck), but the question still remains: what exactly?

“Right now we’re trying to figure out if the studio people, and me, and everyone’s on the same page,” Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke said.  “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.  We want to be sure that it’s really going to be great and that everyone’s on the same page.”

If she had her way, she said, she’ll be aiming to finish the film “end of 2009, if not the beginning of 2010,” she said.  “Cameras could be rolling in about five months.  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?”

Things are, in fact, already underway.  She’s already seen the first copy of the script penned by Melissa Rosenberg, “but then of course, you do more than one version of the script,” Hardwicke said.  “You work on it.  You try to bring it to life.  I’ve read the draft; we’re looking at it and trying to think of cool ideas that will bring it to life, bring it to the screen.”

Hardwicke’s got lots of idea in her head regarding the major elements of New Moon.  Of course, there’s Jacob, and the Volturi, and perhaps translating more of the book’s emotions to the screen.  And, she revealed, series author Stephenie Meyer has an idea of who she wants to take on the new roles.  “[She] actually has a few people in her head right now that she’s mentioned could be cool,” Hardwicke explained.  “But before I say who, we have to see their schedule and if they're interested in doing it ... [One is] a very cool, unknown person.”

But, in the first place, will she be the director of the next film? “I hope [I make New Moon], but you just have to see if everything can work out,” she said.  “I don’t know.”


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: MTV News
(Image courtesy of PBS)