Twilight Director Catherine Hardwicke Will NOT Helm Sequel ‘New Moon’

Summit Entertainment has announced that Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke will not direct the sequel for this big new franchise. The bad news for Hardwicke comes just as she and the Twilight cast are on their European press tour. Tomorrow’s interviews in France will now focus entirely on what happened, and what Catherine did to deserve this treatment.

This also could blow up into a scandal for Summit if it chooses a male director over Hardwicke, whose Twilight easily beat Mimi Leder’s 1998 Deep Impact box office gross as the biggest opener for a female director.

Summit Entertainment Co-Chairman/CEO Rob Friedman stated that: “Catherine and Summit have agreed to part ways on the sequel because our visions are different.” The start-up studio’s hastily prepared statement (below) notes: “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.”

It seems that the prep time/scheduling issue not withstanding the ‘visions are different’ may be be the real story, but is unlikely to get expounded on. Will this decision mean the supposed Spring shooting start for the sequel is now in jeopardy? Probably not.  Many directors are no doubt chomping at the bit for a chance at a sequel as anticipated as this one. And Summit probably has already made a few calls before letting Hardwicke go.

Source: Nikki Finke