ET Exclusive Twilight Cast Interview-Must See

Here is another Twilight Cast Video Interview Clip from the Teen Choice Awards. Catch the whole group dishing on Robert Pattinson! A must see

Summit Entertainment Press Release On Starting The Twilight Saga: New Moon Production

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT STARTS PRODUCTION ON THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON Los Angeles, CA April 15, 2009 —

Principal photography has begun on Summit Entertainment's THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, it was announced today by Erik Feig, Summit's President of Production. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner reprise their roles as Bella Swan, Edward Cullen and Jacob Black. Academy Award-nominee Chris Weitz (THE GOLDEN COMPASS, ABOUT A BOY) is the director.

NEW MOON is filming on locations in Vancouver, BC and Tuscany, Italy.Also rejoining the movie are Ashley Greene as Alice, Peter Facinelli as Carlisle, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme, Kellan Lutz as Emmett, Nikki Reed as Rosalie, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, Edi Gathegi as Laurent, Rachelle Lafevre as Victoria and Billy Burke as Charlie Swan.New cast members include the legendary Volturi, a venerable coven of vampires who weigh and impose the laws of the vampire world, as well as two new members of the Quileute Indian Nation. The Volturi include Charlie Bewley as Demetri, Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius, Daniel Cudmore as Felix, Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus, all Volturi enforcers. Dakota Fanning plays Jane, a high ranking and powerful Volturi member and Cameron Bright is Alec, her brother. Noot Seer plays Volturi member Heidi. Michael Sheen plays Aro, the Volturi leader. Graham Greene appears as Harry Clearwater, Quileute tribal leader and old friend of Bella's father Charlie. Tinsel Korey is Emily, the fiancé of Sam Uley.

In NEW MOON, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love Edward (Robert Pattinson) but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and she finds her loyalties tested.

Jamie Campbell Bower was last seen in Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" and is the lead singer of the band The Darling Buds. Daniel Cudmore played Colossus in the "X-Men" films, "X2" and "X-Men: The Last Stand." Dakota Fanning was last seen in Summit Entertainment's sci-fi thriller "Push" and provided the lead voice in the animated feature "Coraline." Graham Greene earned an Academy Award nomination for his work in "Dances With Wolves," and has appeared in such films as "The Green Mile," "Die Hard: With A Vengeance" and "Transamerica." Chrisopher Heyerdahl has appeared in such films as "The Chronicles of Riddick," "Catwoman" and "Blade: Trinity." Tinsel Korey has worked on numerous films and television shows, from "Into The West" to "The Lookout," opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She is also a singer/songwriter. Vancouver-born Noot Seer began modeling at age 13 and has lived in New York, Barbados, Guyana and New Zealand. She was a champion horseback rider prior to her modeling career. She made her film debut in the comedy "Head Over Heels," starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Monica Potter. Michael Sheen last starred opposite Frank Langella in Ron Howard's film "Frost/Nixon," and played Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair to Helen Mirren's Queen Elizabeth in "The Queen." The award-winning actor was recently seen in "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans."

Resource: www.summit-ent.com

Special--Deleted Scene From Twilight (Bella & Edward)

Access Hollywood has posted the first deleted scene from Twilight. Bella and Edward fall, then Bella licks her finger after rubbing it in Edward’s mouth. Check out the video clip to see the deleted scene now:

The Twilight Director's Notebook Available For Pre-Order

Twilight: The Director’s Notebook: The Story of How We Made the Movie Based on the Novel by Stephenie Meyer (Hardcover) is available for pre-order on Amazon.com for $10.79. The book is due to be released on March 17th, 2009.

Book Description On Amazon.com:
In this intimate book, readers will follow visionary director Catherine Hardwicke through the creative process that went into transforming Stephenie Meyer’s breathtaking novel into box office gold. Designed to replicate the director’s own personal notebook that she kept on set, readers will discover the inside secrets on wardrobe, storyboard sketches, behind-the- scenes photographs, personal notes about Catherine’s favorite scenes, and much more.

Twilight Candy Anyone?

NECCO Sweet on Twilight Film - New England Confectionery Co.'s Sweethearts Conversation Hearts are going from "I Love You" and "Marry Me" to "Bite Me." The Revere candy company wants to make the 143-year-old line more relevant to teens and tweens with a tie-in to the popular Twilight film based on the best-selling vampire romance novels. NECCO will release softer, sparkling versions of the pastel sugar hearts in March, when the film is released on DVD. The printed messages will include "Bite Me," "Secret" and "Soul Mate," and flavors such as "orange obsession" and "tempting apple." More Sweethearts will hit stores for the November release of the New Moon sequel movie. (News Link)

'Twilight': Taylor Lautner may get to keep Jacob role for New Moon

After a monster of a casting dilemma, it appears likely that the actor will howl in 'Twilight' sequel ''New Moon''

"Decision on whether he'll get to keep the Jacob role in Twilight sequel New Moon is expected this week"-Chris Polk/FilmMagic

According to sources around Hollywood, things may start looking very hairy for Taylor Lautner. The actor — not to mention legions of Twilight fans — has been desperate to learn whether Summit Entertainment will cast him once more as Jacob Black in the Twilight sequel New Moon.
This week, Summit is expected to announce its decision for the next film based on Stephenie Meyer's wildly successful series of vampire romance novels. Kristen Stewart, 18, is set to return as Bella Swan, the beautiful human who falls for a softhearted bloodsucker. And Robert Pattinson, 22, has a lock on his job too; his turn as Edward Cullen, the hunky, soulful vampire, has made him an overnight superstar with young female moviegoers around the planet. But Lautner, 16, has a more uncertain future.

That's because the character he was so perfectly cast to play in the first Twilight film — a slim, baby-faced teenager — will be greatly expanded in the sequel. And by greatly expanded, we mean into a hulking, snarling, seven-foot Lycan. ''Jacob is a totally different character in New Moon,'' says Melissa Rosenberg, screenwriter of both Twilight films. ''He's a foot taller and huge — and he's supposed to look 25. It's really a question of whether or not the same actor can play the role.'' Rosenberg is quick to add, however, that ''everyone would love to keep him. We all think he's the loveliest person ever.''

Lautner's certainly been doing everything in his mortal power to hang on to the part. Since Twilight, he's gained 19 pounds and is promising to pack on 10 more before shooting starts on New Moon this March. And judging from a widely reprinted red-carpet interview, he's not shy about letting Summit and New Moon's director, Chris Weitz (who joined the fran­chise last month after Twilight's director, Catherine Hardwicke, left over creative differences), know that he has the chops for the gig. ''My job for Twilight was to bring Twilight Jacob to life — the friendly, happy-go-lucky little Jacob,'' he told MTV News. ''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.''

Source: Entertainment Weekly Twilight Central

Summit Entertainment on Twilight DVD

Looking for the Twilight DVD? From Summit-Ent.com-This is the official posting for the Twilight DVD. Set to Release Valentines Day!!

Director
Catherine Hardwicke

Cast
Kristen Stewart (Panic Room), Robert Pattinson (Harry Potter 4 & 5), Cam Gigandet(Never Back Down)

Description
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn’t expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)—a boy who’s hiding a dark secret: he’s a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers

Reelz Channel SpotLight on Twilight 2008

Here is a clip from Reelz Channel: Spotlight on Twilight 2008 With Fan Commentary

Summit Synopsis & Release Date For New Moon: The Twilight Sequel

Summit Entertainment Synopsis & Release Date for New Moon:

New Moon
Release date: November 20, 2009
Cast: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Melissa Rosenberg
Synopsis: Bella Swan is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested.

Twilight Takes Over The Popstar Awards

‘TWILIGHT’ TAKES OVER THE POPSTAR AWARDS
January 3rd, 2009
Post Source: Team Switzerland of Twilighters Anounymous

The Jonas brothers may have won the top spot in Popstar.com’s “Celebrity Love Awards”, but ‘Twilight’ dominated the list. Six Twilight cast members, along with Stephenie, made the top 15, and even more Twilight cast and crew made the nomination list.

Below is a list of winners, as well as their position on the chart:

Winners:
#2 - Robert Pattinson (Edward)
#4 - Stephenie Meyer (Author)
#7 - Kristen Stewart (Bella)
#8 - Taylor Lautner (Jacob)
#13 - Ashley Greene (Alice)
#14 - Cam Gigandet (James)
#15 - Kellan Lutz (Emmett)

Other Nominations:
#16 - Jackson Rathbone (Jasper)
#18 - Nikki Reed (Rosalie)
#28 - Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria)
#29 - Elizabeth Reaser (Esme)
#31 - Peter Facinelli (Carlisle)
#32 - Christian Serratos (Angela)
#38 - Edi Gathegi (Laurent)
#41 - Billy Burke (Charlie)
#43 - Anna Kendrick (Jessica)
#61 - Michael Welch (Mike)
#72 - Catherine Hardwicke (Director)

To view the entire list, click here

How is the Celebrity Love Award list determined? Rules require that at least fifty different individuals submit letters to any given star in order to receive their letters and be considered a contest winner, and beyond that, the amount of letters determines an individual’s ranking. To read more about the rules, click here.

And on another Popstar list - no surprises here - ‘Twilight’ took over again. The cast and crew of the movie, along with Stephenie, landed themselves 18 of the 100 spots on the list of “Most Popular Celebrities at Popstar”. (This list is chosen by Popstar members.)

Below is the list of Twilight stars and their ranking:

#4 - Robert Pattinson
#8 - Taylor Lautner
#9 - Kristen Stewart
#11 - Stephenie Meyer
#17 - Jackson Rathbone
#18 - Kellan Lutz
#19 - Cam Gigandet
#20 - Ashley Greene
#22 - Nikki Reed
#30 - Peter Facinelli
#44 - Rachelle Lefevre
#48 - Elizabeth Reaser
#55 - Christian Serratos
#72 - Anna Kendrick
#73 - Billy Burke
#80 - Edi Gathegi
#92 - Catherine Hardwicke
#95 - Michael Welch

Twilight Defeats James Bond; Pattinson Gets Surreal

KansasCity.com has a short new article about the latest ‘Twilight’ facts and statistics, and it’s pretty interesting.

Here is what they pulled together:

For the end of a big “Twilight” year, we offer five big facts about the movie and books to sink your teeth into:

•The movie has grossed $169.9 million since opening six weeks ago, zooming past 007 himself in “Quantum of Solace” and placing eighth (so far) for all of 2008. (See the Top 10 list below.)

•Director Chris Weitz is reportedly in Vancouver, British Columbia, preparing to start filming the sequel, “New Moon,” in March. It’s due out Nov. 20.

•Meanwhile, “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson, sporting a surreal mustache, will appear as artist Salvador Dali in “Little Ashes” (named for one of Dali’s paintings). It’s set to open March 27. See the trailer here.

•Stephenie Meyer’s four novels in the Twilight Saga have now sold 25 million copies worldwide.

•She’s working on a ghost story called Summer House and one or two sequels to her best-selling sci-fi fantasy, The Host.

The Top 10 of 2008

1. The Dark Knight: $530,917,814

2. Iron Man: $318,313,199

3. Indiana Jones 4: $317,023,851

4. Hancock: $227,946,274

5. WALL-E: $223,783,432

6. Kung Fu Panda: $215,434,591

7. Madagascar 2: $175,433,314

8. Twilight: $169,925,169

9. Quantum of Solace: $164,302,659

10. Horton Hears a Who!: $154,529,439

Source: This post was found at Twilighters Anounymous.

Robert Pattinson 'I've Never Been In Love'

Robert Pattinson: 'I've Never Been In Love'
By Samantha Chang
theimproper.com


Twilight star Robert Pattinson says he has never been in love. "I've never really fallen in love, but I try to be as romantic as possible," says Pattinson, 22.

That's an interesting admission coming from a young star who's now the obsession of millions of fans around the world, thanks to Twi's astonishing success.

The 6'1" British hunk, who confesses that he was a loner during his youth, says he has generally had little success with the ladies. "About a year ago, I'd talk to girls and no one would be interested," he says. Obviously, that has now all changed.

Twilight, which started out as a low-budget indie flick with a small cult following, has raked in a staggering $240 million worldwide since its Nov. 21 U.S. release.

The vampire romance, which was produced by Summit Entertainment for just $37 million, has mushroomed into a lucrative franchise. A sequel, New Moon, has been greenlit with a $50 million budget and will start shooting in March. And a third installment, Eclipse, will be shot back-to-back with New Moon, with both films to be released in consecutive years.

Twilight's unexpected mainstream popularity has made overnight sensations of Pattinson and his beautiful co-star, Kristen Stewart, 18. But Rob finds his newfound star status overwhelming at times. "I'm a bit of a loner and not that good with dealing with loads of people," Pattinson told U.K.'s Bliss magazine. "Most of the time, going out is a complete waste of time. I'd rather stay in and create something than go out."

So, what does the single Pattinson find attractive in the opposite sex? Interestingly, it's the same qualities that so many find appealing in his mysterious Edward Cullen character.

"It's being unreadable," says Rob. "It's attractive in women as well, that kind of mystique. It's so obvious, but so few people do have it, especially in characters now and in modern society where there's so many celebrities."

New Moon shines in November 2009.

For fans who love Robert Pattinson new shirts have been released featuring Future Mrs. Pattinson and Spunk Ransom at www.twilightapparel.com!

Stephenie Meyer on New Director For New Moon-Twilight Sequel

From Stephenie Meyer's Official Website
www.stepheniemeyer.com

December 13, 2008- A Note From Stephenie Meyer to Fans

Hey guys,

There's been a lot of worry and speculation on the boards lately, and I want to let you know what's going on.

First of all, like you, I'm sad that Catherine is not continuing on with us for New Moon. I'm going to miss her, not just as a brilliant director, but also as a friend. She has such a distinct, authentic voice that did amazing things for Twilight. I'm looking forward to every movie she does in the future.

And she didn't leave us empty handed. We still get the benefits of her amazing casting and the beautiful visual world she created. This foundation puts us in a good place for New Moon.

Summit Films is moving forward with a new director for New Moon. They've asked Chris Weitz, director of American Pie, About a Boy, and The Golden Compass, to join us, and I am very pleased to announce that he's agreed to be a part of our Twilight world. I've had the chance to talk to Chris, and I can tell you that he is excited by the story and eager to keep the movie as close to the book as possible. He is also very aware of you, the fans, and wants to keep you all extremely happy. (Torches and pitchforks are not going to be necessary.)

I'm excited to work with Chris and I think he brings a lot to the table, not the least of which for me is that he wrote the screenplay for and directed one of my favorite movies of all time, About a Boy. I'm really looking forward to seeing his vision for New Moon.

Below is a letter from Chris to you. I think you'll get a glimpse in this note of how cool it's going to be having Chris as part of our community.

Click here to read the Letter From Chris Weitz to Fans Regarding New Moon

P.S. We have new Twilight Apparel and Bags in the shop now at www.twilightapparel.com!

New Moon’s Possible New Director & Lautner may not play Jacob!!!

'Twilight' sequel: New details on 'New Moon'
Dec 10, 2008, 01:00 PM by Nicole Sperling from

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/12/twilight-sequel.html

Summit Entertainment has tentatively slated Nov. 20, 2009, as the release date for New Moon, the Twilight sequel, which means any director who signs on to replace Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has to be in Vancouver by Dec. 15 to begin 12 weeks of preproduction before a mid-March start date. Reports have speculated that Hardwicke was fired for being difficult on set, but sources close to her suggest Summit's aggressive production schedule turned her off. "She'd love to do the sequel if she could do it better than Twilight," says one. "It ­became clear that Summit didn't have those same priorities."

Indeed, at press time the second movie appeared to have ­little more than a rough first-draft working script. As Summit's production president Erik Feig told EW during Twilight's ­record-busting first weekend, "There is that first...script. All the finesse that turns a screenplay into a movie hasn't ­happened yet." Two weeks later, Summit is saying it's happy with screenwriter ­Melissa Rosenberg's progress.

Another of Hardwicke's primary concerns was that hunky vampire Edward remains MIA throughout New Moon's middle portion. In her own opening-weekend interview, she told EW, "You have to get the chemistry as strong ­between Jacob and Bella as it was between Bella and Edward. You also have to do ­some­thing with that arc: She's in love with somebody, he disappears, she falls in love with someone else, and the first guy comes back. Movies like Pearl Harbor have tried it. It absolutely didn't work."

With or without Hardwicke, Summit ­faces other snags. Two sources tell EW the studio doesn't want to rehire baby-faced Taylor Lautner (pictured) as Jacob, though Lautner's agent has apparently reached out to the ­imaging company behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in an attempt to demonstrate to Summit how a digitally bulked-up Lautner could work. (Summit says it won't make a decision until a new filmmaker is on board.) There's also the matter of finding a cast of Native American actors to play Jacob's werewolf clan — a difficult challenge Hardwicke was also faced with before ­settling on Lautner, who isn't completely ­Native American. And with a slightly increased budget of $50 million — much of which is ­assumed will go to leads asking for heftier paydays, location shoots in Italy, and ramped-up F/X — Summit will have to scrimp somewhere.

So what director would want to take on such a big headache? Well, at press time, an offer was out to Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), who put Summit on the map years ago when its foreign sales operation made tons of cash off of his first film, American Pie. (One source says Weitz has already had conversations with below-the-line crew for New Moon.) "We are in a recession," ­reminds one Hollywood insider. "It's a hit franchise. Whoever steps into it is guaranteed a $100 million gross. Everyone wants this movie." Adds an exec at another studio, "You'd have to have a very high standard for art, hate the movie business, and hate ­money to walk off this sequel."

Rolling Stones Interview with Robert Pattinson

Hot Actor: Q&A With "Twilight" Star Robert Pattinson

MELISSA MAERZ Posted Dec 11, 2008 1:15 PM on RollingStone.com

How is the Twilight fandom is different from the Harry Potter movies? I think you've mentioned that the sound of the screams is even different.
It's different because I think it's almost solely females of a certain age group, and they have a very specific tone. It's much more to do with the sort of sexuality aspect of it. So many girls made this guy [their ideal], so when they see you it's like all of their energy is projected onto you. It's a really strange experience. I've never been in an experience where people just want to touch you — it's like being in a boy band.

Is it weird to have girls that are so young have this incredibly sexualized thing around you?It's weird that you get 8-year-old girls coming up to you saying, "Can you just bite me? I want you to bite me." It is really strange how young the girls are, considering the book is based on the virtues of chastity, but I think it has the opposite effect on its readers though. [Laughs]

Do you think that's part of it, though? One of the things that seems to make Edward so attractive to younger girls is that you can have it both ways. He's the ultimate bad boy, and someone that you shouldn't want, who would never harm you.That's exactly what it is. It's a certain type of girl. I don't know what it is — when you look at fan sites [you can tell] — but there's definitely a very large fleet of people, it's actually Americans, that want those type of guys. In the book she knows the whole time [he's not going to hurt her], but Kristen [Stewart] and I tried to make it more not caring, more unpredictable. It's what I liked about the story — he's literally holding himself back every single turn, never lets up.

He's such a sort of gentlemanly character, and Kristen and I really, really emphasized that — especially when there are intimate scenes. When we did the blocking for the kissing scenes, we would be going way further than [director] Catherine [Hardwicke] thought.

And why did you want to push it in that direction?I guess to sort of scare little girls and stuff. [Laughs] I mean, people who read the books won't be expecting it, and, for a younger person's film, it's also quite shocking. When I read that scene in the book I thought it was kind of sexy, and then when you translate it onto film, the kissing is a little like a thing out of a TV series. So I thought, "How can we make this thing a little bit on the verge of wrong?"

I think a lot of people have already judged the film before they even started shooting us, and I didn't want to be part of a film that was just a cash-in thing. So we tried to take as many risks as we could, and tried to make it a little bit more serious than people expect. It's quite difficult to take too many risks.

Read Entire Article Here

Summit Announces Hardwicke will not direct New Moon!

Summit Entertainment Announcement:

SUMMIT BEGINS SEARCH FOR NEW MOON DIRECTOR

Los Angeles, CA, December 7, 2008 – Summit Entertainment and director Catherine Hardwicke jointly announced today that the filmmaker will not be directing the next installment in the newly minted TWILIGHT film franchise. Summit's targeted end of 2009 or early 2010 release of the film, NEW MOON, does not work with Ms. Hardwicke's required prep time to bring her vision of the film to the big screen. Thus as has been done before with many successful film franchises, the studio will employ a new director for NEW MOON.

"I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct NEW MOON," said Hardwicke. "Directing TWILIGHT has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel– it is a great story."

"Catherine did an incredible job in helping us to launch the TWILIGHT franchise and we thank her for all of her efforts and we very much hope to work with her on future Summit projects," said Erik Feig, Summit's President of Production. "We as a studio have a mandate to bring the next installment in the franchise to the big screen in a timely fashion so that fans can get more of Edward, Bella and all of the characters that Stephenie Meyer has created. We are able to pursue an aggressive time frame as we have the luxury of only adapting the novels into screenplays as opposed to having to create a storyline from scratch."

Fan Battle: Potter vs. Twilight

Fan Geek Battle Royale: Potter vs. Twilight
Thu., Dec. 4, 2008 12:01 PM PST by Breanne L. Heldman
Article from www.eonline.com

Warner Bros., Peter Sorel/ Summit Entertainment

The Twilighters are hissing and the Potterphiles are brandishing their wands credit cards.
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter-inspired The Tales of Beedle the Bard, lands on bookstore shelves today, sending salivating fans queuing up for a copy of the five stories that guided Harry, Ron and Hermione through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Borders and Barnes & Noble haven't seen lines like this since the August release of Breaking Dawn, the record-breaking fourth installment in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.
The vampire romance has stolen some of Potter's magical thunder—as well as the hearts of fan(g)girls—at the bookstore, and at the box office; Twilight cashed in after taking over the release date vacated by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

We just want to know who would win in a head to scarred-head clash: Harry vs. Edward, Daniel Radcliffe vs. Robert Pattinson or J.K. vs. Stephenie? The Fandemonium Fight to the Finish

Who will win the bookstore bullfight?

Cast your vote by visiting E! online:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b71729_fan_geek_battle_royale_potter_vs.html


Results at the time of this post:

46.7% The Potterphiles are quick with their wands
53.3% Those Twilight fanggirls are out for blood

P.S.
New Twilight clothes and bags have been released for the holidays at Twilight Apparel.

"Twilight" tourists flock to Forks, Wash.

Here is a great article from http://www.oregonlive.com!

"Twilight" tourists flock to tiny Forks, Wash.
by Kristi Turnquist, The Oregonian
Monday December 01, 2008, 8:44 AM

Picture by: Rob Finch, The Oregonian

FORKS, Wash. -- Not even the most avid civic booster would mistake "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer's description of Forks as the stuff of tourism dreams.

A typical passage from Meyer's mega-best-seller goes like this: "Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me. You could never see the sky here; it was like a cage."


As "Twilight" fans know, Meyer is the Phoenix, Ariz., stay-at-home mother who created the pop-culture phenomenon known as the "Twilight Saga," the story of a human teenager, Bella Swan, who falls in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire teenager.

When Meyer was writing "Twilight," she researched towns known for their rainfall. This was important because Meyer's vampires -- unlike Count Dracula and his ilk -- walk around in daylight. But Meyer's vamps prefer cloudy climes, since sunlight makes their skin sparkle like diamonds, which, not surprisingly, tends to make them stand out in a crowd.

Enter Forks -- famous for its proximity to Olympic National Park and for its reputation as the rainiest spot in the contiguous U.S. Meyer had never visited Forks when she wrote "Twilight," but her fictional description was both accurate and unexpectedly alluring enough to turn this former logging community into ground zero for "Twilighters."

Although the movie version of Meyer's hugely popular book was largely filmed in -- ssssh -- Oregon, the "Twilight" faithful are still making pilgrimages to the one-stoplight town of Forks. It's also a town without a movie theater, which meant that the weekend "Twilight" opened in theaters -- earning a jaw-dropping $69.6 million -- fans had to go to Port Angeles, about an hour and 15 minutes away.

"It's not right that they shot it in Oregon," said Heidi Marshall, manager of the espresso stand inside Forks Outfitters, which houses a Thriftway grocery, Ace Hardware, and apparel and outdoor-equipment stores. "It would've been nice if they could have shot some of it here.

"But," Marshall added with a smile, "we get all the tourists, anyway."

In Forks, "Twilight" is as pervasive as morning mist. During the movie's opening weekend, the espresso stand featured a "Twilight Special: Chocolate Raspberry Latte." Other businesses around town offer "Twilight Delights" (candy); the "Bella Burger" (named after the novel's heroine); "Bellalasagna"; and "Bella Berry Pie." At Forks Outfitters, you can buy "Forks Fang Club" and "Vampire Capital, Forks, Washington" shirts.

From Portland, Forks is about a five- to six-hour drive, depending on how long you stop for lunch. The lodging options range from bed-and-breakfasts to motels, lodges and cabins, many offering "Twilight"-themed rooms (the Pacific Inn Motel and Dew Drop Inn, for example).

For most Forks "Twilighter" tourists, first stop is the Forks Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. In a concise image of Forks Then and Now, tourists walk past the Timber Museum to instead take pictures in front of a 1953 red Chevy pickup, with a license plate reading "BELLA," the most visible symbol of how the chamber has gotten into the "Twilight" tourism business. The chamber's "Twilight" arsenal includes the truck -- a double for the model Bella drives in the book -- tours, souvenirs and albums of letters sent from all over the world to the book's characters.

On a recent Friday, visitors clustered around the album, amazed that a guy from Ghana sent love letters to Bella, or that someone else offered a scholarship to Rosalie (Edward's vampire "sister").

"We're all laughing, but we came here to see all this stuff," admitted Barb Allshouse, 42, who had traveled from Louisville, Ohio, with her 17-year-old daughter, her sister and a friend, devoted "Twilighters" all.

The group picked up maps for a self-guided tour of "Twilight" hot spots. For a tour, it's a pretty prosaic itinerary, consisting of actual places mentioned in the book (the hospital, the police station, the high school), a local house that has been designated the home of the Swans, the Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast, a stand-in for the home of the Cullens, the vampire clan, and nearby (12 miles away) La Push.

Allshouse's sister, Travie Hlava, 39, was straightforward about the impact that Meyer's books -- "Twilight," and its sequels, "New Moon," "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn" -- have had. "They've changed our lives," Hlava said. The books inspired the sisters to write, and take bold steps -- like this journey to Forks.

"The books awakened passion," Allshouse said. "Bella is a very ordinary girl, but so much happens to her. If you believe that magical things can happen in ordinary places, then magical things could happen to me. Not falling in love with a teenage vampire, but ..."

Off to one side of the visitor center, manager Mike Gurling was doing a phone interview with People magazine. By this time, Gurling, an amiable former Olympic National Park ranger, has his rap down. He explained that the movie didn't shoot in Forks because Oregon offered better incentives and tax breaks to the production. But Forks has welcomed visitors from all over the world. The town is thrilled at all the media attention.

Mayor Nedra Reed agrees that "Twilight" has been a much-needed boost. "It is probably the most important asset our community has, as we're trying to deal with the decline in the timber industry and, recently, the decline in the economy." Reed says that income from the hotel/motel tax has been up 15 percent over last year and really spiked during the summer.

In the town's small central shopping area, an enterprising Vancouver resident named Annette Bruno-Root was celebrating both the opening of the movie and the grand opening of her store, Dazzled by Twilight. Teenage girls posed for giggling photos next to a life-size cutout of Robert Pattinson, the smoldering-eyed, awesomely haired Brit who plays Edward in the movie. They pored over shirts that read "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob," and eyeballed pins and magnets saying, "I kissed a werewolf and I liked it," "O.C.D. Obsessive Cullen Disorder" and "Why So Sullen, Edward Cullen?"

Bruno-Root opened the store, she said, because she came to Forks as a fan and wanted more "Twilight"-themed merchandise than she found. On maternity leave from her job as a social worker for the state of Washington, Bruno-Root and her family have been dividing their time between Forks and Vancouver. "This store evolved out of my need as a fan," said Bruno-Root, who was wearing a "Twilight" T-shirt.

"Twilight" fans share similar rituals -- reading the books obsessively, then re-reading them again -- and Bruno-Root is no different.

"I read the first three books in two days," she said. She keeps re-reading because, "when I finish them, I feel very sad, as if my friends are gone." Though Meyer's novels are categorized for young readers, Bruno-Root says anyone can enjoy them. "I love her writing style and the character development. They don't feel dumbed down."

And the love story between the average teen and dazzlingly handsome vampire doesn't hurt, either. "It doesn't matter how old you are," she said, "everyone wants an Edward."

Twilight-Box Office Hit!!!

From LA Times:

Twilight: big movie, big books

"Twilight" took in $70.6 million at the box office this weekend, tying "The Incredibles" for fourth-largest November debut weekend (after the three Harry Potter pics). Does this mean that people have forsaken the books for the movie version?

Heavens, no! Amazon's bestseller list, conveniently updated by the hour, shows that the Twilight novels are securely in four of the five top spots ("The Tales of Beedle the Bard," a Harry Potter book that officially hits shelves next week, is at No. 3). The sixth spot is held by the Twilight slipcase set, containing all four books in a pretty box.

These rankings aren't just in young adult fiction or fiction, but for all books. The Twilight Saga is beating Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope," Artie Lange's "Too Fat to Fish" and, well, every other book for sale on the site. The film hasn't exhausted Twilight mania; instead, it's brought on a post-hurricane storm surge for the books, propelling them back to the top.

And there's more good news for publisher Little, Brown: Summit Entertainment confirmed Saturday that the "Twilight" sequel, "New Moon," is in the works, with leads Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart set to return. For those of us outside the Twilight demographic, there's nothing to do but batten down the hatches.

-Carolyn Kellogg, November 24, 2008 in Books, Film | Permalink


Also want to share some new Twilight merchandise has been released at Twilight Apparel

'Twilight' Premier--From MTV.com

Check out this great clip from MTV.com on the Twilight Premier:

v 18 2008 4:33 AM EST
'Twilight' Premiere: Robert Pattinson Loses His Hearing, Taylor Lautner Gets An Indecent Proposal
'I left my brain at the door,' Pattinson says of shrieking fans surrounding the red carpet.



By Larry Carroll

WESTWOOD, California — The nightclub-and-movie-theater-packed neighborhood nestled between Brentwood, Hollywood and UCLA has always served as a playground for excitable young adults, head-turning celebrities and couples looking for love. But never before have all three groups collided quite the way they did Monday night (November 17) when Bella, Edward and a few thousand of their closest friends stormed into town.
"I have no other words but 'bizarre,'" grinned "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson, walking down a snaking red carpet of shrieking fans a dozen deep at the premiere of his movie, which opens Friday. "I left my brain at the door. It's completely insane. You never expect it. ... I'm completely deaf!"
For this week's (possibly last?) "Twilight" Tuesday, MTV News had access to the carpet, movie and afterparty — putting the cherry on top of a year of coverage that has seen the small film grow from cult status to certified blockbuster. In addition to Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and others, author Stephenie Meyer walked the red carpet, mingling with a who's who of young Hollywood that included Demi Lovato, Aly Michalka and Frances Bean Cobain.
"You work so hard on something for so long, and I'm actually really proud of it, and this is what you do it for," Stewart said, looking out at a sea of black "Twilight" T-shirts, homemade signs and waving Sharpies. "The tears, to see people crying in front of you, is pretty alarming. I just want to give them a hug." (See what experts are expecting "Twilight" will bring in on opening weekend, and make predictions of your own, in the MTV Movies Blog.)
Check out photos of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and many more at the "Twilight" premiere!
Walking through Westwood, one could spot several cars with "Twilight or Bust," "Team Edward" and other messages written on the windshields, their out-of-state plates signaling how far many had traveled for a chance to meet the film's young stars.
"I came by last night and saw everyone hanging out; it was fun," marveled director Catherine Hardwicke, who made several fans' weeks by getting out of her car Sunday evening and visiting with the die-hard Twilighters sleeping on the sidewalk. "People were camping out. ... People are so excited. It's awesome."
While one sign promised free earplugs for RPattz if he stopped to say hello, another begged him: "I'm 16 years old and have never been kissed. Will U B my first?"
"It's kind of great, because we're all in the trenches together, and now watching someone take off is a cool thing," Cam Gigandet (James) said of Pattinson and the other "Twilight" stars who are suddenly being inundated with scripts. "I had an idea that [the fans] were a small, committed group."
Not anymore, judging by the packed barricades across the street. Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria) and Billy Burke (Charlie Swan) were among those who went out of their way to sprint off the carpet and over to the shrieking throng. "I think it's absolutely amazing; their commitment is astonishing," laughed Lefevre, who revealed plans to soon take a much-needed vacation, and then said she'd only harbored RPattz-like affection toward one celebrity in her life: "Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block."
But if you think Pattinson was the only "Twilight" star earning shrieks last night, you may have chosen the wrong side in the "Team Edward" vs. "Team Jacob" battle. "I think I'm dreaming, and I keep telling people to pinch me," said an adrenaline-fueled Lautner, not yet 17 years old and already having fans twice his age throw themselves at him. "[An older woman] told me she was wearing 'Team Taylor' panties and [said], 'If you want, you can sign them.' Luckily, my publicist was there to save me!"
"That's not OK. That's illegal!" marveled Ashley Greene (Alice) when she heard Taylor's tale. "But it is a good feeling to know people love you this much."
"I've never seen anything like this," added Michael Welch (Mike Newton). "I mean, I think we all had a thought or sense that this could be possible. But this is truly a dream come true, and I couldn't be more grateful."
Inside the Mann Village Theater, the stars gathered to watch the completed film — several of them for the first time. After Edward and Bella put the finishing touches on their romance (at least, until the sequels), the crowd walked through Westwood to the nearby Armand Hammer Museum for a fancy afterparty in an outdoor courtyard. Attendees were greeted with martinis, then lined up for a buffet and a desert stand featuring chocolate-chip cookies on lollipop sticks.
Lovato and Perry Farrell worked the crowd, while Oscar winner Kim Basinger sat over in the corner and took it all in. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Larry David watched several 16-year-old girls with autograph books running past him, perhaps imagining the plot for an upcoming episode. The longest line of the evening, however, was the procession coming toward Meyer, asking the author for her autograph and engaging her in conversations about whether Edward's sparkle was the way she had imagined when she wrote the book.
Lautner posed with fans, tirelessly snapping pictures with them all. Peter Facinelli (Carlisle) was overheard complimenting Solomon Trimble (Sam) on a job well done. Gigandet was still hearing his name shouted by fans across the street when he was leaving in his limo, and security was summoned at least once to the tightly packed corner of the party, where a sea of well-wishers crowded around Pattinson and actress Camilla Belle as they partied with friends.
"I'm very, very happy," Pattinson laughed, marveling at the evening. "But it's very, very frightening."