Kristen Stewart

Taylor Lautner Keeps Controversial Role of Jacob Black in ‘New Moon’

BrianTT — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:25:10 -0700

CHICAGO – Fans of the “Twilight” books and movies have been clamoring for news about whether or not Taylor Lautner would reprise his role in the sequel to the massively successful film, “New Moon”. Just a small announcement that didn’t feature Lautner in the cast list in this slideshow caused unrest in the “New Moon” community over the potential of re-casting the role. Good news, Taylor fans. He’s back.

Chris Weitz, the director of “New Moon,” revealed Wednesday in a post to Stephenie Meyer’s website, “I’m very happy to announce that Taylor Lautner will be playing Jacob Black in New Moon and that he’s doing so with the enthusiastic support of Summit Entertainment, the producers, and Stephenie Meyer.”

There had been questions as to whether or not Taylor Lautner would be allowed to return because his character, Jacob Black, grows significantly in physical size in “New Moon” and plays a much bigger role. MTV News recently spoke to Lautner who said that he had been bulking up in the hope that he would be brought back for the role. He said, “My job for Twilight was to bring Twilight Jacob to life - the friendly, happy-go-lucky little Jacob. My job for New Moon is completely different. I’ve been looking forward to that. I’ve been getting ready for it, and I can assure them I will follow through with that”

Taylor Lautner in “Twilight”
Photo credit: Summit Publicity

The director and Summit Entertainment agreed that Taylor Lautner can handle the role, with Chris Weitz writing, “It is not surprising that there has been speculation about whether the same actor would portray a character who changes in so many surprising ways throughout the series. But it was my first instinct that Taylor was, is, and should be Jacob, and that the books would be best served by the actor who is emotionally right for the part.”

“Twilight”, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, from director Catherine Hardwicke, has grossed $178 million domestically, putting the sequel, “New Moon,” into production immediately. Other books in the Stephenie Meyer series include “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn”.

Read our Taylor Lautner casting story for “New Moon”.
Read our Robert Pattinson story on “Parts Per Billion” and “New Moon”.
See our 2009 Summit release slideshow with “New Moon”.
See our high-quality, 28-image “Twilight” slideshow.
Read our “Twilight” opening-weekend box-office story.
Read our “Twilight” sequel story prior to opening weekend.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

To Film ‘New Moon,’ ‘Twilight’ Star Robert Pattinson Cancels Part in ‘Parts Per Billion’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:38:04 -0700

CHICAGO – While “Twilight” fanatics are currently busy following the drama of whether the character Jacob Black will again be played by Taylor Lautner in the film’s “New Moon” follow up, news surfaced on Tuesday on “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson to temporarily keep followers gabbing about something else.

In order to film “New Moon,” the agent of 22-year-old Pattinson on Tuesday revealed that he must bow out of his part in the much-anticipated and lesser-known film “Parts Per Billion,” which was slated to begin filming in Jan. 2009 in Los Angeles, according to MTV.

Kristen Stewart (left) as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in “Twilight”.
Photo credit: Summit Entertainment

While “Twilight” fans would much likely prefer to be deprived of Pattinson’s performance in “Parts Per Billion” if it meant he wouldn’t be able to film “New Moon,” some may especially feel neglected of what was reported to be a provocative sex scene with Olivia Thirlby from “Juno” fame.

While choosing “New Moon” (which is riding on the blockbuster fame of “Twilight”) over “Parts Per Billion” is a sign that the British actor is gravitating toward more grander film over independent fame, at least Rosario Dawson is disappointed that he’s chosen more profitable pastures.

Dawson is producing the “Parts Per Billion” indie flick and was to be Pattinson’s co-star.

“Unfortunately, the prep time and production schedule on ‘New Moon’ haven’t left enough time for Robert to work on ‘Parts Per Billion’ in the first quarter of this year,” Pattison’s agent, Nicholas Frenkel, told MTV on Tuesday.

Dennis Hopper also stars in the Brian Horiuchi-directed “Parts Per Billion,” which centers on three couples whose lives are being stirred by the same cataclysmal incident. Pattinson’s departure from “Parts Per Billion” forces a swifty recast for his role in order for the show to go on as planned.

Pattinson can also be seen in the 2008 films “Little Ashes” (where he plays Salvador Dalí; the film has a limited release on March 27, 2009) and “How to Be”. He filmed both before “Twilight” and also played Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”.

“New Moon” is slated to begin filming in March 2009 and open in theaters on Nov. 20, 2009.

Read our Taylor Lautner casting story for “New Moon”.
See our 2009 Summit release slideshow with “New Moon”.
See our high-quality, 28-image “Twilight” slideshow.
Read our “Twilight” opening-weekend box-office story.
Read our “Twilight” sequel story prior to opening weekend.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Despite Conflicted Reactions, ‘Twilight’ Smashes Box-Office Expectations With $70.5 Million

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:30:53 -0700

CHICAGO – Despite conflicted reactions from critics and “Twilight” fans alike, the vampire romance film exceeded box-office expectations on its opening weekend and scored $70.5 million in domestic sales on a production budget of only $37 million. Estimates from Sunday morning tagged “Twilight” as earning a smashing $20,636 per theater.

“Twilight” from director Catherine Hardwicke stars Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen.
Image credit: Summit Entertainment

In addition, the film from director Catherine Hardwicke (“The Nativity Story,” “Lords of Dogtown”) set a record for the largest opening-weekend tally for a film by a female director. The previous record of $41.1 million was held by Mimi Leder for 1998’s “Deep Impact”.

Exit polling showed that opening-weekend “Twilight” moviegoers were dominated by females with 75 percent of ticket buyers of the feminine kind. “Twilight” now ranks as No. 3 on Fandango’s advance-ticket sales list.

Still, the film is currently rating at a 44 percent rotten out of 100 percent at Rotten Tomatoes based on 125 reviews from professional critics.

We learned even before opening “Twilight” weekend that a film sequel has already been given the go. In it, critics and fans alike are calling for a bigger-budget film that can better dazzle in some of the areas where the first one lacked.

For this critic, the special effects department in the first “Twilight” film especially stood out like an unfortunate sore thumb. Also, those who read the first Stephenie Meyer book may have felt like the film didn’t sell the connection between primary characters Bella and Edward as much as the book focused on it.

“Twilight,” which opened on Nov. 21, 2008, stars Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen from director Catherine Hardwicke.

See our high-quality, 28-image “Twilight” slideshow.

Read our “Twilight” sequel story prior to opening weekend.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 28-Image Gallery For ‘Twilight’ With Kristen Stewart

BrianTT — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:03:00 -0700

CHICAGO – This 28-image slideshow contains official press images for the Nov. 21, 2008 release of the highly anticipated film “Twilight,” which is already moving into development for sequels.

You can either click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photo credits for this slideshow belong to Summit Entertainment.

twilight1: The “Twilight” ensemble.
twilight2: Kristen Stewart (left) and Cam Gigandet (right) star in the thriller “Twilight,” which is a Summit Entertainment release.
twilight3: James (Cam Gigandet) and Edward (Robert Pattinson). Edward is concerned about the venom on Bella’s hand.
twilight4: Robert Pattinson (left) and Cam Gigandet (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight5: Cam Gigandet stars in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight6: Kristen Stewart stars in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight7: Cam Gigandet (left), Edi Gathegi (center) and Rachelle Lefevre (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight8: Edward (Robert Pattinson) walks with Bella (Kristen Stewart) to the River’s Edge.
twilight9: Rachelle Lefevre stars in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight10: Peter Facinelli (left) and Elizabeth Reaser (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight11: Jackson Rathbone (left) and Asheley Greene (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight12: Kristen Stewart (left) and Robert Pattinson (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight13: Peter Facinelli (left) and Edi Gathegi (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight14: Kristen Stewart (left) and Robert Pattinson (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight15: Director Catherine Hardwicke on the set of the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight16: Nikki Reed (left) and Kellan Lutz (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight17: Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone (left to right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight18: Director Catherine Hardwicke (left), Kristen Stewart (center) and writer Stephanie Meyer (right) on the set of the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight19: Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Robert Pattinson (left to right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight20: Kristen Stewart (top) and Robert Pattinson (bottom) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight21: Robert Pattinson (left) and Kristen Stewart (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight22: Taylor Lautner stars in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight23: Kristen Stewart, Billy Burke, Gil Birmingham and Taylor Lautner (left to right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight24: Robert Pattinson stars in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight25: Robert Pattinson (left) and Kristen Stewart (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight26: Kristen Stewart (left) and Robert Pattinson (right) star in the thriller “Twilight”.
twilight27: The “Twilight” poster.
twilight28: The “Twilight” poster.

Read our “Twilight” story on its opening-weekend sales performance.

Read our “Twilight” sequel story prior to opening weekend.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Twilight’ Sequels Move Into Development

BrianTT — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:41:48 -0700

CHICAGO – The advance ticket sales for Summit Entertainment’s “Twilight,” which hits theaters next Friday, have so impressed the studio that they are already moving forward on future adaptations of Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster series of books.

The Hollywood Reporter said on Friday morning the company has hired a writer for “New Moon” and “Eclipse” (the two sequels to “Twilight”) and has moved the fourth potential film (“Breaking Dawn”) into the development pipeline.

Melissa Rosenberg – a writer and producer from Showtime’s award-winning “Dexter” – has been given the job to adapt “New Moon” and “Eclipse” with the writer undetermined for “Breaking Dawn”.

“Twilight” was written by Rosenberg and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (“Thirteen,” “Lords of Dogtown”). “Twilight” stars Kristen Stewart (“Into the Wild,” “The Messengers”) as average teenage-girl Bella Swan and relative newcomer Robert Pattinson (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) as vampire beau Edward Cullen.

Pattinson has already developed a screaming-girl fan base who will be happy to hear that the star has been signed for at least two more films. None of the principals have officially been signed for “Breaking Dawn”. Bella and Edward are major characters in all of the Stephenie Meyer books.

“Twilight” sequels move into development.
Image credit: Summit Publicity

According to Fandango’s Harry Medved and as quoted by Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere, hundreds of shows of “Twilight” are already sold out. The film is outpacing “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” which opened with $42 million on Oct. 24, 2008.

In a Fandango survey this week of nearly 4,000 “Twilight” fans, 83 percent reported that they plan to see the film on opening day.

If the success of the “Twilight” soundtrack (featuring Muse, Paramore and Linkin Park) is any indication of how the film will do, Summit was wise to start development on the sequels as soon as possible. The soundtrack is the No. 1 album in the country and the first to hold that spot since Jack Johnson’s “Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George” in early 2006.

“Twilight,” which stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Ashley Green, Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone, opens on Nov. 21, 2008.

See our high-quality, 28-image “Twilight” slideshow.

Read our “Twilight” sequel story prior to opening weekend.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Adam Brody, Jon Kasdan Interviewed in Chicago on ‘In the Land of Women’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:53:54 -0600

CHICAGO – Sex appeal from burgeoning silver-screen stars has evolved. “It’s my abs,” Adam Brody declared following grave reflection about his magnetism. “People like abs cut from stone. I do the work and it pays off.”

“In the Land of Women” star Adam Brody (left) gives
director Jon Kasdan his “serious look” in a Chicago interview.
Photo © 2007 Adam Fendelman
Brody, who didn’t even audition for the film “In the Land of Women” debuting on April 20, sealed the deal with director Jonathan Kasdan on allure alone. They felt a connection and Kasdan – who compared his one and only pick to all that is holy about Cary Grant – knew Brody was his leading man.

The twosome had a flyover in Chicago on April 10 to beguile critics with Brody’s charm and reveal the secret sauce men should know about what women want.

“If you can not naturally be a scumbag, that really helps,” Brody quipped to Adam Fendelman. “Be uber respectful and be a gentleman. They appreciate it and you feel better about yourself. Then it comes down to…” – a word voiced in unscripted sync with Kasdan – “looks.”

“Whenever you read a magazine article about what women look for in a man, they never say looks,” Kasdan offered to Adam Fendelman. “They say it’s a sense of humor. It’s bullshit.” Brody retorted: “It is and it isn’t. On the whole around the world, women are less obsessed [with looks] than we are.” Kasdan circled back and jested: “We have the shallow pride – well, certainly you and I do.”

Having the two 27-year-olds bounce such acumen off each other was a lucid reflection of the film’s Carter Webb character. The role infused slices of Kasdan himself and Brody truly.

With the ability to achieve a general consensus about such concepts in real life, weaving Brody into Webb was at least spun as effortless. “It fit like a glove,” Brody affirmed. Webb, who the film introduces the audience to after being cast off by the love of his life, is left at a crossroads.

He decides to defect Los Angeles for suburban Detroit to stay with his eccentric and complicated grandma (Olympia Dukakis) who wants to die. There, Webb hopes to achieve clarity in life, love and his struggling career as a writer.

“In the Land of Women” marks Adam Brody’s first lead film role.
Photo by Jamie Trueblood and courtesy of Warner Bros.
Despite seeking private tranquility in a Midwest area that’s entirely afar from big-city life, he becomes keen on the family across the street. Sarah Hardwicke (Meg Ryan), who soon finds out she has breast cancer and learns of her husband’s affair, intertwines her already intricate life with a temptation for Webb.

So does her daughter in high school, Lucy (Kristen Stewart), and so does Lucy’s 11-year-old sister, Paige (Makenzie Vega), who lives vicariously through her. With all the estrogen in the Hardwicke household enraptured by Webb, the story unfolds into multifaceted lessons learned about life and the relationships within.

Following successful television work with “The O.C.” on FOX and his first lead film role, Brody tied playing Webb back to his present-day life. Despite a relationship with “The O.C.” co-star Rachel Bilson that ended in Nov. 2006, Brody says he’s living the American dream.

“Right now, I’m at least equal to the happiest I’ve been in my life,” Brody said without smoke or mirrors.

He continued: “I’m so happy to be the age I’m at, where I’m at and doing what I’m doing. I’m so, so, so lucky I found a profession that almost no one gets to where I still get to dream and hope to make it big. The world could still be my oyster – or not – but it’s nice to have the possibility and dream longer in this profession.”

Amid loving life, work and play, Brody is still at a stage in his career where he’s kept modest. Hours after Chicago interviews at the W Hotel, for example, he left his suite and waited in a packed lobby to depart the Windy City. While it may have been the hoodie covering his head, no one recognized him.

Director Jon Kasdan (left) with Adam Brody on the set of “In the Land of Women”.
Photo by Liane Hentscher and courtesy of Warner Bros.
Kasdan’s own dream for a directorial debut was aided in no small part by his father, Lawrence Kasdan, whose vast filmography spans from writing “Star Wars” episodes to producing “The Big Chill” back in 1983. While dad’s prodigy had written various scripts in the past that didn’t make the light of day, “In the Land of Women” emerged as the winner that broke through.

“This is the one they let me make. That’s definitely the answer [to why this script made it],” Jonathan Kasdan said. While Lawrence served as executive producer on the project, the son described his father’s involvement more as an adviser. He added: “He was my consigliere.”

In working more with women than men, Kasdan felt that dealing with the set’s femininity overload was a double-edged sword.

“Making a movie like this and working with 12 actresses is exhausting,” Kasdan acknowledged. “I flew back to Los Angeles after shooting and was ready for a break to hang with the bros for a while. Then I walked out to the streets of Los Angeles and realized: man – these women – they’re the best thing.”

In the end, Kasdan says all the girly juice was worth the squeeze.

“There’s a line in ‘Back to the Future II’ where the actor says: ‘I’m going to give up time travel and focus on the other great mystery of the universe: women.’ That line changed my life.”