Remake of Twilight Article

‘Twilight’
When you can live forever,
Hits Hollywood
Can Stephenie Meyer’s vampire novels do for movie goers what they’ve done for the readers?
what do you live for?
The first book comes to theaters in December. EW was on set
By Nicole Sperling
A-Wish Foundation even requested

On a March day in Oregon, the sun’s
roles as extras. The girls who have
as bright as a California morning. That’s
gone crazy for the book have been
great news for the locals, but it sucks if
vivisecting the film’s development
you’re a vampire. For two weeks, Twi-
online. Two girls from the Make-
light, the $37 million film adaptation of
A-Wish Foundation even requested
Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling novel, has
roles as extras. ‘’You can’t make this
been shooting outside Portland — a lo-
up,’’ Hardwicke says. With a fan base
cation chosen, in part, because the skies
like that, all of Hollywood should
are often overcast. Vampires, in Meyer’s
have been jousting for the film rights.
universe, can go out during the day but
In fact, the movie almost didn’t hap-
have to stay out of direct sunlight. Hence,
pen.
today’s problem. Director Catherine
In April 2004, Paramount’s MTV
Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown) has had
Films optioned Twilight, but then
to scrap an exterior shoot, and, because
developed a script that bore little
tomorrow’s weather looks annoyingly
resemblance to it. (It featured night-
cheery too, she’s been forced to rush
vision goggles and transformed Bella
into an intense romantic scene between
into a hip track star.) ‘’They could
her two young stars. ‘’We were building
have put that movie out, called it
a bedroom in 24 hours,’’ Hardwicke says
something else, and no one would
later. ‘’We were just sweating it.’’
have known it was Twilight,’’ Meyer
Fans have been sweating it too. Not
says. Fortunately for devout fans of
since Harry Potter has a book-to-film
the book, Paramount put the proj-
journey inspired so much enthusiasm
ect into turnaround. Then, in 2006,
— or so much anxiety. The movie will
Erik Feig, president of production
follow the novel closely: Pretty but awk-
at Summit Entertainment, tried to
ward 17-year-old Bella (Kristen Stew-
make a deal with Meyer. The author
art) moves to a small town in the Pacific
had been burned before and resist-
Northwest and falls in love with Edward (Robert Pattinson), a
ed. Feig drew up a contract, guaranteeing the writer that the
heartbreakingly beautiful vampire. Edward also falls for Bella,
film would be true to her vision, including a promise that ‘’no
but his desire for her barely controls his instinct to devour her.
vampire character will be depicted with canine or incisor teeth
It’s this combination of passion and danger, of course, that sur-
longer or more pronounced than may be found in human be-
rounds this teen romance with a halo of epic, doomed love.
ings.’’ That did the trick.
The girls who have gone crazy for the book have been vivisect-
Twilight, which will hit theaters on Dec. 12, is no garlic-and-
Pictured is Robbert
ing the film’s development online. Two girls from the Make-
fangs monster tale. It’s more Buffy than Nosferatu.
Pattinson (Edward Cullen)
and Kristen Stewart (Bella
Swan).
7.18.08 Entertainment Weekly
29

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Hardwicke, who made her directorial debut with the raw indie
‘’She’d been shooting all night, but she learned her lines on the
On a single day, for instance, the filmmakers endured snow,
hit Thirteen, seemed an ideal match for the material. ‘’When I
spot,’’ Hardwicke says. ‘’She danced on the bed and chased
rain, and hail. ‘’There were some days I cried,’’ she says. ‘’But
read the book, I could almost feel Bella breathing,’’ Hardwicke
pigeons in the park. I was captivated.’’ For Stewart, scoring the
then I would see these girls and moms who loved the book
“Twilight, which will hit theaters on
says. She hammered out a script with screenwriter Melissa
role was the easy part. She then needed to figure out how to
standing in the rain [watching], and I’d think, ‘I can’t have a pity
Rosenberg (Step Up) in six weeks, then faced the daunting task
play it. ‘’The only thing I could bring to Bella was to be myself,’’
party. I better stand up and make this scene great. I don’t care if
Dec. 12, is no garlic-and-fangs
of casting. The wrong choice would throw Twilighters into a
Stewart says now. ‘’She’s an honest, up-front, seemingly logical
it is hailing on me.’’’ Or, heaven forbid, the sun is shining.
tizzy. Hardwicke also wanted to cast an actual teenager to play
girl. She’s alone but not lonely.’’
Bella, which meant finding a teen who could convey Bella’s
As for the character of Edward, Meyer describes him as ‘’dev-
monster tale.”
emotional depth and carry an entire film.
astatingly inhumanly beautiful.’’
Not surprisingly, he has become a
heartthrob to millions. ‘’Everybody
Thicker Than Water
Photograph by: Jeff Riedel
From Left: Rachelle Lefevre
has such an idealized vision of Ed-
(Victoria); Kristen Stewart (Bella);
ward,’’ Hardwicke says. ‘’They were
Robert Pattinson (Edward); Cam
rabid [about who I was going to cast].
Gigandet (James); and Taylor
Like, old ladies saying, ‘You better get
Lautner (Jacob).
it right.’’’ She almost didn’t. Hardwicke
had seen a picture of Robert Pattinson,
a 22-year-old Brit best known as Cedric
Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet
of Fire, but had been underwhelmed.
So Pattinson flew to meet with Hard-
wicke at her home in Venice, Calif. His
audition consisted of a love scene with
Stewart on Hardwicke’s bed. ‘’It was
electric,’’ Hardwicke says. ‘’The room
shorted out, the sky opened up, and I
was like, ‘This is going to be good.’’’
Fans weren’t so sure at first, and
some of the blogs were brutal. ‘’I
stopped reading after I saw the sig-
natures saying ‘Please, anyone else,’’’
Pattinson says, laughing. To prepare
for the role, the actor did more than
just stay out of the sun. He wrote jour-
nal entries as Edward and shut himself
off from his friends and family. ‘’I wanted to feel his isolation,’’
As a child, Kristen Stewart had starred as Jodie Foster’s daugh-
he says. Still, Pattinson didn’t transform into Edward in all ways.
ter in Panic Room, but it wasn’t until last year, with Sean Penn’s
‘’I was supposed to get a six-pack,’’ he says. ‘’But it didn’t really
Into the Wild, that she blossomed. ‘’Her mixture of innocence
“Her mixture of innocense and longing
work out.’’
and longing just knockedme out,’’ Hardwicke says. Hoping she’d
No worries. Fans are already gushing about Twilight’s teaser
found her Bella, she took a red-eye flight to Pittsburgh — where
trailer — surely a relief to Hardwicke. It was the fans who kept
Stephenie Meyer
Stewart, then 17, was shooting Greg Mottola’s Adventureland —
just knocked me out”
her motivated.
and did an impromptu screen test with the actress.
7.18.08 Entertainment Weekly
31

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Entertainment Weekly
07.18.08
Table of Contents
Departments
Reviews
4. Feedback
42. Movies
6.
Hellboy II: The Golden
First Look
Army, Journey to the Center of
George Clooney in Burn Af- the Earth...Plus: The latest films
ter Reading, the new Star Wars on DVD
videogame, Dane Cook’s debut 52. Television
CD...
The Cleaner, Army Wives,
8. News + Notes
My Boys...The Ausiello Files...
Friends shouldn’t let Friends What to Watch...Plus: What’s
hit the big screen...(A few)
new on DVD.
actors won’t strike...The Holly- 63. Music
wood Insider...Introducing “The Nas, The Hold Steady, John
Next Files,” where we scout
Mellencamp, Madonna...
showbiz’s most promising up-
and-comers.
67. Books
70. The Must List
The World of Steve Ditko,
Features
Michael Ian Black...
22. The Vampire Empire: Stephenie Mayer is
about to publish the eagerly awaited finale to her best-selling
Twilight saga - and Hollywood is bringing her undead to life.
By Karen Valby and Nicole Sperling.
32. Too Hot To Handler: Comedian Chelsea
Handler drinks excessively and mocks celebrities for sport. No
wonder her late-night talk show’s getting notced. By Ari Karpel
38. The Most Wanted Man in Hollywood:
Fifty-eight-year-old Jay Leno is in a business that falues youth,
but with his Tonight Show retirement looming, he remains a man
in great demand. By Lynette Rice
Taste a real apple.
3
Entertainment Weekly 7.18.08

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