Twilight shopping calendar

Fans, Oct. 28 is a big day for you to buy:

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•The soundtrack to the “Twilight” movie (in theaters Nov. 21), with new songs from Perry Farrell, Paramore and Stephenie Meyer’s favorite, Muse. The first single will be Paramore’s “Decode.” “The song is about the building tension, awkwardness, anger and confusion between Bella and Edward,” singer Hayley Williams told MTV News. Also, one or two songs written by Edward himself, Robert Pattinson, may be included ($18.98).
•Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion, a behind-the-scenes guide with photos, interviews, storyboards, special effects details and more (Little, Brown, $16.99).
•The Twilight Companion: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series, by Lois Gresh (St. Martin’s, $12.95).
Other offerings:
Oct. 21:Robert Pattinson: Eternally Yours, by Isabelle Adams (Harper, $4.99). Cue the fangirl screams.
November: All four Twilight books arrive in stores in a Twilight Saga boxed set.
Dec. 30:The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide, by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown, $21.99), promises an encyclopedic collection of new material, character profiles, genealogical charts, maps and more.
Sharon Hoffmann, The Star

Summit and Twilight: Was a Bigger Budget Needed?

Vampire love: It's not about the money?

OMG. I can hardly remember the last time I stayed up until 4:00 a.m. devouring a novel by flashlight (okay, LED book light), like a schoolgirl after lights out. I think it was ... 1980 ... um, I mean, actually, I think Twilight is my first time. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret wasn't nearly as much of a page turner.

Well, whatever. Have you seen the trailer for the movie? I did. And it's made me afraid, very afraid. Not of rain-soaked vampires. Of the movie. Watching the trailer for the film, I couldn't help but feel somehow ... crestfallen. Immediately, I got the urge to cover my eyes and ears whilst humming loudly, and to stay far away from theaters in November. (As if I could.)

Sure, if we rounded up the Bella and Edward in every Twilighter's brain and put them in a room (or a casting call), they might not resemble Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. (Bella's voice is way huskier than I imagined.) But having the features of the vegetarian vampire of my dreams redefined by a Hollywood face isn't the real problem. It's that watching the trailer, something seems missing or lost in translation to film (well, film trailer). The Meyer ambiance is missing, that mist of dangerous magic and surreal beauty that perfumes the pages of her books, like the sparkle of immortal skin in a sunlit meadow, or the devastating perfection of vampire beauty. Could this absence be due to the insufficiency of the most magical thing of all (in Hollywood at least) -- money?

Twilight's production budget was a paltry $37 million dollars. Is that enough to launch the film franchise of the most beloved book series since Harry Potter? Especially if the studio behind it, Summit Entertainment, wants to convert audiences who have never read Meyer's books? The Potter series dished out $125 million for its big-screen debut.

Even if we compare bloodsuckers to bloodsuckers, Interview With The Vampire spent $60 million in 1994. Haven't Hollywood prices gone up, way up, since 1994? Then again 30 Days of Night was a mere $32 million in 2007. Is that the look Summit is going for?

True, the U.S. economy is currently in a crunch. But Summit reportedly wrangled more than $1 billion in financing in April 2007, thanks to Merrill Lynch (who could have used some of that cash a few weeks ago).

Yet, most of Summit's releases so far have run somewhere in the $20 million range. On the lower end, Penelope only got $15 million. While on the costlier side, Step Up 2 the Streets got $22 million. Twilight suddenly seems like a bit of a splurge. Perhaps Summit is simply an unusually frugal film studio. Or, they're funneling the remainder of their funding into something more sinister, like a series of Judy Blume-based musicals starring Meryl Streep, starting with Are You There God? It's Me, Meryl. Hmm ... I hope no one in Hollywood heard that.

Yet, for many the heart of Twilight's allure is the book's breathlessly intimate and intense close-up of true, star-crossed love. While a panoramic perspective of Bella's surface surroundings at Forks High, or wherever, reveals a world that's often ordinary and frequently dreary. Would adding more special-effects bling not only be unnecessary, but ruin Meyer's subtle mood? Is Summit saving the sparkle for New Moon? But by then won't it be too late to get the attention of some moviegoers?

Is $37 million enough? Or did Bella and Edward, and their Twilight fan following deserve (and need) a bigger first film allowance or a bigger-spending film studio?

Peter Facinelli Compares 'Twilight' Patriarch Carlisle Cullen To His Breakthrough Role In 'Can't Hardly Wait'

'Carlisle's compassion lies in humanity — so he'd have to let Mike Dexter die,' actor says।

Peter Facinelli

Check out Peter Facinelli's message board on IMDb, and one of the first headlines you'll see is "Mike Dexter cannot play Carlisle!" But, believe it or not, Facinelli is an actor, and he firmly believes that his iconic jerk from "Can't Hardly Wait" and the sensitive, kind Carlisle Cullen can share the same body.
Now, a decade after he burst onto the scene as a jerky jock in the film that launched the careers of everyone from Seth Green to Jaime Pressly to Jason Segel and Selma Blair, "Can't Hardly Wait" is back for a 10th-anniversary DVD. Looking back on the role that started it all, and ahead to the "Twilight" movie that will take his career to the next level November 21, the affable actor spoke with us recently about locking himself in a tool shed, buying off the "Twilight" director for 30 bucks, and what would happen if Mike and Carlisle were to meet.
MTV: Most teen movies come and go so fast. Why do people still care about "Can't Hardly Wait" a decade later?
Peter Facinelli: I think people just identify with the movie. I remember in high school there were the cliques. Every table at lunch had a different group. ... I still get people that are going through high school now, and they're like, "I love 'Can't Hardly Wait!' " And I'm like, "You were 5 when that movie came out!"
MTV: We learn from the bonus features on this new disc that you landed your role after walking into the audition room and ... doing push-ups?
Facinelli: [Laughs.] Yeah, when you're younger, you just want to walk in and be the role. [The casting people] laughed, but I ended up getting the part. So I guess it was a good call.
MTV: Have you ever done something like that, but it didn't work?
Facinelli: Oh, I've done some really crazy things for auditions. There was a movie called "Return to Paradise" that Joaquin Phoenix ended up doing. You're going to think I'm completely insane, but it was about a guy who was put in prison abroad for selling drugs. ... I locked myself up in a shed for three days, and I had my wife come out and feed me. I went straight from the shed to my audition, so I was freaking out because I was paranoid. It was a great audition, but Joaquin ended up getting it.
MTV: You have this classic moment in "Can't Hardly Wait" where Mike Dexter enters the movie and declares, "It's like I always say," and then belches. So can you burp on cue?
Facinelli: No, that was a complete post-production thing!
MTV: So you belched later in a sound booth?
Facinelli: No, that's literally some foley person — or maybe some kind of electronic burp? I don't know. I can't burp on cue.
MTV: Take us through this scenario: Imagine that the plot of "Can't Hardly Wait 2" has the nerds fatally wounding Mike Dexter. He's stumbling around in the woods, bloody, and is discovered by Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Would Carlisle turn him?
Facinelli: [Laughs.] No, I don't think Carlisle would transform Mike Dexter [into a vampire]. I think he'd have to let Mike Dexter go. Carlisle doesn't have that much compassion.
MTV: If Carlisle took pity and bit him, he'd have to spend all of eternity hanging out with a vampire Mike Dexter.
Facinelli: Exactly! That would not be good. I think Carlisle's compassion lies in humanity — so he'd have to let Mike Dexter die. It would serve all of humankind. Besides, there's so much beer in the bloodstream that he'd totally get drunk off Mike Dexter's blood.
MTV: Did you do anything crazy for your "Twilight" audition?
Facinelli: It wasn't crazy, but I'll tell you what I did: I was reading for Carlisle, and I read ["Twilight"] in a day and absolutely loved the book. I went in and read for [director] Catherine [Hardwicke], and I did a good job, and Catherine had a small list of actors that she wanted to play the role. Unfortunately, the role didn't go to me.
MTV: Really?
Facinelli: Yeah, when the role went to someone else, I was pretty bummed, but I really liked Catherine. I owned a vampire book that [depicted] 50 years of vampire moviemaking throughout the years in Hollywood. It was an old-school book. I sent it to Catherine just to say, "Hey, maybe this can inspire you while doing the movie," thinking that the role was done and gone. But the other actor was working on another movie and couldn't do ["Twilight"], so when it was time to go back to the short list, Catherine was looking at my book. She was like: "What about Peter Facinelli?" As I've told Catherine, I bought my way into "Twilight" for $29.90.
MTV: The other actor was Matthew McConaughey, wasn't it?
Facinelli: [Laughs.] No, but close. It was a name actor, but he was, like, 10 years older than me. Physically, I don't think he was right for it.
MTV: Everyone is eager for info about the reshoots on "Twilight." How did they go?
Facinelli: Mine is basically a scene that shows us meeting the Indian tribe on their land and forming a treaty.
MTV: Did you enjoy wearing the 1930s clothes?
Facinelli: Yeah, I had on Old English hunting pants with high boots and an old '30s cap.
MTV: Is Kellan Lutz wearing a zoot suit?
Facinelli: No. [Laughs.] Kellan pretty much had on the same '30s vest and collared shirts, and it looked like we were out hunting.
MTV: We've heard that the scene will just be a visual, showing us the moment while a voice-over explains the treaty. So did you guys even have lines?
Facinelli: We were saying lines here and there. You never know if they're going to end up using them or just using a voice-over. ... We are at the disposal of the editing room. They put the final cut together. You do a bunch of stuff, and then they pick and choose. We tried different things — I even tried speaking in Indian, because I thought when I met the Indians, it'd be cool if Carlisle spoke a little native tongue.
MTV: Did you just make up words?
Facinelli: No, there were some real Native Americans there that gave me a couple of lines.
MTV: What were you saying?
Facinelli: I said something like, "Wait! We come in peace!" — or something like that.
MTV: Maybe the footage could make it on to the "Twilight" DVD. Have you heard anything about bonus features yet?
Facinelli: I know that they have a ton of footage, because we had a behind-the-scenes videographer there the whole time. ... Hopefully, if the fans petition, they'll come out with a documentary on the behind-the-scenes as a separate little DVD.
MTV: It could be like the documentary on the behind-the-scenes insanity of "Apocalypse Now."
Facinelli: Yeah, we'll have our own "Hearts of Darkness" version of "Twilight"!
MTV: Is there any Facinelli footage of you losing it behind the scenes?
Facinelli: No. [Laughs.] I don't think so. But there might be. You'd have to check with the videographer on that.
MTV: Any Mike Dexter moments where everybody turned against you?
Facinelli: I think someone might have called me a f-- [like somebody did to Mike Dexter in "Can't Hardly Wait"]. I'm looking around and screaming, "Did someone just call Carlisle a f--?"
MTV: You're like, "Pattinson! I know it's you!"
Facinelli: Yeah, and then Carlisle screams, "I'll kick everyone's ass in this room!"
Every Tuesday is "Twilight" Tuesday here at MTV News! Check back here each and every week for the hottest scoop on the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's beloved vampire series, and we'll still bring you breaking "Twilight" news throughout the rest of the week. And make sure you check out the MTV Movies Blog for our ongoing "Twilight" discussions each and every day.

MTV article on “Harry Potter” includes “Twilight” stars
Posted by: Leandra in Cast & Characters
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“Harry Potter” celebrates his 10th “Birthday” this week and a number of stars give him love including Kellan Lutz and Robert Pattinson for “Twilight”. Check out the article here.

Vampires, Dragons Top the eBooks Bestseller Lists at BooksOnBoard

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Written by mincho2008
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini tops the eBooks Bestseller List at BooksOnBoard (www.BooksOnBoard.com) for the third week of September. Brisingr is the third book in the Inheritance cycle, following Eragon (now a major motion picture starring Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich among others) and Eldest. Devil Bones: A Novel by Kathy Reichs followed close behind. The fourth season of “Bones”, the popular TV series based on Kathy Reichs’ novels, premiered earlier this month. Stephenie Meyer’s Breaking Dawn, latest in the Twilight Vampire Fantasy Series, continues to top the charts more than a month after its release, trailed closely by Twilight, the first novel in the series. Eclipse, in the same series, also ranked in the Top 10. Another vampire series – the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris – featured prominently on the bestsellers list with Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas both ranking in the Top 10. “Vampires have set reader’s imaginations on fire,” according to BooksOnBoard CEO Bob LiVolsi. “The Twilight series is so popular that there a Twilight movie coming out, and True Blood, the series based on Charlaine Harris’s True Blood series, is already drawing a huge audience.” If There be Dragons, a romantic mystery and suspense eBook from Kay Hooper, is also a bestseller, as is Anathem by science fiction master Neal Stephenson, author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Cryptonomicon. The list is rounded out by The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer. Bestselling author Karen Marie Moning again led the eBook Romance category with Faefever, the newest title in her Fever series. G.A. Aiken’s phenomenally popular new Dragon Actually and Dark Curse by Christine Feehan followed. The hot trio of eBooks in Samhain’s new Mйnage and More Anthology, featuring titles from bestselling authors Jess Dee, Loraleigh James, and newcomer Jane Rylon, all occupied spots in the Top 10. Last week BooksOnBoard hosted a contest featuring podcasts from the Menage and More authors. “The Menage and More contest was extremely successful,” says BookOnBoard’s Director of Operations Nathan Johnson. “The authors graciously sent us promotional goodies, and judging from the level of interest in the Menage and More Contest, our customers are as excited as we are.” Other bestselling Romance eBooks include Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh, The Price of Desire by Jo Goodman, Noah by Jacquelyn Frank, and Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs, BooksOnBoard (www.booksonboard.com) is an online retailer of eBooks and downloadable audiobooks. Known for strong customer support, its free online tutorials, and aggressive prices, BooksOnBoard has the largest eBook catalog online with over 200,000 titles. For the latest from BooksOnBoard, subscribe to the RSS feed: http://www.booksonboard.com/rss/bob_rss.xml Bestselling General Fiction 1 Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3) Paolini, Christopher 2 Devil Bones: A Novel Reichs, Kathy 3 Breaking Dawn Meyer, Stephenie 4 Twilight Meyer, Stephenie 5 If There Be Dragons Hooper, Kay 6 Anathem Stephenson, Neal 7 Dead Until Dark Harris, Charlaine 8 Eclipse Meyer, Stephenie 9 Living Dead in Dallas Harris, Charlaine 10 The Book of Lies Meltzer, Brad Bestselling Romance 1 Faefever Moning, Karen Marie 2 Dragon Actually Aiken, G.A. 3 Wicked Garden: Menage and More Anthology James, Lorelei 4 Dark Curse Feehan, Christine 5 Nice and Naughty: Menage and More Anthology Rylon, Jayne 6 A Question of Trust: Menage and More Anthology Dee, Jess 7 Hostage to Pleasure Singh, Nalini 8 The Price of Desire Goodman, Jo 9 Noah Frank, Jacquelyn 10 Cry Wolf Briggs, Patricia Authors Romance Karen Marie Moning Lora Leigh Christine Feehan Lorelei James Diana Palmer General Christopher Paolini Charlaine Harris Elmore Leonard Stephenie Meyer Terry Pratchett

Digg it del.icio.us AIM Stephenie Meyer, will your Midnight Sun ever rise?; Please, please finish your Twilight saga

By SHARON HOFFMANN
The Kansas City Star
We were shocked — shocked! — to hear that some miscreant leaked a draft of Stephenie Meyer’s Midnight Sun on the Internet.
This was her little writing exercise that was evolving into a novel, telling the story of her megahit Twilight through the gorgeous golden eyes of vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen.
Thievery! We refused to so much as peek, even when Meyer reluctantly decided to fight back and post the rough, incomplete story on her own site, www.stepheniemeyer .com.
But we could hold out for only so long. Sorry, Stephenie, but this is a must-read for any self-respecting Twilight fan, especially with the movie version coming Nov. 21. Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward, used Midnight Sun to get into character, after all.
Here’s some of what we learned:
•Turn-ons: Besides Bella’s alluring scent, Edward is drawn to this human for her bravery, maturity, selflessness, kindness, incredible skin and “eyes like melted chocolate,” even before she falls for him.
•Major self-confidence issues: He has no clue any girl could even like him. His cold hands must be repellent. His perfect smile must be terrifying. His whole persona must seem sinister.
•That’s true, sort of: Edward was just too intense for most mere humans; he didn’t soften up until he was courting Bella. So the whole chick magnet thing is new for him.
•Most humans are so pitiful: Since Edward can read pretty much everyone’s mind, we learn more about two-faced Jessica, shallow Mike, annoying Tyler and other characters populating Forks, Wash.
But — big sigh — the manuscript is just 264 pages and stops right before the fantastic glittering meadow scene halfway into Twilight.
“I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely,” Meyer wrote on her site.
Nooooo! Maybe we can use the power of the press to change her mind and get Edward’s version completed and into bookstores where it belongs. Hey, it’s been almost a month now since her depressing announcement.
You know, send a little Sun shine her way.

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Visitors flock to Forks, Wash., for ‘Twilight’ magic

Parisa Sadrzadeh, left, and Yena Hu walk past Forks High School, where some of author Stephenie Meyers' vampire-themed "Twilight" books are set।

By WHITNEY MALKIN
The Associated Press

FORKS, Wash. Pounding rain and heavy mist are constant in this timber town where logging’s decline left a graveyard of rusting timber mills and unemployment. Businesses shut down. Parts of the local high school were condemned. Families started to drift away.
Until an unlikely cast of vampires breathed new life into the town.
“I fell in love with it,” says 18-year-old Samantha Cogar, who dragged her grandparents on a 2,500 mile roadtrip to Forks from Louisville, Ky., earlier this summer. “I can’t wait to go back.”
Cogar is one of thousands of visitors who have flocked to Forks in response to “Twilight,” the hottest series to hit shelves since “Harry Potter.” Set in Forks, on the gritty edge of the Olympic Mountain Range, the books have captured the hearts of readers around the world.
In a town framed by towering Douglas fir, hemlock and spruce and the occasional western red cedar, where rough, blue collar edges are tangible, the unexpected attention seems to be a second chance for the economy. Inspired by a world of make-believe, “Twilight” fans are bringing the town back to life.
Four years ago, author Stephenie Meyer introduced the world to Bella Swan, a 17-year-old who moves to Forks and is torn between the love of classmate Edward Cullen and best friend Jacob Black. But before long, she realizes something isn’t right: Edward is a vampire and Jacob, a werewolf.
Readers were hooked, and three more “Twilight” books followed. “Breaking Dawn,” the fourth and final book of her “Twilight” series, came out in August and has remained at the top of best-seller lists ever since. Teens throughout the country celebrated the release of the book by dressing up as characters from the series for midnight parties at bookstores — much the way “Harry Potter” books are launched.
As the pages kept coming, the series’ cultlike following increased. Before long, fans started showing up in Forks, looking to see if magic would spark when imagination collided with reality. What they found was a two-stoplight town where more than a foot of rain falls each year. A place where success is measured in sweat and four-wheel drive.
But Forks was quick to embrace the frenzied fans.
Forks’ “Twilight”-inspired turn has been nothing short of magical, Marcia Bingham, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, says.
“We’ve probably had more than 100 people a day,” says Bingham, who has eagerly watched as van after van of giddy readers — mostly female — pull up in front of the town’s visitors center.
For many fans, the line where reality ends and imagination begins is starting to blur, says Michael Gurling, who caught inspiration from the tourism boom and started his own Twilight Tours.
After enlisting a few locals, he asked for help in picking out houses that could serve as stand-ins for the book’s famous Forks’ stops: Bella and Edward’s houses, a field where vampires play baseball. Other locations, such as the police station, where Bella’s father works, and the hospital, where Edward’s father is a doctor, play their own parts. They chipped in, providing cruisers near which fans may take pictures and reserving a spot for “Dr. Cullen” in the parking lot.
“The most popular spot is probably the beach, in LaPush, where Bella finds out the truth about Edward,” says Gurling.

Download .wmv file View 22 screen captures

Read the original post at Everglow: Edward Cullen & Bella Swan Summit released a new still from the film! It features Rosalie, Carlisle, and Edward. Yep, it's the one at your left. Just click on it to see it in all its enlarged glory. Their stance is rigid, as if someone had caught them off-guard -- not something you'd expect from vampires! What do you think of this photograph? I cannot believe the film is now less than two months away...

'Twilight' Stars Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed, Taylor Lautner Get Cagey About Reshoots

Reed says the Oregon weather made the reshoots necessary।

HOLLYWOOD — As fans from Boston to Bombay now know, the stars of "Twilight" recently reunited to shoot some additional scenes for director Catherine Hardwicke. Although MTV uncovered some of the new info when we caught up with the stars at the VMAs and other events around Hollywood, many details remain a mystery.
At the party to celebrate Teen Vogue's Young Hollywood issue, we spoke with stars Kristen Stewart (Bella), Nikki Reed (Rosalie) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob). They had new details to reveal about the multiple scenes they just shot — as well as their rapidly accelerating level of fame building up to the movie's November 21 release.

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What are we allowed to say?" Reed wondered aloud, teasing us while she thought back to the top-secret shoot. "I think all we can say is, there were a few days when there were some weather issues [during the original shoot earlier this year] and some time issues, and a few things that could have been done better. And they were."
To get an idea of the extreme Portland weather to which Reed referred, look no further than this clip MTV captured on the "Twilight" set. That popping noise you hear is golf-ball-size hail pounding against the roof of the greenhouse in which they were filming.
"There were a lot of additional scenes," Reed explained. "I think when they saw the film, I mean this is kind of a guess, but I think that they realized that it could use a little bit more of the old element, so I think the flashbacks focused on that."
Reed seemed to think they needed to keep this intel a secret, but Robert Pattinson (Edward), Peter Facinelli (Carlisle) and Kellan Lutz (Emmett) have already revealed that the new shoots included a scene establishing the history of the Cullens. To show when Carlisle and his family made a treaty with the Quileute Indian tribe, the actors dressed in pegged pants and old-timey caps. Facinelli even had to speak to the tribe leaders in their language.
"I'm a vampire, so I'm in the flashbacks," Reed said of the scene. "But this one here [pointing to Stewart] is still — how old is Bella — 16, 17?"
"She's 17," Stewart said.
"Yeah," Reed continued, "so she's in modern time only."
Sure enough, some scenes did take place in modern time, and Stewart was called back for those, including a reworking (with better weather) of Edward and Bella's encounter in the meadow.
And though weeks ago, Lautner told MTV News that they were adding him to the prom sequence, he decided he had to be vague about it this time around.
"[The new scenes are] just a little backstory," Lautner said. "I'm not sure if I can say what I did, or I might not be walking tomorrow! It definitely improved the movie. They did three scenes, and it really has an impact on the film.
"Kristen was in [a scene] with me. Rob was. It was a fun scene," he added. "It was good to see everyone again, because I hadn't seen them in like three months. We reunited, and it was a lot of fun."
The 17-year-old actor also marveled over the fact that the "Twilight" movie has become so big that simple reshoots could capture the attention of devoted fans all over the world.
"The fans are just — well, it's always been insane, so I don't know if I can tell if it's gotten bigger," he laughed. "Everywhere you go there are 'Twilight' fans. It's amazing. We show up at the VMAs and step out of our car, and there are 'Twilight' fans surrounding us like crazy! It's pretty insane how the fans are the driving force of this thing. And I'm really excited to be a part of it."

Photo by Summit Entertainment

'Harry Potter' Gets Love From Robert Pattinson, Lupe Fiasco, Keira Knightley And More Celeb Fans

'He's getting a little more gangsta,' Paul Wall says of boy wizard, who celebrates his 10th 'birthday' this week।

Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Photo: Warner Bros.

Harry Potter has his 10-year "birthday" this week, but it's not just the fantasy crowd that's celebrating (either with wizard-rock shows or readathons).
We checked in with a variety of musicians and actors (some from the films, some not) to see what they thought about the boy wizard and how he's impacted their lives. We thought we might get laughed at — after all, a lot of these folks were walking the red carpet at the VMAs and probably had something far more glamorous to attend to. But mention Harry Potter, and some people just light up.
Here are a few of them:
Keira Knightley: "I've read all the books. I haven't seen the films, except the first one. What's the alley where they get the wands from? [Diagon Alley.] That's an amazing image. Harry, he's pretty cool. He's got a good scar."
Jeremy Davis (Paramore): "Hell, yeah, I love 'Harry Potter'! I feel like 'Harry Potter,' the books and the movies, went above and beyond any other series. It would be a tough series to compete with. I would hate to try to compete against it."
Kellan Lutz ("Twilight"): "I love 'Harry Potter.' I actually wanted 'Harry Potter' as competition for 'Twilight,' because you'd be seeing the wizard side of fantasy and then jumping into the vampire life. Everyone I talk to is so obsessed with it. I always wished I had powers. I always wished I had a stick and a broom! It's a great story. It's so well-written. I think 'Harry Potter' hit everything. It set the precedent, that peak of Mount Everest, and we all want to climb that mountain. I just wish there were as many books to make movies of in 'Twilight' as there are in 'Harry Potter.' "
Robert Pattinson (Cedric in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," Edward in "Twilight"): "Does it make me a traitor? 'Harry Potter' was what made me become an actor. I credit 'Harry Potter' with everything else that's come since for me. I didn't know what I was doing before that. I hadn't read the books before doing the movie, so at first I read it just as an acting exercise. But I really enjoyed it! But I think Edward would kick Cedric's ass, to be honest."
Lupe Fiasco: "I'm a spectator of the entire phenomenon, you know what I'm saying? The entire phenomenon inspires me. I love Harry Potter [he points to his own specs] because of the glasses."
Kaycee Stroh ("High School Musical"): "The character I relate to the most is Hermione, because she's a bit of a spitfire and she always saves the day. I step into her shoes when necessary. I love her and relate to her. I think the series has a wonderful message about how every kid has that struggle of not fitting in, and it's very inspiring to realize through the hero of the story that that's not all that matters. The reason I love it is because it teaches us to use our imagination and our hearts. We're never too old to have fun."
Paul Wall: "The first two movies were a little too childish, but as Harry grew up, as he's growing up, he's getting a little more gangsta. It's getting a little more intense and action-packed, so I like it even more now. I don't have a favorite character, and if I did have a favorite, my wife and my sister [who are even bigger fans] would roast me for that."
Jonathan Davis (Korn): "I just like the whole 'Harry Potter' vibe — about a kid becoming a magician, going to wizarding school. I think the movies and the books, everything I've seen, is really cool. I definitely like Harry, because he's the underdog. He's always getting picked on. He's always down and out, but he just comes back, and I think that's cool. And it's pissed off a bunch of Christian people, and that made it even better for me."
Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" films): "I think the great thing about 'Harry Potter' is that J.K. Rowling has created a myth for our time. I know it sounds cliché, but to keep reinventing the dynamic between good and evil in an accessible and dramatic way is fantastic. I think the high-octane drama of those movies is great for keeping filmmaking alive. There's an energy and an inventiveness and an originality to what she's done."
Shirley Manson: "I have two connections with 'Harry Potter.' One is that J.K. Rowling came from my city, Edinburgh. But more importantly, my dog, my rescue dog, is named after a character, a kind of being, in 'Harry Potter': Veela."
Marcia Gay Harden: "[My 10-year-old daughter] Eulala has read all seven books, and this past year, she asked me to read them with her, because her whole world is 'Harry Potter.' For her birthday, she wants a wand, a crystal ball, a potion-making kit, that's all she wants — not any 'Hannah Montana.' So I read it, and it's brilliant. Each chapter, J.K. Rowling leaves a breadcrumb, and you have to read on. You can't stop! It's affected our lives on so many levels, from reading together to playtime — a lot of playtime is about 'Harry Potter' — to other books and wondering if the writing will be as good or the imagery as great. Rowling says, 'Jump on and go on this ride,' and it's fantastic. I would have loved to be Professor McGonagall. Eulala is Hermione. It's another way of looking at the world, which I really love."
Autumn Reeser ("American Mall"): "I had a 'Harry Potter' lunchbox — I kept art supplies in it. The kids who I went to elementary school with would say I'm a Hermione. I was a little bit of a know-it-all. I just liked school, which isn't always cool. I discovered that in junior high. But I think 'Harry Potter' reminds me of my childhood, of that fantastical time childhood is. I would have liked to go to Hogwarts. I would have had wizard parties. There is actually a whole book on how to throw wizard parties, and I considered doing that, you know, making food that looks like funny things like frogs. Your guests come as wizards. I would probably have to invite 10-year-olds and not my actual friends."
Verne Troyer: "I was actually in the first 'Harry Potter' film, and it was fun, but the only thing was, I had to go through over five hours of makeup. A new 'Harry Potter' film is going to be coming out soon, and they have my character [Griphook] coming back, but they somehow didn't call me and have me be a part of it. What's up with that?"

'Twilight' Tuesday: Kellan Lutz Recalls How He Almost Wasn't Cast As Belligerent 'Goofball' Emmett

Like his character, the actor can't wait to sink his teeth into a good fight।

PORTLAND, Oregon — When it comes to "Twilight" Tuesday here at MTV, we try to operate on one simple motto: Ask, and ye shall receive.
In virtually every article we've written covering the upcoming "Twilight" movie, there's one comment we can count on receiving: "Give us more Kellan Lutz!" And although the 23-year-old actor isn't a household name, a quick search of sites like Kellmett Happens and the Twilight Lexicon Forum show the type of love that has had Twilighters sending gift baskets to Lutz ever since he landed the role of burly teddy bear Emmett Cullen. (Lutz expresses his genuine appreciation of enthusiastic "Twilight" fans in the MTV Movies blog.)
As you'll see from this on-set interview with MTV, Lutz (who's also on the new "90210" this fall) is an endearingly normal guy who nevertheless takes his acting — and Stephenie Meyer's vampire series — very seriously. As he reveals a love for "Bill & Ted," the missing "Twilight" moment he's eager to shoot and the circumstances that nearly made him miss the gig, something tells us the Twilighters will suck this up like fresh blood.
MTV: Give us your take on Emmett.
Kellan Lutz: All right, Emmett is the coolest guy of them all, that's pretty much it. [Laughs.] No, he's the protector; he's like the doorman for the family. He's really just there to protect and lighten everything up that Rosalie throws at the family. She's the emotional letdown; she really brings everyone down. Carlisle will be like, "Emmett, take care of her." He's really just the protector, the goofball. He's there to make them laugh, and he's there to have a good time.
MTV: And at the same time, you seem to have an animal ferocity, especially in that garage scene we watched you shoot.
Lutz: Yeah, in the garage scene, that's really just to kick some butt. Jasper and myself, we're the fighters. He was a general in his day, and Emmett is a fighter, so it's really a thrill to go hunting these vampires. He's really excited; he's one to just go tear something apart.
MTV: What's the one scene you shot that you're most eager to see up on the big screen?

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Lutz: Well, I did the stunt work in the baseball scene, where they pulled me up pretty high on a harness and had me freefall, catch a ball and throw it back in. We did that, gosh, 20 times. I'm in these crappy shoes, and my ankles are killing me, but it was a cool shot, so it was worth it to get.
MTV: Has director Catherine Hardwicke taken on a "den mother" persona with all you guys?
Lutz: Catherine is extremely cool. She's so laid-back, and I think that's one of the cool things we all enjoy. She gives us a lot of freedom. Yes, she tells us where to go and end up. But she really allows us [to develop ourselves]. She tells me, "All right, go be crazy. Go have fun, go put energy in the scene." She lets us do our thing and just be our characters.
MTV: Which scene from the sequels are you dying to shoot?
Lutz: The third book, where we get to annihilate everyone — that's what I can't wait to do. Hopefully, we get to a third movie, where Jasper and I kick everyone's butt. ... I focus mainly on the Emmett stuff.
MTV: So in each movie, you have a favorite Emmett scene?
Lutz: Yeah. [Laughs.] That's pretty much how it is; the three coolest scenes with Emmett are the coolest for me. ... I wish I was in every scene, to be part of every moment.
MTV: What's the scene in "New Moon" you're most eager to shoot?
Lutz: The one in the second book is when Bella hurts herself, and I make fun of her. That will be awesome to do.
MTV: But otherwise, you're big on the carnage, huh?
Lutz: Yes. I mean, that's all Emmett is really there for. In a way, he's an important character in the book, and without him, it wouldn't tie the family in as much as he does. If you left anyone out, [the Cullens] wouldn't be complete, in a way. ... But Emmett is there to crack jokes and beat someone up.
MTV: What will the special effects look like in these big action scenes?
Lutz: There are no special effects, they hire me to do everything. [Laughs.] No, I wish. The special effects are going to be cool. We wear contacts, which bug the hell out of me. I've never worn contacts, but they're saving a lot of time and effort, in that they won't have to special-effect [our vampire eyes]. But as far as all the other stuff, the flying and the fight sequence stuff? It's going to be cool, but it's PG-13, so not so much blood and gore.
MTV: The other day I interviewed Keanu Reeves, and people are still asking him about "Bill & Ted," 20 years later. If "Twilight" is as big a hit as some people think it's going to be, are you prepared for such long-term fanaticism?
Lutz: That's brilliance! "Bill & Ted" I love. To be honest, I have no idea what's going to come of this. If it's going to be a cult-like following, where we all have to move to Hawaii or something, that's cool. I'm up for it. It's not going to change me in any way. Bring it on. It's going to be cool to see.
MTV: Is there anything that you are into, pop-culture-wise?
Lutz: I love "Battlestar Galactica." I'm obsessed with that show; it's brilliant. I just love everything about space. But I'm not really hard-core into "Star Wars" or "Star Trek," just "Battlestar Galactica." That's my show.
MTV: What has been the hardest part about shooting the movie?
Lutz: Probably working six-day shoots, waking up at 4, wrapping at 10 and waking up at 4 again. I don't sleep much. But to come home and not have more than three hours of sleep, because I just can't sleep after being on the set, that's tough. As far as shooting on set, it's the weather. ... Some days, it will hail out of the blue, and then snow, and then hail and then rain, and we're like, "Continuity! The girls can't get their hair wet!" So then we've got to stop and shoot the next day.
MTV: Are you the type of actor who keeps a copy of the book with you on set, or just the script?
Lutz: What we're doing is the script, and a lot of the stuff is somewhat different than the book. ... I have the book at home, but I bring the script to set.
MTV: Cutting a 500-page book into a 120-page script is tough, and inevitably some things have to be cut. Is there any chopped-out scene or line involving Emmett that you're like: "Damn, I loved that part."
Lutz: Stephenie Meyer had an outtake that she took out of the book, and it's labeled "Emmett and the Bear," which I read on her Web site. I thought it was brilliant, and I really wish it were in the book. It's about the relationship development between Edward and Emmett, and I really wish we could have shown that on camera.
MTV: When you auditioned, were you always going out for the part of Emmett?
Lutz: The audition for this was actually a pretty funny story. I was away in Africa, shooting a miniseries for HBO called "Generation Kill." We were there for seven months, and I believe the script came out in October, while I was over there, and I didn't finish [in Africa] until December. I remember my team sending me out for Edward, because, obviously, he's the lead. Which is funny, because Emmett I could book in a heartbeat.
MTV: Why do you think so?
Lutz: That's me, day in and day out. I love life, and yet I love beating people up. [Laughs.] I missed that [Emmett] audition while I was over there. It's tough putting yourself on tape while your head is shaved. So, I was bummed [because] I really loved Emmett, and when I came back, the role of Emmett was already cast. But just my luck, the guy for Emmett fell through, and they opened it up one day on a Monday. I went in on Tuesday and auditioned with, like, 10 other guys, and Catherine wanted to see me! So she flew me out to Oregon the next day, I auditioned for her, and she gave it to me. I'm very lucky.
MTV: Wow! Now you've become one of these great Lou Gehrig-subbing-for-Wally-Pipp-like stories.

Perry Farrell & Paramore Added To ‘Twilight’ Soundtrack

Slowly but surely we’re finding out which bands will be included in the soundtrack to the Twilight movie starring Kristen Stewart as Bella and Robert Pattinson as Edward.
Perry Farrell told NY Mag that he’s writing a “crucial song” for Twilight, tentatively titled “Going All The Way (Into the Twilight),” which will be a solo project for him. The former Jane’s Addiction frontman didn’t go into specifics on what the song would be about or who would be performing on it.
In other news, MTV reports that the band Paramore will have two new songs — once called “Decode, which is about Bella and Edward’s love affair; the other still-untitled — on the film’s soundtrack, which will be released on November 4. (Some of you might remember Paramore as the band at the MTV VMA’s that Robert Pattinson was trying to introduce when the show’s host Russell Brand interrupted him.)
Paramore’s singer/frontwomen Hayley Williams, a self-professed Twilight devotee, talked a bit about her inspiration for “Decode.”
“I chose the title ‘Decode’ because the song is about the building tension, awkwardness, anger and confusion between Bella and Edward,” she said. “Bella is the only mind Edward can’t read, and I feel like that’s a big part of the first book and one of the obstacles for them to overcome. It’s one added tension that makes the story even better.”
Back in July at SDCC, the film’s director Catherine Hardwicke announced that Muse (Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s favorite band) would contribute a song, while star Robert Pattinson would add two of his own compositions।

One Response to “Perry Farrell & Paramore Added To ‘Twilight’ Soundtrack”

September 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 am Em Says:
I’m not a fan of paramore, but I’m glad that the soundtrack is getting such big names. I’m not sure how the punk thing will work in the movie, but i have faith in the gal that is picking the music.
I’m actually quite surprised that Perry farrell is involved. That is awesome, though i know some of the younger fans most likely have no idea whom he is. I like Janes addiction, and Perry great talent, I can totally see him pulling off something dark. This is going to be interesting. one thought though…
Where’s all the INDIE MUSIC?!! I want some lesser known bands on this soundtrack. I’m not a fan of all this mainstream stuff.

Visitors flock to rainy Forks for Twilight's magic

The Forks Timber Museum

Story Published: Sep 21, 2008 at 10:37 AM

PDTStory Updated: Sep 21, 2008 at 10:49 AM PDT

By WHITNEY MALKIN, Associated Press Writer

FORKS, Wash. (AP) - Pounding rain and heavy mist are constant in this timber town where logging's decline left a graveyard of rusting timber mills and unemployment. Businesses shut down. Parts of the local high school were condemned. Families started to drift away.Until an unlikely cast of vampires breathed new life into the town."I fell in love with it," says 18-year-old Samantha Cogar, who dragged her grandparents on a 2,500 mile roadtrip to Forks from Louisville, Ky., earlier this summer. "I can't wait to go back."Cogar is one of thousands of visitors who have flocked to Forks in response to "Twilight," the hottest series to hit shelves since "Harry Potter." Set in Forks, on the gritty edge of the Olympic Mountain Range, the books have captured the hearts of readers around the world.In a town framed by towering Douglas fir, hemlock and spruce and the occasional western red cedar, where rough, blue collar edges are tangible, the unexpected attention seems to be a second chance for the economy. Inspired by a world of make-believe, "Twilight" fans are bringing the town back to life.Four years ago, Author Stephenie Meyer introduced the world to Bella Swan, a 17-year-old who moves to Forks and is torn between the love of classmate Edward Cullen and best friend Jacob Black. But before long, she realizes something isn't right: Edward is a vampire and Jacob, a werewolf.Readers were hooked, and three more "Twilight" books followed. "Breaking Dawn," the fourth and final book of her "Twilight" series, came out in July and has remained at the top of best seller lists ever since. Teens throughout the country celebrated the release of the book by dressing up as characters from the series for midnight parties at bookstores — much the way "Harry Potter" books are launched.As the pages kept coming, the series' cultlike following increased. Before long, fans started showing up in Forks, looking to see if magic would spark when imagination collided with reality. What they found was a two-stoplight town where more than a foot of rain falls each month. A place where success is measured in sweat and four-wheel drive.But Forks was quick to embrace the frenzied fans.Forks' "Twilight"-inspired turn has been nothing short of magical, Marcia Bingham, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, says."We've probably had more than 100 people a day," says Bingham, who has eagerly watched as van after van of giddy readers — mostly female — pull up in front of the town's visitors center.For many fans, the line where reality ends and imagination begins is starting to blur, says Michael Gurling, who caught inspiration from the tourism boom and started his own Twilight Tours.After enlisting a few locals, he asked for help in picking out houses that could serve as stand-ins for the book's famous Forks' stops: Bella and Edward's houses, a field where vampires play baseball. Other locations, such as the police station, where Bella's father works, and the hospital, where Edward's father is a doctor, play their own parts. They chipped in, providing cruisers near which fans may take pictures and reserving a spot for "Dr. Cullen" in the parking lot."The most popular spot is probably the beach, in LaPush, where Bella finds out the truth about Edward," says Gurling.On a recent Friday, Gurling's van headed out of the visitor's center parking lot — packed, as it is most every weekend, with teenage girls. Outside the stand-in for Edward's house, a sign on the door says "Cullens" are volunteering a blood drive."It's not quite how I thought it would be," says Yena Hu, a University of Washington sophomore who made the four-hour trek from Seattle to visit. "They're always talking about all the windows — and in the book, the house is on the water."But it's surprising how much Meyer did get right, considering she'd never been to Forks when she wrote the first book. A quick Internet search revealed Forks was one of the rainiest places in the world, and from her home in Arizona, the stay-at-home mom began rewriting history.While locals are accepting of their newfound fame, they're all too aware of the mania that is continuing to grow.Almost everyone has a "Twilight" story: the teen who dropped his library card, only to discover Twilighters had found it and kept it; the cheerleader who has out-of-town mothers stop her on the street offering cash for her uniform; the Quileute native, who heads to LaPush to chop wood and sees giddy teenagers snatching up driftwood as souvenirs.Jessica Hartman, an 18-year-old who works at the town's pharmacy says "Twilight" has more than doubled profits for the corner store.Flipping through a guest book for Twilighters, the recent Forks High School grad smiles as she touches signatures from around the globe — Europe, Asia, South America. They're all here, recorded in the tattered pages that spell out the town's fame.Spurred by the boost in tourism and influx of money, are businesses eagerly trying to cash in on the craze.Wander down the town's main drag and you'll see "We Love Edward and Bella" signs in store windows and a Forks' Speedway sign welcoming "Vampires and Racers."Restaurants have started offering Twilight-themed options: Subway's "Twilight Special" which oozes marinara and the ever popular Bella Burger at local hangout Sully's Drive-in, which comes with special sauce and pineapple.Stacks of Twilight T-shirts sit behind almost every counter in town.At Sully's, 32-year-old Eleanor Currit waves a pair of plastic vampire teeth in the air — a standard side for any customer who orders the Bella burger."When I go back to my book club, I'm definitely going to have bragging rights," she says. "The women in my group are honestly crazy about these books."Currit, a stay-at-home-mom with a master's degree in English, says being in Forks is like opening a page of the book and jumping in."This town just has a pretty primal way about it," she said. "It's really a mysterious beauty."While the fourth and final "Twilight" book was released earlier this summer, Gurling, a former National Park Guide, says he thinks the release of the "Twilight" movie, set for early November, will only generate more attention for Forks.And while some long for quieter days, others say "Twilight" might have been what this town needed."It seems like we're Twilighting all the time," says Charlene Cross, the town's florist. "But at the end of the day, it makes you feel like we're part of something bigger — and I think that makes it worth it."

Move Over Harry: 'Twilight' Movie Takes Advantage of HP-VI Postponement

The decision that has Harry Potter fans in mourning--Warner Bros. Postponing the movie release of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" until July 2009--turns out to be a boon for Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" fans.

"Twilight," the movie, was moved up three weeks and now releases on November 21st (Woohoo!) and now Bella and Edward devotees can get their on-screen fix earlier than originally planned.

Stephenie Meyer, always the sweetheart and diplomat, had this to say about the decision to supplant Twilight for HP:

"So, many of you have heard that the release of the sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has been moved from this Thanksgiving to next summer. First and foremost, please know that this schedule change has absolutely nothing to do with Twilight, me, or Summit Films (so enough with the imdb death wishes, okay?). This is Warner Bros. decision, and it was not motivated by anything Twilight-related. Now for the good news! Though we're all sad to have to wait for Harry Potter, this open spot at the theater creates a cool opportunity. The good people at Summit were thrilled to let me know that now Twilight fans are going to get their movie three weeks earlier than scheduled. That's right--Twilight will be released in theaters November 21st! Let the merry-making commence!"

In the meantime, perhaps Twilight fans can keep themselves fed on HBO's "True Blood" series, whose star vampire is turning out to have a similar, old-fashioned approach to romance as our beloved Edward Cullen in the "Twilight Series।"

Paramore Recording Soundtrack For Twilight MOVIE

Paramore are recording a new movie soundtrack for forthcoming film 'Twilight'.
Singer Hayley Williams revealed the news, as she explains on her blog: "We are back home. Recording again for a possible shot at the 'Twilight' soundtrack. The rumours are a little less than true but a little more than a lie."
Paramore are also shaking off those claims that the group were to split, as Hayley confirmed the band are working on new material for their next album:
"It's crazy to me that we've never actually recorded anything but demos in our hometown. It's nice to "work" from home. if you can even consider this work."

'Twilight' New Scenes Visualizing the Cullens' Back Story

Providing more details to the extra scenes shot a while back, "Twilight" stars Robert Pattinson and Kellan Lutz open up to MTV News and confirm that the reshoots are indeed flashbacks। At 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, they noted that the scenes will help to explain the background story of the Cullen family।

About it, Pattison revealed, "The reshoots are basically flashbacks that can go [along with] big voiceovers. Well, not voiceovers, but big scenes that give the exposition and back story of the Cullens." Giving out more, Lutz confessed that it is the visualization of the old peace treaty made by a family of vampires and the Quileute Indian tribe saying, "It's more about the treaty, and really summarizing what that really is."

Lutz who portrays Emmett Cullen further pointed out the difference of the novel and the movie because of the reshoots. He confessed that instead of showing Bella listening to Quileute Jacob about the peace treaty, the new scenes will provide viewers with the actual treaty footage insisting, "we are actually showing the scenes from back in the day...what actually went on. That's so when it's mentioned, people actually have a sense and a vision of really what it was about and whose territory was where."

Aside from filming the new footages, redo was also done for meadow scene, the kiss in Bella's bedroom and Edward Cullen's performance of "Bella's Lullaby" in the Cullen house. On the Lullaby's reshot, Pattison let out that his composition has to be replaced saying, "We reshot the 'Bella's Lullaby' scene with a different piece of music."

"I heard my original one the other day, and I really liked it. I was kind of depressed afterwards, but I like the new one as well. The new one I didn't write; the composer Carter Burwell did it. The new one fits in with the rest of the score, whereas my one was completely random, so unless you want a five-minute scene of just




me playing the piano, I guess it's kind of irrelevant."

A feature film adaptation to Stephenie Meyer's bestselling novel of the same name, "Twilight" resolves around seventeen-year-old Isabella 'Bella' Swan, a newcomer to the small town of Forks, Washington, and her mysterious classmate, Edward Cullen, who later she finds out to be a 108-year-old vampire. In each other, they find what they have been looking for. Hence, the unlikely relationship blossoms. But, when other vampires learn about the romance, Bella's life is put in grave danger. Now, Edward has to fight for the girl he loves before losing her forever.

From a script by "Step Up"'s Melissa Rosenberg, the movie is directed by Catherine Hardwicke and produced by Karen Rosenfelt, Greg Mooradian and Wyck Godfrey. It stars also Kristen Stewart, Cam Gigandet, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed and many more.

'Twilight' Tuesday: Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg Gives 'Spider Monkey' Credit To Robert Pattinson

Plus: Bella and Edward's forbidden-love story line was inspired by 'Brokeback Mountain,' she says.

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SANTA MONICA, California — When Stephenie Meyer originally conceived of her "Twilight" universe, it's highly unlikely that she was inspired by spider monkeys, Channing Tatum and the cowboys from "Brokeback Mountain." But for this week's "Twilight" Tuesday, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg stopped by the MTV News offices to remind us of the personality quirks that have crept into the Cullens — and the collaborative process necessary for turning a best-selling novel into a hit Hollywood movie.
The veteran writer/producer behind hits both twisted ("Dexter") and teen-friendly ("The O.C.," "Step Up"), Rosenberg comes across in person as a smart, eager-to-please writer who is genuinely proud to have earned the Meyer seal of approval. In this exclusive interview about her screenplay for the film that finally hits theaters November 21 (as if you needed reminding), Rosenberg gave us a revealing peek at several new scenes and characters, the film's "forward-thinking" ending, and the surprising reasons why we'll soon be seeing an Edward who wishes he knew how to quit Bella. (Find out what Robert Pattinson and Kellan Lutz think about the new "Twilight" flashback scenes they just shot here. And check out the results of the TwilightMoms' "Clean House" contest in the MTV Movies blog.)
MTV: The "Twilight" fanbase is beloved for their enthusiasm. What kind of craziness have you witnessed since you took on the gig?
Melissa Rosenberg: I went to my niece's bat mitzvah recently out in Tucson [Arizona]. It was a very small ceremony and a very small group of people. She's 13, and she had a couple of her friends there ... and she mentioned to them, "Oh, this is my Aunt Melissa and she wrote 'Twilight.' " Suddenly I had these just fantastic girls [saying], "Oh my God!" They were just thrilled and asked for my autograph on a napkin!
MTV: What kind of questions did they have?
Rosenberg: Well, I don't think that they really understood what a screenwriter does, and I tried to explain it. They were like, "Didn't you just shoot the book?" And I said, "No, well, I had to make scenes up," but they didn't care. My name and "Twilight" were in the same sentence, so they had to have an autograph.
MTV: I look at your filmography, and obviously the two things that jump out are "Step Up" and the serial-killer drama "Dexter." Where does "Twilight" fit into these very diverse universes?
Rosenberg: "Twilight" is right in the middle of "Step Up" and "Dexter." It has the romance and the relationship of "Step Up" and the desire that's in "Step Up," but it also has the darkness and eeriness of "Dexter." ... "Dexter" really helped a lot for me — having been in a fairly dark place with "Dexter," it's easy to translate over. But the romance of "Twilight" is pure.
MTV: So Edward's not going to be chopping up bodies and keeping them in his fridge?
Rosenberg: [Laughs.] No, no. Edward's not a serial killer.
MTV: But Dexter does similarly deal with having a hunger — trying to suppress it at times but giving into it when he needs that power.
Rosenberg: Absolutely. Dexter has what he calls a "dark passenger." It's this urge, this need, this hunger for blood — and so does Edward. Edward just has a better hold on it. [Laughs.] Edward can rein it in more. What's also true is that both Dexter and Edward are constantly exploring issues of humanity and what it is to be human and envying humans. Dexter is very much like an alien set on the planet to learn about humanity, because he himself is disassociated and doesn't have the normal human experiences. He has made a life of studying humans so he can pass as a human. Well, so is Edward. Edward is trying to pass as a human, and it's been so long [since] he's been a human that he's constantly marveling at it.
MTV: I would think the greatest challenge for you was to portray a romance that "Twilight" fans consider to be so powerful and epic. Where did you go for inspiration?
Rosenberg: Well, "Romeo and Juliet" is an obvious comparison. I discovered [after reading "Twilight" that Meyer] uses "Romeo and Juliet" quite heavily in "New Moon." And this is going to sound a little crazy, but "Brokeback Mountain" was a great model of forbidden love.
MTV: So when it came time to portray the Edward/Bella romance, you thought about Heath and Jake?
Rosenberg: Well, "Brokeback Mountain" for two reasons: One, the short story [that was the basis] for "Brokeback Mountain" is beautiful, pure, very small — 20 or 40 pages — and the writers of "Brokeback Mountain" [the movie] would take one sentence, one four-word sentence, and it would become a story line. It would become a character. It was such a beautiful adaptation. I learned a great deal from reading that book and then watching the movie. It taught me a lot about adapting. But I had the opposite challenge with "Twilight" than they had with "Brokeback" — with "Brokeback," they had to let it grow and breathe. I had to condense a great deal. For instance, with the James character and the evil vampires — taking what is really only the last 25 percent of the [novel] and bringing it forward. There were a couple moments like that where you go, "OK, wait a minute, [Meyer] is just suggesting this. But let's let it play."
MTV: But as far as the Edward/Bella romance is concerned, you see similarities to the "Brokeback" relationship?
Rosenberg: Yeah, it was just so poignant, and the forbidden-love element, that you have this deep yearning and passion and yet you have to keep it secret — to want to be with each other and to have to stay away on some level. So "Brokeback," for me, was a great model for how to structure the romance in the story.
MTV: Can you give us an example of something that wasn't in the book but you wanted to work into the script?
Rosenberg: Initially, I thought the world of the book is very much in the Pacific Northwest. It's a very dense, misty, wet area, very eerie and really evocative of a mood. So I thought, "Well, let's just start the movie right there. Let's begin in this world." But then [I met with] Stephenie, and she started talking about Scottsdale [Arizona], which is where she lives and where she grew up. You're surrounded by these very perfect, very beautiful, very wealthy people, and when you're just a normal girl, you feel inadequate in comparison. That's such a cornerstone in her character. ... When Stephenie talked about being in Scottsdale and being raised there, and her feelings of never quite measuring up to these gorgeous, blond, usually plastic-surgery people, she really captured for me the essence of Bella. So we decided that we absolutely had to start with Bella in Scottsdale. This is where we first meet her and see her next to the gorgeous neighbor. And to see her tripping off a stair right away established that character of Bella as that sort of awkward, very normal teenage girl, and [the audience will] fall in love with her for that.
MTV: Wow, very different from the novel. Now, having read "Twilight," we'd also expect Kristen Stewart to spend quite a bit of time in the voice-over booth. Did your script give Bella more or less narrative duties?
Rosenberg: Actually, there's not a lot of voice-over. ... As we went forward, we realized we needed less, and we started pulling out voice-over. The challenge of adapting the book is indeed that it is very internal. ... It was all about getting those conversations that are in her head, getting them out or seeing them. For instance, Bella's feeling awkward about dance — there's a lot of conversation about that, a lot of her talking about how awkward she feels. But to be able to see that in a scene in which Edward asks her to dance and she refuses, I [needed] to actually get that out there and say it.
MTV: The Cullens are described in the novels as being godlike. Is that hard to write?
Rosenberg: Well, we wanted to [depict] Edward's agility and strength, so we created scenes in which he grabs Bella and jumps out a window or he catches an apple that rolls off the table and hands it back to her. [I was] trying to find ways in which to show the different Cullens' abilities and strengths.
MTV: Do we learn more about the evil vampires in the film?
Rosenberg: The evil vampires: James, Victoria and Laurent. They show up in the last quarter of the book, but they've been around. Where were they before they got there? So Stephenie handed me these great villains, and I just took them and peppered them in. ... We learn about James and Victoria's relationship a little bit more, because they are soul mates, which becomes important later on. The objective was to fill them out. They're hungry. Their motivation is they're hungry and they like blood, and they like Bella's blood in particular. It smells very good. James' motivation, of course, is he loves the challenge and is presented with the perfect challenge. That's something Stephenie created, and I absolutely ran with it.
MTV: How do you get into the heads of the various characters?
Rosenberg: The fun of writing is that, in my mind, I get to play Charlie, I get to play Renee, I get to play Bella and Eric and all of them — I get to be that 17-year-old kid like Eric, who is trying to be that mover and shaker of the group. Eric is a compilation of a couple of different human characters. We had to cut down on some of the characters, and we didn't want to cut down on any of the Cullens, so we did have to combine a couple of the human characters. We kind of reinvented him a little bit and made him this sort of very quippy, funny character.
MTV: Which characters does he combine?
Rosenberg: I can't really say. The script and the book have become one to me. I can't remember where the book begins and where the script ends.
MTV: But Eric is a school friend with Bella?
Rosenberg: Yeah, there is actually a character in the book whose name is Eric. Jessica is a combination of Jessica and Lauren. Angela is still Angela, and Mike Newton is still Mike Newton, and Eric combines a couple of the human kids. ... Eric, he was a very smart, very funny guy, and we made him the head of the school newspaper and Angela the photographer. There's a lot of conversations you can have because of that. You can get how shy and awkward Bella is and how uncomfortable she is when Eric and Angela want to interview her for the newspaper.
MTV: Are there any lines of dialogue that make you particularly proud?
Rosenberg: Well, I can tell you this: "Spider monkey," I believe, comes from Rob Pattinson. I didn't actually write "spider monkey."
MTV: Really? Because the fans already love that line in the clips we've seen when Edward tells Bella, "You better hold on tight, spider monkey!"
Rosenberg: That was an improv.
MTV: So is that one of the things where a screenwriter sees the movie and says, "Sweet improv!" Or do you go, "He ruined my script! 'Spider monkey' is not accurate!"
Rosenberg: [Laughs.] Well, what I should say is, "I came up with spider monkey on my own. I wrote that."
MTV: Someday that could be the new "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" — or something like that.
Rosenberg: Exactly.
MTV: Does the "Twilight" movie end cleanly, or does it hint that there's more to come?
Rosenberg: There's a forward-thinking moment in the end. I shouldn't tell you what it is, though.
MTV: Well, we don't want to ruin the ending, we just want to know if there's something juicy in there.

'Twilight' Stars Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz Describe New Flashback Scenes

Plus, Pattinson explains why his version of 'Bella's Lullaby' won't be in the movie.

Robert Pattinson

When news first broke that "Twilight" stars were reshooting scenes of the movie, some worried it was a sign that the vampire flick was in trouble. Kellan Lutz, Peter Facinelli and Taylor Lautner assured MTV News, however, that the new scenes were a good thing.

That, of course, only raised more questions about what the new footage would be. Thankfully, when we caught up with Lutz and Robert Pattinson at the VMAs, they gave us a few more morsels about what has changed about the movie, due out on November 21.

"The reshoots are basically flashbacks that can go [along with] big voiceovers," Pattinson (Edward Cullen) said. "Well, not voiceovers, but big scenes that give the exposition and back story of the Cullens."

"It's more about the treaty, and really summarizing what that really is," Lutz, who plays Edward's brother Emmett, explained. "And showing it — showing versus telling."

In the novel, 17-year-old Bella learns of an old peace treaty that was made between a family of vampires and the Quileute Indian tribe, in which the vampires have agreed not to feed on humans (or convert any more vampires) in exchange for being allowed to live peacefully in Forks, Washington. Instead of just showing Bella listening as young Quileute Jacob tells her the story, Lutz said, "we are actually showing the scenes from back in the day ... what actually went on.

"That's so when it's mentioned, people actually have a sense and a vision of really what it was about," Lutz added, "and whose territory was where."

That meant having the actors dress up in newsboy hats, jodhpurs, ties, vests and boots, to give it a period feel. "The wardrobe was amazing," Lutz said. "I loved everything we wore."

Lutz said the new scenes flesh out parts of the novel that had to be condensed for the screen adaptation. "You can't make a movie that's three hours long to do the book justice," he said. "You have to simplify it. So the things we did add, it kind of summarized like 60 pages of material within three. And I think, for the people who haven't read the book — for the 1 percent of you out there, come on, you got to get the book — I think it's really going to help them understand it as a movie."

In addition to the flashback and a scene that includes Jacob in the prom (as he is in the book), some existing footage also had to be reshot for the movie. They redid the meadow scene (making Edward's skin sparkle more in the sunlight), the kiss in Bella's bedroom and Edward's performance of "Bella's Lullaby" in the Cullen house. Despite what director Catherine Hardwicke hinted at Comic Con, the movie won't be using Pattinson's original composition.

"We reshot the 'Bella's Lullaby' scene with a different piece of music," Pattinson explained. "I heard my original one the other day, and I really liked it. I was kind of depressed afterwards, but I like the new one as well. The new one I didn't write; the composer Carter Burwell did it. The new one fits in with the rest of the score, whereas my one was completely random, so unless you want a five-minute scene of just me playing the piano, I guess it's kind of irrelevant."

Pattinson wasn't too upset, however, since Hardwicke has said she'll use two other tracks he wrote.

And there was one big bonus for all of the actors when they reunited on the set this time around: They got a glimpse of what it might be like to do the possible sequels. "Having all the cast together, it's one of those experiences you never want to end," Lutz said. "I hope it never does."

Every Tuesday is "Twilight" Tuesday here at MTV News! Check back here each and every week for the hottest scoop on the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's beloved vampire series, and we'll still bring you breaking "Twilight" news throughout the rest of the week. And make sure you check out the MTV Movies Blog for our ongoing "Twilight" discussions each and every day.