Summit Aims High for ‘Breaking Dawn’ Director

Published by Jeff Leins on March 17, 2010

Summit Entertainment is aiming incredibly high in their search for a director to helm Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

Among the filmmakers on their wish list for the series conclusion are Oscar-nominated talents Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), Gus Van Sant (Milk), and Bill Condon (Dreamgirls).  Only Van Sant’s representatives confirmed to EW he was approached about the possibility.

The position remains open until franchise screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg can deliver an outline or draft of the screenplay to the studio, who refused to comment on continuing negotiations.

It’s cute of Summit to think they could land an auteur at that level.  Judging by their artistic output and busy schedules, all three are very unlikely to accept the pressures and constraints of working on the hit franchise, especially when the studio and Meyer will call most of the shots from start to finish.  I suppose the same could be said about Eclipse filmmaker David Slade before he accepted the paycheck, but he ultimately lost final cut and whatever control he might have had when Summit brought in their own editor to complete the third installment.  This list is wishful thinking at best.

Reports have indicated Summit plans to split the 756-page novel in two separate films to be shot back-to-back in mid-October.  Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner are expected to return, but as of last month the studio was still hashing out the contracts necessary for an additional film.  Both Stewart and Pattinson received $7.5 million to appear in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and Lautner recently received the same amount to star in Universal’s Stretch Armstrong, making him the highest-paid teenager in Hollywood.

As for the plot, fans should start preparing themselves for changes to their beloved story.  The generally chaste, PG-13 concepts take a turn towards controversial when Edward and Bella consummate their nuptials with a honeymoon romp that leaves her pregnant with a half-human/half-vampire fetus (which may or may not be CGI).  There’s also an abortion discussion, a C-section with teeth, numerous unfilmable telepathic conversations, and Jacob imprints (falls in love) with the infant.