SDCC: ‘Twilight Saga: New Moon’ Panel (Plus Video!)

Published by Jeff Leins on: July 23rd, 2009

Earlier today the press had their first crack at the three stars of The Twilight Saga: New Moon during the San Diego Comic-Con.  Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and Robert Pattinson patiently answered softball questions for reporters before psyching themselves up for the frenzy they were about to endure.  Take a look at my earlier post for details and video of the press conference.

Last year’s Comic-Con was over an hour of squealing females eager for their first glimpse of Pattinson and Stewart before the release of Twilight.  This year they were a bit more prepared (but not quite) for the lines of fans who had camped overnight for a prime spot in Hall H.  Director Chris Weitz and actress Ashley Green joined them on stage for the afternoon panel where the crowd constantly snapped pictures and screamed with delight.  Two scenes were screened, both featuring the male stars shirtless…  I guess they wanted to give the primarily female audience something special for sitting outside all day.

The first clip was of Bella (Stewart) learning to ride a motorcycle with her friend Jacob (Lautner).  Bella’s depression after Edward (Pattinson) leaves her is illustrated by multiple visions of a ghostly Edward telling her to slow down.  When she ultimately crashes, Jacob pulls off his shirt to stop the bleeding from her head.  Abs aplenty.  Update: a bootleg copy has found its way online, though I doubt it will last long.

The other scene involved the sequel’s climax when Edward has decided to reveal himself as a vampire and force his execution by the Volturi, a powerful coven.  Bella rushes to stop him in a slow-motion dash through the crowded Italian streets.  Edward removes his shirt as he steps into the sunlight and starts to sparkle, the vampiric reaction to the sun in the series rather than traditional disintegration.  Hey girls, did I mention he was shirtless?

The LA Times has the best rundown of the Q&A, so if you’re interested in every exchange between the audience and the panel, check out their article.

The cast answered questions and discussed the director change from Catherine Hardwicke.  Stewart said it was more and “cerebral” this time around, not “impulsive” like the original.  Green echoed her thoughts about the first film by adding, “There was a lot more nervous energy.  No rhyme or reason to anything, we just kind of did it.”