Twilight Saga Ost

[Amaia Novara]

Theseries had been in development since 2004 at Paramount Pictures' MTV Films, during which time a screen adaptation of Twilight that differed significantly from the novel was written.[7][8] Three years later, Summit Entertainment acquired the rights to the film. After Twilight grossed $35.7 million on its opening day,[9] Summit Entertainment announced they would begin production on New Moon; they had acquired the rights to the remaining novels earlier that same month.[10] The films in the series have received generally negative to mixed reviews from critics.

Twilight was in development for about three years at Paramount Pictures' MTV Films, during which time a film adaptation differing significantly from the novel was written.[7][8] For example, the script transformed Bella into a star athlete. It was so different that Stephenie Meyer worried that she had made the wrong decision in selling the film rights to her novel. She said later, '"They could have put that [earlier] movie out, called it something else, and no one would have known it was Twilight!"

When Summit Entertainment reinvented itself as a full-service studio in April 2007, it acquired the rights, seeking to create a film franchise based on the book and its sequels.[11][12] Erik Feig, President of Production at Summit Entertainment, guaranteed a close adaptation to the book.[13] Meyer felt that Summit was open to letting her be a part of the film.

Catherine Hardwicke was hired to direct the film, and soon afterward, Melissa Rosenberg was hired to write the film.[14] Rosenberg developed an outline by the end of August, then worked on the screenplay with Hardwicke the following month. "She was a great sounding board and had all sorts of brilliant ideas....I'd finish off scenes and send them to her, and get back her notes."[15] Because of the impending WGA strike, Rosenberg worked full-time to finish the screenplay before October 31.[15] In adapting the novel for the screen, she "had to condense a great deal", combining some characters and leaving others out.[16] "[O]ur intent all along was to stay true to the book," Rosenberg explained, "and it has to do less with adapting it word for word and more with making sure the characters' arcs and emotional journeys are the same."[17] Hardwicke suggested using voice over to convey the protagonist's internal dialogue,[15] since the novel is told from Bella's point of view; and she sketched some of the storyboards during pre-production.[18][19]

Hardwicke sought Meyer's feedback as she developed the movie; for example, the director phoned the author after changing a scene slightly. This surprised Meyer. "I've heard the stories...I know it's not normally like that when you adapt a book." Meyer, a natural pessimist, was waiting for the worst but, instead, called her experience in the book's film adaptation "the best I could have hoped for."[7][8]

Originally scheduled for release in December 2008, Twilight was moved to a worldwide release of November 21, 2008, after Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moved from a November 2008 release to being released in July 2009.[1]

Kristen Stewart was on the set of Adventureland when Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test, which "captivated" the director.[7] Hardwicke did not initially choose Robert Pattinson for the role of Edward Cullen; but, after an audition at her home with Stewart, he was selected.[7] Robert Pattinson actually didn't enjoy playing his assigned character, Edward Cullen.[20] Meyer allowed Pattinson to view a manuscript of the unfinished Midnight Sun, which chronicles the events in Twilight from Edward's point of view.[21][22] Meyer was "excited" and "ecstatic" in response to the casting of the two main characters.[23] She had expressed interest in having Emily Browning and Henry Cavill cast as Bella and Edward, respectively, prior to pre-production.[24][25]

Peter Facinelli was not originally cast as Carlisle Cullen: "[Hardwicke] liked [him], but there was another actor that the studio was pushing for."[26] For unknown reasons, that actor was not able to play the part, and Facinelli was selected in his place.[26] The choice of Ashley Greene to portray Alice Cullen was criticized by some fans because Greene is 7 inches (18 cm) taller than her character as described in the novel. Meyer said that Rachael Leigh Cook resembled her vision of Alice.[27] Nikki Reed, who portrayed Rosalie Hale, had previously worked with Hardwicke on the successful Thirteen (2003), which they co-wrote, and Lords of Dogtown (2005).

Kellan Lutz was in Africa, shooting the HBO miniseries Generation Kill, when the auditions for the character of Emmett Cullen were conducted. The role had already been cast by the time the HBO production ended in December 2007, but the selected actor "fell through." Lutz subsequently auditioned and was flown to Oregon, where Hardwicke personally chose him.[28]

Rachelle Lefvre wanted a role in the film because Hardwicke was director; she saw "the potential to explore a character, hopefully, over three films;" and she wanted to portray a vampire.[29] "[She] thought that vampires were basically the best metaphor for human anxiety and questions about being alive."[29] Christian Serratos initially auditioned for Jessica Stanley, but she "fell totally in love with Angela" after reading the books and took advantage of a later opportunity to audition for Angela Weber.[30] The role of Jessica Stanley went to Anna Kendrick, who got the part after two mix-and-match auditions with various actors.[31]

Because of major physical changes that occur in the character of Jacob Black between Twilight and New Moon, director Chris Weitz considered replacing Taylor Lautner in the sequel with an actor who could more accurately portray "the new, larger Jacob Black."[32][33] Trying to keep the role, Lautner worked out extensively and put on 30 lbs.[34] In January 2009, Weitz and Summit Entertainment announced that Lautner would continue as Jacob in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.[35]

When they told me Rob was probably the one, I looked him up and thought, "Yeah, he can do a version of Edward. He's definitely got that vampire thing going on." And then, when I was on set and I got to watch him go from being Rob to shifting into being Edward and he actually looked like the Edward in my head, it was a really bizarre experience. [...] He really had it nailed.

In late March 2009, Summit Entertainment released a list of the actors who would be portraying the "wolf pack" alongside Lautner. The casting for the rest of the Quileute people was headed by casting director Rene Haynes, who has worked on films with large Native American casts, such as Dances with Wolves and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.[36]

In mid-2009, it was announced that Bryce Dallas Howard would be replacing Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria for the third Twilight film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Summit Entertainment attributed the change to scheduling conflicts. Lefevre said she was "stunned" and "greatly saddened" by the decision.[37] Jodelle Ferland was cast as the newly turned vampire, Bree.[38] Other new cast members for the third film include Xavier Samuel as Riley,[39] Jack Huston as Royce King II,[40] Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria, Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater, and Booboo Stewart as Seth Clearwater.[38]

Principal photography for Twilight took 44 days,[41] after more than a week of rehearsals,[42] and completed on May 2, 2008.[43] Similar to her directorial debut Thirteen, Hardwicke opted for an extensive use of hand-held cinematography to make the film "feel real".[26][44] Meyer visited the production set three times, and was consulted on different aspects of the story;[45] she also has a brief cameo in the film.[46] To make their bodily movements more elegant, and to get used to their characters' fighting styles, the cast playing vampires participated in rehearsals with a dance choreographer and observed the physicality of different panthera.[26][27][47] Instead of shooting at Forks High School itself, scenes taking place at the school were filmed at Kalama High School[48] and Madison High School.[49] Other scenes were also filmed in St. Helens, Oregon,[50] and Hardwicke conducted some reshooting in Pasadena, California, in August.[41][51]

It is suggested that Edward drives a "shiny" and "silver" Volvo S60-R, a fast sleeper car that doesn't call attention to the Cullen family's wealth in the novel series. The film series partnered with Volvo to place a Volvo C30 in the 2008 Twilight film, feeling that the C30 better suited the persona of a 108-year-old vampire pretending to be a 17-year-old high school student. Volvo reported an increase in the sale of the C30 in the US market following the film's release, and helped change the perception of Volvo as a "cool" car in a younger generation of buyers. Volvo continued the cooperation through the series, placing a Volvo XC60 in New Moon and returning to the S60 in Breaking Dawn.[52][53]

In early December 2008, it was announced that Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke would not be returning to direct the sequel. Hardwicke cited time restrictions as the reason behind her leaving the project.[56] Instead, Chris Weitz, director of The Golden Compass and co-director of American Pie, was hired to direct The Twilight Saga: New Moon.[57] Filming for New Moon began in Vancouver in late March 2009,[58][59] and in Montepulciano, Italy, in late May 2009.[60][61]

In early 2009, before the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Summit confirmed that they would begin production on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Since Weitz would be in post-production for New Moon when The Twilight Saga: Eclipse began shooting, he would not be directing the third film.[62][63] Instead, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was taken on by director David Slade, with Melissa Rosenberg returning as screenwriter.[64] Filming began on August 17, 2009 at Vancouver Film Studios[65] and finished in late October, with post-production beginning early the following month.[66] In April 2010, it was revealed that re-shoots of the film were needed. Slade, who previously said he would not be around for them, was seen, along with Stephenie Meyer, on set. The three main stars were also present.[67]

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