University hosting conference to take 'Twilight'-esque vampire literature back to 'Dracula

'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer - Hatchette Books

Ever since the resurgence of vampires in modern popular culture's literary interests (via the Twilight, Sookie Stackhouse, and Vampire Diaries series), many vampire lore veterans have been pining for the days of yore when vampires had fangs, dark dungeonous castles, and coffins rather than sparkly skin, affections for the living, and the like. 
Well, one university is taking an academic trip down memory lane with a conference dedicated to "relat[ing] the undead in literature, art, and other media to questions concerning gender, technology, consumption, and social change." Sub-topics for the event include "teen vampire/zombie fiction," "identity politics," and "celluloid vampires: adaptations and incarnations." Particular presentation titles for the conference are especially interesting. A couple of such, according to one source, are:

• You are the most dangerous creature I’ve ever met.’: Female Sexuality as Monstrous in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series
• "The Twilight Saga and the Pleasures of Spectatorship: the Broken Body and the Shining Body.”

This morning's NPR "Morning Edition" spotlight on the matter seems to indicate that the purpose of the talks are to rejuvenate the Draculas and Nosferatus of yesteryear.

Of course, this naturally beckons what is becoming a common discussion for Twilight and True Blood or Vampire Diaries fans: is there any need to justify the shifts in vampire stature offered in modern day or youth literature concerning vampires?

If you liken to the mindset of The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse star Cameron Bright, who made the acute point that "vampires don’t exist" when addressing a similar set of criticisms, then you'll probably say "no."

As far as most Twilight fans seem to be concerned, Dracula and Edward Cullen are light years apart and there's no need to draw parallels or contrasting features between the two. In other words, isn't there room for all versions of fictional beings?

Note also that the school will be offering a Master's Degree in Vampire Literature. Now, if we're being nit-picky here, couldn't the institution of literary academia as a whole hone in on the meritorious comparisons existent between that degree and one centered on, say, Shakespeare? Food for thought.

At any rate, the conference is being held at the University of Hertfordshire (UK) on April 16th and 17th.

Source:examiner

Michael Sheen Promotes ‘Passion’ Theater Project In His Hometown

BBC News recently interviewed Michael Sheen (aka Aro) on his upcoming theater project, Passion, in his hometown of Port Talbot.   Michael will be directing and performing in this upcoming play which is scheduled for April 2011.

Hollywood actor Michael Sheen is to direct and appear in a play in his hometown of Port Talbot for the National Theatre Wales, along with members of the community.
He spoke to BBC Wales’ Matt Murray about how local people can help with the play and why it means so much to him to take part.
He also revealed how a conversation at a bus stop in Baglan, Port Talbot, when he was young had a massive impact on him.

Check out the video interview with Michael here!   For more information about the project go here!
Love Michael!!  Love his beard!!
[Source: BBC, MichaelSheenOnline.

A comprehensive list of official ‘Twilight’ social networking sites

Anna Kendrick's Twitter photo

While a list of official Twilight Twitter pages has already been made here, it needs a bit of updating, and rather than solely modifying the original list from last summer, I thought that it might be helpful to expand the coverage of the material and include as much access information about the writers, cast, filmmakers, and musicians associated with Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse as could be found to be official.   
That said, I've put together a comprehensive list of all of the known official websites as well as Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook pages associated with each person or group.
The hope is that this will aid you all in avoiding imposter accounts and websites as well as help you connect with your favorite Twilight personalities!
As of the writing of this article, these are the only official webpages for the persons listed, but if new information about official accounts becomes available, I will be glad to update this post.
Please do note in advance that Robert Pattinson (“Edward Cullen”), Kristen Stewart (“Bella Swan”), and Taylor Lautner (“Jacob Black”) are absent from the list as they do not have official websites, Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, MySpace pages, YouTube sites, or the like. Any such site claiming to be one or more of these three persons is fictitious. Others also absent (Dakota Fanning (“Jane”), for example) should be presumed not to have official pages for the same reasons.
Hope you enjoy!

Books

Stephenie Meyer (Author, Twilight series books and The Host)

Official website - StephenieMeyer.com

Little, Brown and Company (Publishing group, Twilight series and The Host)

Official website - HatchetteBookGroup.com
The Twilight Saga - TheTwilightSaga.com

Filmmakers

Summit Entertainment (Film studio, Twilight series films)

Official websites - NewMoonTheMovie.com, EclipseTheMovie.com, Summit-Ent.com
Official Facebook Fan Page – Facebook.com/Twilight
Official MySpace page – Myspace.com/Twilight
Official Twitter page – @Twilight
Official YouTube page – Youtube.com/OfficialTwilightFilm

Melissa Rosenberg (Screenwriter, Twilight series films)

Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/Melissa.Rosenberg

David Slade (Director, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

Official Twitter page – @David_A_Slade

Cast

(in alphabetical order by last name)
 

Charlie Bewley ("Demetri")

Official website - CharlieBewley.com
Official Twitter page - @Alchemission

Gil Birmingham ("Billy Black")

Official website - GilBirmingham.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/GilBirmingham
Official Twitter page - @GilBirmingham

Jamie Campbell Bower ("Caius")

Official Twitter page - @JamieBower

Cameron Bright ("Alec")

Official Twitter page - @CameronBright

Billy Burke ("Chief Charlie Swan")

Official Twitter page - @Billy_Burke

Justin Chon ("Eric Yorkie")

Official Twitter page - @JustinChon
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/JustinChon

Daniel Cudmore ("Felix")

Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official Twitter page - @DanielCudmore

Peter Facinelli ("Dr. Carlisle Cullen")

Official website - Peter-Facinelli.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/PeterFacinelli
Official Twitter page - @PeterFacinelli

Jodelle Ferland ("Bree Tanner")

Official Twitter page - @JodelleMicah

Edi Gathegi ("Laurent")

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/FrameWorkEdi
Official Twitter page - @IamEdiGathegi

Kiowa Gordon ("Embry Call")

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/KiGordon
Official Twitter page - @CircaKiGordon

Ashley Greene ("Alice Cullen")

Official Twitter page - @AshleyMGreene

Anna Kendrick ("Jessica Stanley")

Official Twitter page - @AnnaKendrick47

Tinsel Korey ("Emily Young")

Official Website - TinselKorey.com
Official charity page - 4real.com/TinselKorey
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/TinselKorey
Official YouTube Page - @TinselKorey

Rachelle Lefevre ("Victoria" in Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon)

Official charity page - Susan G. Komen
Official Twitter page - @RachelleLefevre

Alex Meraz ("Paul")

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/NomaK1000
Official Twitter page - @TheAlexMeraz

Christian Serratos ("Angela Weber")

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/ChristianSerratosMusic
Official Twitter page - @CSerratos

Michael Sheen ("Aro")

Official Twitter page - @MichaelSheen

Chaske Spencer ("Sam Uley")

Official website - ChaskeSpencer.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com
Official Twitter page - @TheRealChaske

Boo Boo Stewart ("Seth Clearwater")

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/ActionBooBoo
Official Twitter page - @Mammarazzi1 (shared with sister and mother)

Solomon Trimble ("Sam" in Twilight)

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/SolomonTrimble

Michael Welch ("Mike Newton")

Official website - MichaelWelchOnline.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/OfficialMichaelWelch

 

Score Composers

Carter Burwell (composer, Twilight)

Official website - CarterBurwell.com

Alexandre Desplat (composer, New Moon)

Official website - AlexandreDesplat.net

Howard Shore (composer, Eclipse)

Official website - HowardShore.com

Soundtrack Musicians

(in alphabetical order)
 

Anya Marina ("Satellite Heart," New Moon)

Official website - AnyaMarina.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/AnyaMarinaMusic
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/AnyaMarina
Official Twitter page - @AnyaMarina
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/AnyaMarinaMusic

Band of Skulls ("Friends," New Moon)

Official website - BandofSkulls.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/BandofSkulls
Official Twitter page - @BandofSkulls
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/BandofSkulls

Bobby Long (co-writer, "Let Me Sign," Twilight)

Official website - MusicBobbyLong.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/MusicBobbyLong
Official Twitter page - @BobbyLongNews
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/MusicBobbyLong

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club ("Done All Wrong," New Moon)

Official website - BlackRebelMotorcycleClub.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/BlackRebelMotorcycleClub
Official Twitter page - @BRMCOfficial
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com

Blue Foundation ("Eyes on Fire," Twilight)

Official website - DPC-rec.dk
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/BlueFoundationDenmark
Official Twitter page - @BFHome

Bon Iver (co-performer, "Roslyn," New Moon)

Official website - BonIver.org
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/BonIver

Collective Soul ("Tremble for my Beloved," Twilight)

Official website - CollectiveSoul.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/CollectiveSoul
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/CollectiveSoul
Official Twitter page - @Collective_Soul
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/CollectiveSoulTV

Death Cab for Cutie ("Meet Me on the Equinox," New Moon)

Official website - DeathCabforCutie.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/DeathCabforCutie
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/DeathCabforCutie
Official Twitter page - @DCFCTours
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/DCFCTV

Editors ("No Sound but the Wind," New Moon)

Official website - EditorsOfficial.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/EditorsMusic
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/EditorsMusic
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/EditorsOfficial

Grizzly Bear ("Slow Life, New Moon)

Official website - Grizzly-Bear.net
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/GrizzlyBear

Hurricane Bells ("Monsters," New Moon)

Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/HurricaneBells
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/HurricaneBells
Official Twitter page - @HurricaneBells

Iron & Wine ("Flightless Bird," Twilight)

Official website - IronAndWine.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/IronAndWine

Linkin Park ("Leave Out All the Rest," Twilight)

Official website - LinkinPark.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/LinkinPark
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/LinkinPark
Official Twitter page - @LPUnderground
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/LinkinParkTV

Lykke Li ("Possibility," New Moon)

Official website - LykkeLi.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/LykkeLiOfficial
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/LykkeLi
Official Twitter page - @Lykke_Li
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/LykkeLiVideos

Marcus Foster (co-writer, "Let Me Sign," Twilight)

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/MarcusFoster
Official Twitter page - @MarcusFoster1

Muse ("Supermassive Black Hole," Twilight; "I Belong to You," New Moon)

Official website - Muse.mu
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/Muse
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/Muse
Official Twitter page - @Muse
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/Muse

MUTEMATH ("Spotlight," Twilight)

Official website - MUTEMATH.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/MUTEMATH
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/MUTEMATH
Official Twitter page - @MUTEMATH
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/MUTEMATH

OK Go ("Shooting the Moon," New Moon)

Official website - OKGo.net
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/OKGo
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/OKGo
Official Twitter page - @OKGo
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/OKGo

Paramore ("I Caught Myself" and "Decode," Twilight)

Official website - Paramore.net
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com/Paramore
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/Paramore
Official Twitter pages - Source
Official YouTube page - YouTube.com/Paramore

Perry Farrell ("Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)," Twilight)

Official website - PerryFarrell.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/PerryFarrell
Official Twitter page - @PerryFarrell

Sam Bradley (co-writer, "Never Think (Too Far Gone)," Twilight)

Official website - SamBradley.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/SamBradley
Official Twitter page - @SamuelTwitt1

Sea Wolf ("The Violet Hour," New Moon)

Official website - SeaWolfMusic.com
Official Facebook page - Facebook.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/SeaWolf
Official Twitter page - @SeaWolfMusic

St. Vincent (co-performer, "Roslyn," New Moon)

Official Twitter page - @St_Vincent

The Black Ghosts ("Full Moon," Twilight)

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/BlackGhosts

The Killers ("A White Demon Love Song," New Moon)

Official website - TheKillersMusic.com
Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/TheKillers
Official Twitter page - @TheKillers

Thom Yorke ("Hearing Damage," New Moon) 

Official MySpace page - MySpace.com/ThomYorkeMusic

The latest Breaking Dawn director reports/rumors

Reports? Rumors? Call it what you will … here is the latest UNCONFIRMED news about Breaking Dawn via 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.

The report also includes this interesting tid-bit of opinion:

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.

BooBoo Stewart is "Fine" After Being Punched

While BooBoo Stewart was at a signing at Richmond Mall in Vancouver on Saturday afternoon, the actor was punched by a random Twi-hater.
BooBoo tweeted about the incident, "Its a bummer that someone thought it'd be cool to sucker punch me chased him down held him until police came no biggie had a great time. It all ended up ok, I'm ok. Thanks to everyone." J-14 can confirm that BooBoo is doing totally fine and appreciating his fans' support more than ever!

The Film Yap: Meet Tyson Houseman

The Film Yap had a chance to interview Tyson Houseman on his breakout role of Quil in the Twilight Saga movies.
“Most actors toil early in their careers, desperately taking one job after another hoping to hit the big time. Not so for Tyson Houseman, who, in his first-ever audition scored the part of Quil Ateara, one of Jacob Black’s best friends in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”
He is now starring in that film’s sequel “Eclipse,” opening this June, and Houseman is on top of the world. He took a moment to sit down with The Film Yap to discuss scoring the role, how Native Americans are portrayed, and meeting people who think he’s a werewolf.
The Yap: Hi, Tyson, how are you?
TH: Good. How are you?
The Yap: Great, thanks. So how did you get connected with the whole “Twilight” phenomenon?
TH: Well, “New Moon” was the first movie I’ve done, and it was the first audition I’d even ever been to. I remember I got the part, I was looking on the internet for a job on Craigslist, and I found this job that said there was an open casting call, and it didn’t even said for “Twilight,” it just said “a major motion picture,” for a Native American, age 15-25. I thought “I fit that description, so I’ll check it out.” So I went down there, and that’s when I first realized it was for “Twilight,” because there was a lineup from the open casting call like 4 or 5 blocks long, and it was just filled with “Twilight” fans with books and t-shirts and everything, and I thought, “yep, this is probably one of the ”Twilight” films. I didn’t really expect to get anything out of it, but I went and stayed at the audition all day long, and there was only like 5 of us left, and they filmed me at the end of the day doing a scene. The next week they told me I got a callback, and I went and I did the callback, and a week later they called me and said I got the part.”
Read more on The Film Yap.

Booboo Stewart on the Red carpet With Ed Magik TV

Chaske Spencer’s Q&A at Armegeddon Con in New Zealand

Taylor Lautner to Do Paris Signing on Thursday

Twilight France has the story. This is happening April 8th in conjunction with Taylor appearing as a part of the french Star Ambassador program.
Via Google Translate:
“The contest organizers Ambassador Star announced last night on Facebook that Taylor Lautner (who should soon arrive in France) will participate in a signing session tomorrow in Paris. Elle aura lieu dans la boutique Orange des Champs-Élysées entre entre 14h30 et 15h30 ! Je sens qu’il va y avoir du monde… ^^ It will take place in the Orange store on the Champs-Elysees between between 14:30 and 15:30, I sense there will be the world .”

Bill Condon: Front Runner to Direct Breaking Dawn?

According to Mike Flemming at 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.”
Mike is a colleague of  Nikki Finke, who was the person who previously broke the story that Sofia Coppola and Gus Van Sant along with Condon were in the running. Nikki tends to get things right, but she isn’t fool proof. Notably she got the Eclipse director wrong initially stating that Juan Antonio Bayora would get the gig.
Read the whole account on Deadline Hollywood.

IESB: Ashley Greene on Skateland and Twilight

IESB is back with an Ashley Greene interview:
“Just last week, a handful of online websites, including IESB, got to chat with Twilight star Ashley Greene. During the interview, she spoke about her role in the upcoming indie Skateland, about the dramatic events in small-town Texas in the early ’80s, that force a 19-year-old skating rink manager to look at his life in a very new way, and how bummed she was to miss its premiere at Sundance.
The actress also talked about the difference between working with Chris Weitz for The Twilight Saga: New Moon and David Slade for the next installment, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and how she would love to try her hand at comedy, musicals and action.
Q: Can you talk about Skateland? Did it hurt not to be able to be at Sundance for it?
Ashley: I did really want to be there. For anyone who doesn’t know, Skateland is an independent film I did, directly after Twilight. It’s a movie that takes place in the 1980’s. It was directed by Tony Burns and, when it got into Sundance, I actually cried. I was in New York, doing press for New Moon, and that was the one thing I wanted and needed. We had Twilight, and I had just signed on to do The Apparition, and I was a lead in a studio film, which was incredible. And then, I said I would love for one of my films to go to Sundance. I will not go to Sundance unless I have a film there because sometimes it’s kind of a circus. So, it got in, I was ecstatic and then the snow ruined everything.
”
Read the rest on IESB.

Upcoming Eclipse Products From Little Brown

Little Brown, the publisher of the Twilight books, just sent us the following press release:
Eclipse Collector’s Edition is a deluxe edition of the worldwide bestseller, housed in a slipcase and includes a ribbon bookmark, cloth cover and newly-designed, two-color chapter openers. (May 18, 2010; $30.00)
The Eclipse movie tie-in program includes:
Eclipse: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion –this lavishly illustrated paperback will give readers an exclusive behind-the-scene guide to the making of the movie, including exclusive cast interviews and full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets, and much more. (June 29, 2010; $18.99)
Eclipse Trade Paperback Tie-in Edition – this movie tie-in edition will include a collectible, exclusive fold-out movie poster.  (May 18, 2010; $12.99)
Eclipse Mass Market Tie-in Edition – available for the first time in a mass market paperback edition, featuring a dual-sided  cover.  (June 2010; $7.99)

Booboo Stewart Celebrity Red Carpet Interview with Ed Magik TV

Q & A with Chaske Spencer at Wellington Armageddon 2010

Ashley Interview

IESB has an interview with Ashley Greene.
Check it all out here.
Here is an excerpt:
Q: For The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, did David Slade give you a syllabus or mission statement, the way that Chris Weitz did for The Twilight Saga: New Moon?
Ashley: No, he definitely didn’t give us that. But, each of the cast did sit down and have hour-long, sit-down conversations with him, probably two or three times, going over the whole script and us highlighting anything that we wanted to talk about. He went about it a different way, but he was also very open about forming some type of collaboration. The directors have their own vision. They don’t want to change our characters, but their vision may be a little different. Obviously, David Slade has a little darker spin on it than Chris Weitz may have had, so we had to find a way to mold them together.

Clevver TV Video – Kristen Stewart & Nikki Reed’s Next Collaboration: K-11

Taylor in France with Two Lucky Fans

Yesterday I posted up part 2 of Taylor Lautner’s Date With a French Fan. But if you missed part 1 or part 2 here they are again.


Journée de Taylor à Paris, Part 1
Uploaded by ambassadeur-de-star. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.


Taylor in Paris, Part 2
Uploaded by ambassadeur-de-star. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Official list of Twilight Cast Sites

The Twilight Examiner has an article up with a very impressive list of all the official Facebook, Twitter and Websites of members of the Twilight cast.
Also included in her list is directors, books and musicians associated with the Twilight Saga.
You can check out her complete lists here.

GIL BIRMINGHAM ON ‘THE MENTALIST’ AND ‘CASTLE’

Gil Birmingham, has made some recent appearances on television. You may have noticed Gil on both The Mentalist and Castle this week. Check out the sneak peeks from the shows below:
Sneak Peek of The Mentalist - Aingavite Baa with Gil



You can see more from The Mentalist here.
Sneak Peek of Castle - Wrapped Up In Death


You can watch this full episode of Castle at ABC.com here.

WALL STREET JOURNAL DEBUTS MINI EXCERPT FROM ‘THE HOST’ BONUS CHAPTER

We’re clearly a Twilight fansite, but we are also hugely in love with The Host and unfalteringly supportive of anything Stephenie Meyer does, so here’s a treat for the rest of you The Host fans! As we all know, The Host in paperback is now available for pre-order and one of the features of the book is an exclusive new (never-before-seen!) bonus chapter! The Wall Street Journal has a great mini-excerpt of the chapter and they’re sharing it with us! Check it out below:

I’m all alone. It’s dark. I can’t remember where I am … or why I’m here. It’s wrong that I’m alone. Where is Wanda? I can’t see to look for her. I can’t remember how to call for her. It’s silent. I can’t feel her. I can’t feel our body.
Panic starts to set in as I wait for her voice. For her to say my name. To tell me where we are. To open my eyes so we can see. I need to hear her voice — my voice, in my softest tone, my gentlest inflection.
I wait, but there is nothing. Just me and the dark.
The panic gets worse as I try to remember. Did she shut me out again? That happened once, I know, but I don’t remember it. I don’t think it was like this, panicking in the dark. It was just nothing then.
And I don’t think Wanda would do that. Because we love each other. I remember we said that. Just before …something. I try to dredge up the memory.
We were saying we loved each other.… We were saying …
Good-bye.

MELISSA ROSENBERG ON ‘NEW MOON’, ‘ECLIPSE’, AND ‘BREAKING DAWN’

Film.com has a great new interview with the talented Melissa Rosenberg, who has penned scripts for Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. In this new interview, Melissa talks about the differences in writing for Dexter and then Twilight; how she would describe directors Catherine Hardwicke, Chris Weitz, and David Slade; what MPAA rating she believes Breaking Dawn will have, and much more.

LL: Can you give me one sentence on each director you’ve worked with, what their main strength is, for The Twilight Saga? MR: Catherine Hardwicke, she brought a very intimate feel. She had a very indie sensibility, she brought those characters to the screen in a very intimate way.
Chris Weitz did sweeping drama. Beautiful visually, and very classic epic storytelling.
David Slade, so far (the process isn’t done yet), brings a level of pacing and intensity.
LL:How much input do you get on the next director? Do they ask you about certain names? Or do they come to you with who you’re working with?
MR: It’s definitely not up to me. I’ve seen lists and weighed in, and they always welcome input, which is lovely, but ultimately it’s their decision and they’ll do what they do and I’ll work with whomever they choose. I had no knowledge of the first three directors and it worked. Generally speaking they [the list] are people I haven’t worked with before.
LL: Can you talk about Taylor Lautner’s growth into a leading man? It’s seems like he’s really come a long way from Twilight.
MR: Taylor is unusual because he easily could have lost that part. He was a day player in the first movie, and there were all these discussions about whether he’d be coming back. He took it upon himself to transform himself into a leading man. He made himself a leading man. That was nobody but him, he made that for himself.
Taylor Lautner is a rare breed. He wanted something and he made it happen. It easily could have gone the other way, if he doesn’t do anything maybe it doesn’t happen for him. Incredibly driven. That character is such a physical character that it had to be a transformation.
LL: Having read Breaking Dawn, where things get ratcheted up a notch, do you still go for that PG-13 rating?
MR: Oh yeah, absolutely. That’s your audience. In this series you don’t sacrifice anything. There are some movies that wouldn’t play at PG-13, like The Hangover, but this is just not one of them for me. Again, if you’re capturing character, emotion, and emotional journey, you’re OK.

Check out the full interview with Melissa here.

TYSON HOUSEMAN TALKS TWIFANS AND ‘TWILIGHT’

The Film Yap has a brand new interview with the very lovely Tyson Houseman, who plays fan favorite Quil Ateara in The Twilight Saga film franchise. In the new interview, Tyson talks about his audition process for New Moon, his recent experiences with Twilight fans, and much more. Check it all out below:

The Yap: Great, thanks. So how did you get connected with the whole “Twilight” phenomenon? TH: Well, “New Moon” was the first movie I’ve done, and it was the first audition I’d even ever been to. I remember I got the part, I was looking on the internet for a job on Craigslist, and I found this job that said there was an open casting call, and it didn’t even said for “Twilight,” it just said “a major motion picture,” for a Native American, age 15-25. I thought “I fit that description, so I’ll check it out.” So I went down there, and that’s when I first realized it was for “Twilight,” because there was a lineup from the open casting call like 4 or 5 blocks long, and it was just filled with “Twilight” fans with books and t-shirts and everything, and I thought, “yep, this is probably one of the ”Twilight” films. I didn’t really expect to get anything out of it, but I went and stayed at the audition all day long, and there was only like 5 of us left, and they filmed me at the end of the day doing a scene. The next week they told me I got a callback, and I went and I did the callback, and a week later they called me and said I got the part.
The Yap: So you were batting 1.000 right out of the gate. Quite an accomplishment. You have a theater background, right?
TH: Uh, yeah. It was really just like school plays and stuff like that, though.
The Yap: Wow, so they really did just grab you out of nowhere. Have you had any difficulty adjusting to this sudden fame? You’re not exactly doing an intependent film to start off, you’re jumping right into the mania of thisfranchise.
TH: Not really. It was kind of a lot to handle at first. You’re right, it’s this big phenomenon thing, and it was hard for me to deal with it. I just had to tell myself, yeah, this is just crazy, but I’m still like the exact same person I was a year ago. I’m still Tyson, and it’s not really changing me personally in any way. I’m staying true to myself and staying grounded. But other than that it’s been really great, just meeting a lot of really cool people. All the fans are just so great and passionate about it.

Read the complete interview with Tyson here.

Melissa Rosenberg says ‘Breaking Dawn’ will be Rated PG-13

Everyone’s favorite screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, sat down with Film.com to discuss being a screen writer, her personal life and the final installment of  The Twilight Saga:Breaking Dawn.

Laremy Legel: When I talked to you for Twilight you were just dipping your toes into the fandom, and what it was all about. Do you check fan sites these days?
Melissa Rosenberg: I stay off the Internet, because I’m very sensitive to commentary. There could be 10 comments of “Fabulous job!” and one “She’s horrible!” and it completely throws me. When you’re writing you’re constantly fighting demons to sit down and do what you do. If you listen to the voices outside your head, in addition to the ones inside your head, you’ll never get anything done. There’s enough inner strife.
I do, however, maintain a fan site, where people are mostly kind. It’s interesting reading their comments, because they talk about what’s important to them, what things really register, what things I need to capture. So I do rely on that.
LL: You’ve been writing Dexter and The Twilight Saga for the better part of four years now. How do you maintain a balance with your personal life? Or is it just about “The jobs are available now, I’m going to work as hard as I can right now because I don’t know if I’ll get another shot like this?”
MR: It’s the second one. There is no life balance. I’ve been working for many years and I’m well aware of how rare an opportunity it is to have even one of these projects available, much less both. It’s an extraordinary opportunity. You just don’t walk away from opportunities like that because you’re too tired or it’s too much work. I had to grasp them both, and fortunately I have a very understanding husband and very understanding friends.
LL: If an adaptation felt to you like an R rating, but the studio wanted you to bring it in at a PG-13, would that be doable?
MR: Oh yeah. It’s completely doable. You don’t sacrifice story by cutting language. Nor do you sacrifice story by showing less blood or gore, or whatever it is that’s bringing you to an R rating. It doesn’t hurt it. When Dexter was aired on CBS they had to re-cut some of it for network television and all they had to do was cut some language. There’s more blood and gore in an episode of C.S.I., though of course Dexter is more disturbing. Not because of what you see, but because of what’s implied. I don’t think you take away from suspense or character by altering a few things like that.
LL: Having read Breaking Dawn, where things get ratcheted up a notch, do you still go for that PG-13 rating?
MR: Oh yeah, absolutely. That’s your audience. In this series you don’t sacrifice anything. There are some movies that wouldn’t play at PG-13, like The Hangover, but this is just not one of them for me. Again, if you’re capturing character, emotion, and emotional journey, you’re OK.

  The rest of the interview is quite lovely. Melissa had some really cool things to say about Taylor Lautner, and his transformation from ‘Twilight’ to ‘New Moon’.  You can check it out here.

NEW Photos Of Robert Pattinson On The Set Of Bel Ami!

Here are some new photos of Robert Pattinson on the set of his new film Bel Ami in Budapest recently!
[Source: PopSugar via PattinsonLife] Adding more after the break!

via Robsessed

Photos Of Kellan Lutz Arriving At Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Here are photos of Kellan Lutz (aka Emmett Cullen) arriving at Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday, April 5th.
[Source: JustJaredJr.]

NEW Star Ambassador Promo Video With Taylor Lautner In Paris, Part 2!

Taylor in Paris, Part 2
Uploaded by ambassadeur-de-star. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

Here’s the second part of the video of the Star Ambassador contest winners in Paris with Taylor Lautner!
[Source: StarAmbassador via Blackpack.

Anna Kendrick and Dakota Fanning Are Harper’s Bazaar 2010 Rising Style Star

Anna Kendrick and Dakota Fanning feature in Harper’s Bazaar top 10 Hollywood Rising Style Stars.

These 10 fresh faces have major films or TV shows under their belts, and a select few have already been feted at this year’s award shows. Whether they snagged statues or not, all have proven to be style stars with gorgeous red-carpet gowns and unique off-duty looks. Trust us: these are the ones to watch in 2010. -Ellie Krupnick, Harper’s Bazaar.

Anna Kendrick:

She may count herself among Hollywood’s “popular kids” as a Twilight cast member, but Kendrick broke away from the pack to shine alongside older and more famous co-stars in Up in the Air. The 24-year-old’s star turn garnered Golden Globe, Oscar, and SAG Award nominations, which meant plenty of chances to ogle her sartorial choices. Kendrick plays up her tiny waist in form-fitting looks and experiments with every color of the rainbow (like this brilliant violet Alberta Ferretti at the SAGs). And this year isn’t just about award shows: Kendrick has already begun shooting a new movie called I’m With Cancer with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and she’ll reprise her role as Jessica in the upcoming Twilight films. When it comes to her style and career, things for Kendrick are looking up

Dakota Fanning:

If the name Dakota Fanning conjures up images of a wide-eyed child star with blond braids and Mary Janes, it’s time to think again. After years of children’s fare, 16-year old Fanning recently starred as punk rocker Cherie Currie in The Runaways, a biopic of rock star-proportions with cover girl Kristen Stewart playing Joan Jett. Fanning has channeled her new mature role on the red carpet with lots of black, like this stunning Valentino lace mini (paired with soaring burgundy heels) and the chic black blazer-and-skinny pants combo she wore at Sundance. Savvy style is matched by smart career moves: Fanning’s next film is none other than the next film in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

[Source: Harper's Bazaar.

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner & Chris Weitz Q & A At The New Moon UK Fan Event!

Here’s a look at the New Moon UK DVD extra of the Q & A with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner & director Chris Weitz at the fan event in London last November to promote New Moon.

WSJ: Sneak Peek at extra chapter from The Host

The Wall Street Journal has an exclusive sneak peek from the bonus chapter that will be featured in the upcoming paperback version of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host:

I’m all alone.
It’s dark. I can’t remember where I am … or why I’m here. It’s wrong that I’m alone. Where is Wanda? I can’t see to look for her. I can’t remember how to call for her. It’s silent. I can’t feel her. I can’t feel our body.
Panic starts to set in as I wait for her voice. For her to say my name. To tell me where we are. To open my eyes so we can see. I need to hear her voice — my voice, in my softest tone, my gentlest inflection.

Read the rest at WSJ.

Melissa Rosenberg says 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn' will be rated PG-13

Melissa Rosenberg

Melissa Rosenberg, screenwriter behind Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, recently did an interview with Film.com where she talked about everything from Dexter to The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. 
Having worked with all three Twilight saga directors before, Rosenberg was able to summarize the nature of the three (Catherine Hardwicke, Chris Weitz, and David Slade, respectively) in a single sentence apiece, and she also stated that when it comes to who'll helm Breaking Dawn, she has offered her input but that the decision is ultimately out of her hands.
She did seem confident, however, that Breaking Dawn would be rated PG-13.
"That's your audience. In this series you don't sacrifice anything. There are some movies that wouldn't play at PG-13, like The Hangover, but this is just not one of them for me. Again, if you're capturing character, emotion, and emotional journey, you're OK," she explained about the film's rating.
The full interview is available here.

Twilight' star Kellan Lutz reveals new 'Nightmare on Elm Street' clip on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

Kellan Lutz - AP Photo

Last night, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse star Kellan Lutz ("Emmett Cullen" in the series) appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to talk about his work in A Nightmare On Elm Street.
Before debuting a film clip from Elm Street, Lutz spoke up about how his family has been handling  all of the buzz surrounding his recent Calvin Klein underwear campaign. According to him, his grandparents are taking to it quite well . . .
Lutz's Elm Street video snippet showed a rather intense moment from the movie, where his character "Dean" has begun to suffer the wrath of "Freddie Kreuger" in dreams.
A Nightmare On Elm street hits theaters on April 30th in the U.S., and it is not Lutz's first stab at the horror genre (after having appeared in 2008's Prom Night).
Take a look . . .

Portion of Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host' bonus chapter revealed

'The Host' by Stephenie Meyer - Hatchette Books

A few days ago, we learned that a bonus chapter from Stephenie Meyer's The Host was to be included in the paperback release version of the book, and today the Wall Street Journal has released an exclusive excerpt portion of the new chapter.

Panic starts to set in as I wait for her voice. For her to say my name. To tell me where we are. To open my eyes so we can see. I need to hear her voice — my voice, in my softest tone, my gentlest inflection.

Read the rest here.
As you know, The Host is presently in the pre-production stages of film development and will be directed and written (screenplay) by Andrew Niccol.
Clearly, this is the voice of Melanie Stryder. When the news of the bonus chapter was unveiled, The Host fansite The Host Fan revealed that the bonus chapter would fit in somewhere during the transformation process near the end of the book between Chapters 58 and 59, so it seems that the bonus chapter will be one dedicated to Melanie's experience once Wanda has been removed from her host.

Robert Pattinson's filming of 'Bel Ami' in Budapest is stocked with fans

Robert Pattinson on the set of 'Bel Ami' - AP Photo

Remember last summer when Robert Pattinson was filming Remember Me in New York City to a veritable live audience? Well, it seems that history does indeed repeat itself.
USA Today is reporting that Pattinson's filming of Bel Ami all the way in Budapest, Hungary includes no shortage of fan presence.
In the film, Pattinson portrays the main character in Guy de Maupassant's novel of the same name, a man who works his way up the social ladder by manipulating a series of women of status.
Pattinson's co-stars in the film include Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman, and Kristin Scott Thomas, and Bel Ami is being directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.

Twilight Source offers hilarious 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' DVD commentary

'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' - Summit Ent.

Chances are, you've already watched and listened to the DVD commentary offered by director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, but have you checked out Twilight Source/Imprint's yet?
If not, it is a great podcast commentary on New Moon as offered by two guys and a girl (that is, Matt, Andrew, and Elysa from Twilight Source).
The three do everything from pointing out some of the quirkiest features of the film to dubbing over crucial moments with a few hilarious re-interpretations of the dialogue.
You can check out how to download and listen to the podcast here.
My personal favorite three phrases coming out of Twilight Source during the show were as follows:

• "There's an app for you, Bella."
• "I would like pizza delivered to the shed at Jacob's house. Do you do that?"
• "So you're a pisces?" "Last time I checked my huge muscles!"

Taylor Lautner’s Date With a French Fan Part 2

There was a contest over in France to have a date with Taylor Lautner. Twilight France has been covering the story and they have part two of the experience up in video.

Taylor in Paris, Part 2
Uploaded by ambassadeur-de-star. - Watch feature films and entire TV shows.

If you missed part 1 you can catch it here. If you don’t speak French, throw the page through Google Translate and you’ll get a really good idea of the details.

Wall Street Journal Has Sneek Peak at Extra The Host Chapter

The Wall Street Journal has the  goods!
“On April 13, author Stephenie Meyer will publish the paperback edition of her best-selling sci-fi book “The Host.” Meyer, the author behind the “Twilight” series of books, will include in the coming version of “The Host” a never-before seen “bonus chapter.” “The Host,” Meyer’s first novel for adults, tells the story of body-snatching aliens who invade the earth. One of these extraterrestrials, who goes by the name Wanda, develops an unusual relationship with Melanie, the woman whose body she has taken over.

Click here for an exclusive excerpt from the paperback:”

David Walliams to Audition for Breaking Dawn? Our Take: We Doubt It.

So this headline came up today: “David Walliams of Little Britain Fame to Audition for Breaking Dawn”. It all stems from an article in the UK TY Tabloid The Sun.
According to that article: “‘They [a nameless source] thought him suitable when they saw him play the evil charmer in the drama Capturing Mary.’
We’re going to say that this is either an April Fools joke run late,  a joking off-hand comment taken out of context, or just a total fabrication. The reason being is that Melissa Rosenberg is still working on the script and, more importantly, there is NO DIRECTOR signed.  So, unless we hear otherwise from a source more reliable than The Sun, we are going to toss this into the complete rumor bin.

Melissa Rosenberg: Breaking Dawn, Ratings, and More

Film has an interview with Melissa Rosenberg where she discusses writing each of the Twilight movies, Dexter, and writing to meet a rating.

“LL: If an adaptation felt to you like an R rating, but the studio wanted you to bring it in at a PG-13, would that be doable?

MR: Oh yeah. It’s completely doable. You don’t sacrifice story by cutting language. Nor do you sacrifice story by showing less blood or gore, or whatever it is that’s bringing you to an R rating. It doesn’t hurt it. When Dexter was aired on CBS they had to re-cut some of it for network television and all they had to do was cut some language. There’s more blood and gore in an episode of C.S.I., though of course Dexter is more disturbing. Not because of what you see, but because of what’s implied. I don’t think you take away from suspense or character by altering a few things like that.

LL: Having read Breaking Dawn, where things get ratcheted up a notch, do you still go for that PG-13 rating?

MR: Oh yeah, absolutely. That’s your audience. In this series you don’t sacrifice anything. There are some movies that wouldn’t play at PG-13, like The Hangover, but this is just not one of them for me. Again, if you’re capturing character, emotion, and emotional journey, you’re OK.”

See the rest on Film.
One thing that is not covered in the article is an issue that for whatever reason repetitively comes up. Breaking Dawn will not go to screen with a rated R rating because contractually it can’t. It would have to be recut to get a PG-13. Part of the deal for Summit to have the rights to the film is no more than a PG-13. You can still have blood and guts (ER’s final season anyone), and steamy romance (Remember Me and the Notebook) without broaching the R-rating.

Melissa Interview

Film.com has an interview with Melissa Rosenberg.
Check it all out here.
Here is an excerpt:

LL: Can you talk about Taylor Lautner’s growth into a leading man? It’s seems like he’s really come a long way from Twilight.
MR: Taylor is unusual because he easily could have lost that part. He was a day player in the first movie, and there were all these discussions about whether he’d be coming back. He took it upon himself to transform himself into a leading man. He made himself a leading man. That was nobody but him, he made that for himself.
Taylor Lautner is a rare breed. He wanted something and he made it happen. It easily could have gone the other way, if he doesn’t do anything maybe it doesn’t happen for him. Incredibly driven. That character is such a physical character that it had to be a transformation.

Kellan Lutz on Jimmy Kimmel

Kristen vs. Bella: Who’s Who?

To help Celebrate Kristen Stewart’s birthday in a few days People has up a a little quiz to see how well you know Kristen and her alter-ego, Bella.
Take the quiz here to see how well you do.

Exclusive Mini-Excerpt from The Host Novel’s New Edition

The Wall Street Journal has a small exclusive excerpt form Stephenie Meyer’s book The Host and it’s bonus chapter in the new paperback.
You can check out the excerpt here.
The Host paperback is now available for pre-order