
Summit Studio chiefs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman are flush with cash now that Twilight is raking in the dough. The Hollywood Reporter has a great interview with the two about the direction New Moon is taking now that Summit has gone from underdog indie to top-dog Hollywood success story thanks to the Twilight franchise–
THR: Despite the success, you’re going in a bit of a different creative direction with Chris Weitz directing “New Moon,” the sequel.
Patrick Wachsberger: If you look at “Harry Potter” — or other movies sort of like “Harry Potter,” I shouldn’t compare — but they change director every movie. The second book is slightly different. (There are) new characters and more visual effects. Catherine (Hardwicke) did a fantastic job (on “Twilight”), and there is a naturalistic feel to the movie that she created and we’re going to keep. The first movie was very good, and we hope the second movie (will) be even better.
THR: What happened with Catherine?
Friedman: Basically, we had a different vision of what the movie should be, and we decided that the best course of action was to part (ways as) friends. She has done a fantastic job with “Twilight” and continues to promote it. She’s still working with us on the movie — the DVD, she’s doing her director’s cut. We just agreed that we had a different vision.
THR: Will “New Moon” stay in the same $38 million budget range?
Friedman: No. The next one will be higher than that. We believe that the film will naturally be more expensive. Sequels become more expensive, and we have more special effects.
Wachsberger: And locations. In the second movie there is a sequence in Italy.
THR: There is talk that because Edward is out of the picture for much of “New Moon,” there will be elements of the second and third books combined into the second movie.
Wachsberger: No, but Edward is present for the movie.
Q&A: Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger









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