Eclipse Director Announced

I'm a frequenter of The Twilight Lexicon. In fact, I visit the website multiple times a day, so I pretty much get the news as it comes out. So when it was announced yesterday that a new director had been hired for Eclipse, I knew.

Now, I'm a little wary of this decision at the moment. I'm terrified that the end result will be a situation like X3: The Last Stand, where one director didn't have time, another backed out six weeks before shooting started, and another just effed up the script entirely. We've got about a year before Eclipse even goes into production. A lot could happen in that time frame.

I would say that I was excited at first, but I didn't know who David Slade was, so it really made no difference.

And then I started reading the comments.

Turns out, David Slade directed the movies Thirty Days of Night and Hard Candy, both of which I've seen. Now, I liked Thirty Days of Night, but I didn't think it was ~*amazing*~. Hard Candy, on the other hand...

Okay, for those who don't know, Hard Candy is about a young girl (played by Ellen Page) who meets an older man (played by Patrick Wilson) online and starts chatting with him. Later, the two decide to meet. He takes her back to his place, he wants to photograph her (he's a photographer), and generally, the audience is left thinking, "Oh shit. This guy's gonna rape and kill her!" It's revealed, however, that the girl is a vigilante, suspects this guy of being a pedophile, and tries to expose it.

I love Hard Candy, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to watch it again. In short, it involves torture, entirely enacted by the young girl. It got to the point where I actually felt bad for the guy, who was, in fact a creeper.

But nevertheless, it was a brilliant movie. It was shot in 18 days with a budget of under a million. The lighting scheme is fantastic. During the commentary, it was noted that they wanted to influence the mood with effects other than music, so very little was used. Instead, during an incredibly painful-to-watch scene, they use a track of scissor snippings.

Beautiful. Oh my god... I was worried about how things were transpiring, but I have complete faith in this guy. Chances are, it will be more reminiscent of Twilight -- instead of flashy, which I'm assuming is how New Moon will feel -- but... Wow... I can barely breathe!

New Moon Progress

This is pretty much a general update about my thoughts on how the progression of New Moon is doing.

In a phrase, I can sum this post up: I AM EXCITED! However, that one phrase does not contain all of appreciation that I feel, and it's not even half as witty as what you'll read if you continue.

I guess I should start things off by explaining my opinion when I first heard that New Moon was going to be written, shot, edited, etc. in under a year. Frankly, I was pissed. I saw this as a career stunt -- Twilight did so well and the fans are so dedicated that Summit can just slap together a movie, we'll be happy, and they'll make lots of money. From my vague understanding of film, I didn't think this was enough time. Basically, I recalled a comment I read somewhere that a film usually takes 9 months to be shot and created and all that jazz. Considering that New Moon was likely to have way more CGI than in the beginning (giant wolves, transformations, cliff diving scene, sparkling, etc.), 9 months was probably a little short, and eight months was just screwing with us.

Naturally, my impression has changed considerably.

Okay, so the casting pissed me off at first (and I'm still a little sore). Not telling Krys and Solomon that they might be replaced until they actually are? A pretty crappy thing to do. However, since then, they have put a lot of dedicated effort into this project. Dakota and Cameron? Genius. More authentic Native Americans/First Nations? BRILLIANT. It's all started to come together, and I've become very pleased with the progress.

Still, I'm shocked by how quickly this is all piecing together.

According to Christian (aka Angela), the humans are already done filming. Okay, yeah... They have a pretty small part to begin with, so that's understandable. Even so, I was shocked because it's only been a little over a month since production started.

Then I read at the Lexicon that, according to an off-hand comment made by Kellan Lutz, the Cullens may be done filming in Vancouver shortly. This is also understandable because their appearance is pretty minimal as well.

And then there was that clip from the ET special airing on Thursday. You know, the one where, for a split second, we see Taylor is his new wig hopping over the banister of a deck? Um... WOW!

Don't even get me started on this post, where the Lexicon comments on a recent filming sighting. Apparently, there was a scene that involved a pool, and the Lexicon speculates that, due to apartment-sized green screens looming above, this scene may have been part of the cliff diving scene.

O
M
G

Even better, the picture to your right was released a few days ago. Guys and gals, this is the wolf pack, buffed up and without shirts on and UGH! I was seriously dazed for a while... Sol, you could have done just as well as Chaske, but I can't say I'm entirely displeased. And seriously, those tattoos? Great for two reasons -- 1) Because that sets them opposite the Cullens, who have their crests, and 2) because that just adds to the cult vibe that Jake, Quil, and Embry all get. Sam starts this little group, they stick together, are pretty cryptic, and now they're all getting identical tattoos? GREAT DETAIL, GUYS!

It's not even two months into production and I am absolutely pumped. I had my doubts at first, but maybe they will get this on the road by November 20th. What do you think?

Rob for Tokio Hotel?

First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS, NAOMI! If you've visited the Lexicon in the past day-and-a-half, you've likely seen this interview where the Lex talks to Naomi, who apparently mentioned the Twilight series to Tinsel Korey. Tinsel Korey? Why does that name ring a bell? OH YEAH! It's because she was recently cast as Emily Young!

If this interview doesn't sound familiar to you, go read it; and once again, CONGRATULATIONS!

Thoughts of a Twi-Hard is back to its regularly scheduled program.

So, I'm taking a break from reading this rad fic that Chloe (a fellow Taycober) recommended to me, and I decided to post about an obscure rumor. Now, let me repeat that:

THIS IS A RUMOR!

In fact, the source that's been quoted in saying this has taken the article down. Now, I pride myself in having integrity and not flustering the fans about alleged animosity between Taylor and Robert and such (In fact, I make it a point to poke fun at that crap as much as I can.), but silly little rumors like this are okay by me. I mean, if some poor fan out there gets their hopes up because of this article and is devastated if it turns out to be false, I'm sorry. I will give you my heart in place of your broken one.

I bet you're wondering what exactly this rumor is, right?

Well, according to BellaAndEdward.com and several other sources, a Czech website reported that Robert Pattinson -- our lovely Edward -- is a fan of Tokio Hotel. Now remember, I have no way of verifying this information. The article no longer exists on the website in question and is simply floating around on various blogs and TH and Twilight fansites. It's very likely this is a fabrication.

"Yeah, yeah," you're saying. "Fine. That would actually mean something to me if I knew who the hell Tokio Motel was." Um... Actually, it's Hotel.

THIS is Tokio Hotel.

Before you say anything, yes, I know that the second guy on the right looks like a chick, and yes, I did just say *that guy*. Before you ask me if he's gay, rethink that question: does it matter? If it does, Google it. I'm not here to verify the gays between the hets.

For the real information: Tokio Hotel is a German band that was founded in 2001 by twin brothers Bill and Tom Kaulitz, Gustav Schäfer, and Georg Listing. On Wikipedia, their sound is listed as a mix between pop rock, emo, teen pop, and glam rock. They aren't for everyone, but I think they're rad, and apparently MTV did too, because in 2008, they won the Best New Artist award.

Now that we've got introductions out of the way, I'm sure you're interested in that 'article' I mentioned earlier. Well, here it is:

Actor Rober Pattinson granted an interview and said that Tokio Hotel are great and the best option for the movie soundtrack "New Moon". In an interview with American magazine has shown that the actor is a fan of the band Tokio Hotel.

What do you think of the Twilight soundtrack?
Robert: Sountrack for the film I very good, Paramore are very talented ...

Who would you like to like the soundtrack to the next?
Robert: I like the band Tokio Hotel, have a good sound and lyrics, which are appropriate to the film.

A certain song?
Robert: One song I like and reminds me of the film, Rescue Me!

(Yeah, the grammar's a little off, but this was apparently the Google translation from Czech to English.)

I was absolutely stoked when I read this (And when I was under the impression that this was 100% legit. I'm questioning it now.) See, I'm a huge fan of Tokio Hotel. My obsession started about, oh, two weeks ago, and I can't get enough of them. (I've actually known about them for around two years, but I only decided to check into them last month.) And really, I feel like the Universe is giving me signs of, "HEY! I THINK THEY'RE GREAT TOO!" because I recently found out that a member of my FAVORITE BAND remixed a song of theirs, and now this? Twilight means a lot to me, and one of its actors likes them?

Well, probably not. It's kind of 50-50 right now whether or not this article is the real deal, but I can hope, right?

As far as the statement itself, whether Robert said it or not, I actually agree. Rescue Me is a beautiful song that would fit perfectly with the album. (So would Rette Mich, but I'm assuming the people at Summit and whatever would want an English version. Sigh.)

What I'm going to do is embed a YouTube video of the song with the lyrics, since there is no official video. Listen to it; read it; tell me what you think! And I hope I'm talking to at least somebody. Please, somebody stumble upon this blog and tell me what your opinion is. I'm desperate for some reader interaction!



Personally? VERY Bella to Edward.

I'm Baaaaack! (And the Wolf Boys Have Been Found!?)

It's been a little over a month since my last post. No, I didn't forget about this. To be honest, I became re-obsessed with X-Men, and it's pretty usual that I can deal with only one obsession at a time. However, I'm going to try to balance out the two. Rogue can live with Bella and vice-versa.

I thought a great way to approach this blog's reestablishment would be to talk about the recent casting of the wolf pack. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am obsessed with the pack. I'm usually a vampire fan, but the Quileute's stole my heart in Twilight, and I was really excited to find out that they'd cast most of the wolves.

Before the excitement came a bit of heartbreak, though. I've been a supporter of Solomon and Krys since the very beginning, and I was rooting for them to be cast again as Sam and Embry respectively. Via the Team Solomon Facebook Page, I was directed to an interview where Solomon finally told us that he was not going to be back as Sam. Every part of me was devastated. Summit said that all of the cast was back on. Sooooooo, what? Sol and Krys were never really part of the cast? I mean, okay, the actress that played Amber the Waitress was technically part of the cast, too, and I'm pretty sure she won't be back, but there's a difference between her and our two boys: her part never shows up again; Sol and Krys were playing characters who appear throughout the series.

Still, I will respect the decision to re-cast them. There's nothing we can do now. Maybe it was, according to speculation, an attempt to bring in hunkier actors. Maybe it was just that they didn't want to pay Sol and Krys to fly out to BC. Whatever the reason, it's happened, and I'm sure all of the actors -- including the replacements -- are just lovely.

NOW ON TO MY PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS! (Taylor Lautner not included)

Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley
This is definitely the one that hurts the most. Solomon just looked like Sam to me. Not only that, but he worked his butt off for the part and cut his hair. Anybody who's read or heard this kid speak about his hair knows that's a frickin' big deal. So naturally since I've got my mind on Solomon, my idea about Chaske playing the part is going to be skewed.

From a biased point of view, Chaske looks all wrong. While the picture was loading on the TwiFans social community, I was thinking, "Why the hell is an asian playing the part?" Yeah, yeah. I know the argument: Native Americans are descended from Asia. Still, when I saw his eyes, the first thing that came to mind was Korean. That hardly matters, though, since I'm an ethnically uneducated white girl. I'm just hoping that all of the other ethnically uneducated white girls will be able to see my point of view so that I don't sound like such a douche. (I realized my mistake once the picture loaded completely, by the way.)

Anyway, since I don't like the look of him from the very start, I decided to take a more professional approach and look at his IMDB page. For all of those who were worried about the Dakota casting starting a trend, don't fret. Chaske seems to be, like most everyone else, a relatively unknown actor. He's been in only four projects, most of which seem to be television episodes (though he was apparently the lead in Skins). The guy's so well under the radar, there's no other information about him.

Which is why I just Googled him. The first article about this Native actor is very intriguing, and I find myself really liking Chaske. He's very humble and remarks about some of the mistakes he's made while acting. He's a Guns 'N' Roses 'fanatic'. He's even hoping to branch out of the Native stereotype.

Okay, let me get one thing out before I'm flamed: there's nothing wrong with having some pride for who you are. I enjoy watching movies that focus around traditional Native American roles. (Pocahontas and Imprint come to mind.) Still, I think it gets a little old when every Native actor you see is playing a nature-connected, talking-in-riddles, many-moons-ago character. Are Native Americans not capable of being spiritual and traditional and integrated into contemporary society? Do they all lecture you about the dying trees and dance around bonfires? Their culture is definitely interesting and I love it, but there is more to a Native actor than just his or her ancestors' customs. They are people just like us. I feel like a lot of movies and television shows create such spectacles out of them, like they're almost alien. It's ridiculous.

Back to Chaske: I approve.

Tyson Houseman as Quil Ateara
Oh. My. God. HOW CUTE! At first, I was taken aback by the almost nerdiness of Tyson, but he's so ADORABLE! He is definitely not how I pictured Quil, but I'm extremely excited to see him with Claire in Breaking Dawn. That scene is going to be SO epic. I can actually picture Tyson being the sweet, caring guy that will do anything for this little girl, no matter how ridiculous.

Now, this guy is even more unknown that Chaske. Tyson doesn't even have his own IMDB page. I did find a resume of sorts. It appears that New Moon will be his first television and movie production, but he's been on stage quite a few times -- The Laramie Project and Romeo & Juliet being just two of the shows he's done. It also looks like he has a pretty good grasp on training, and he likes to snowboard. Awww! CAN I HAVE HIM!?

Approve.

Alex Meraz as Paul
I'm just...going to stare and giggle like a little infatuated school girl, okay?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm done.

First of all, I don't really have an opinion of Paul. However, somebody over on the TwiFans social network commented that he would be perfect because he has a menacing look to him, or something like that.

Alex is certainly the one getting most of the attention out of the new pack cast. Girls everywhere are fanning themselves (and with good reasons). He also seems to be one of the most experienced thus far. On his IMDB page, Alex's filmography lists five productions he's been in, one for which he was nominated for an award. True, most of those parts don't even have names (a common theme being warrior and dancer), but he's making his way up on the charts.

Little else is revealed on his IMDB page (except that he's 5'11", was born in '85, is from Arizona, and likes to paint), so I turned to Google yet again to fill in the gaps. The only really useful link on the first page ended up being his MySpace. What we learn from there is that he's highly artistic (and rather inclined to paint the female form) and trained in martial arts. Who wants to see a fight between him and Taylor? ;D

Approved.

Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call
This kid is the least known of them all, apparently. There is one picture that was available, and it was used in a collage.

Like with Chaske, I'm a little biased when it comes to the fitting of actor to character for this part. Krys didn't have any lines, but I'm a firm believer in sticking with the actors you choose. However, I'm not as torn as I am with Chaske because holy crap, Kiowa is fucking CUTE! Man, if he had gone to my school, I would have been crushing on him.

Just like Tyson, he doesn't have an IMDB page. I also didn't get much from Google, but I managed to find out that he might be 18 and from Arizona. Hmmmmm.

APPROVED!

Bronson Pelletier as Jared
I also don't really have an opinion on Jared. As far as Bronson, he's a cutie. :)

Looking up his IMDB page, his filmography currently includes (without New Moon) two other television shows. It also has a little trivia, like he enjoys snowboarding in Alberta and is of Plain Cree descent. The kid's off to a good start so far. He's been nominated for three awards -- 1 Gemini and 2 Leos.

Google offers little more. So, with not a lot of information, I'm really antsy to see how he'll do!

Approved.

And then we get to another Quileute member:

Tinsel Korey as Emily
This choice is definitely a fan-favorite. Since shortly after Twilight's release, fans have been questioning questioning which actresses should play Emily and Leah. The fans were pretty much set for Tinsel to play Emily and Q'orianka Kilcher to play Leah.

We got our wish.

By far, Tinsel is probably the most experienced Native actors to be cast. Not including New Moon, IMDB lists that she has been involved in 18 projects, often reappearing in episodes of television shows.

She also gets the most useful links out of Google. Tinsel's official website tells us quite a bit about her. She's been a performer since day one, singing and acting for as long as she can remember. She worked on "Into The West" with Chaske.

Here is also a link to her MySpace music page. Maybe she'll make it onto the NM soundtrack... :3

APPROVED! APPROVED! APPROVED!

In closing, all I have left to say is THANK GOD MICHAEL COPON DIDN'T GET IN!

Edward 'Present' In New Moon?

I haven't updated in two days. Really, I've felt there was nothing to talk about. Now, there is, so let the ranting begin!

If you're a fan of Twilight, you should know the story of New Moon. Edward leaves Bella. Bella emotionally breaks down. Bella becomes BFF with Jake. Jake makes Bella happier than she's been in a while. Bella gets into accidents and hears Edward's voice. Bella continues to do stupid things for that reason. Bella jumps off of cliff. Jake 'saves' her. Alice doesn't see that part. Rosalie calls Edward. (He's in Italy.) He thinks she's dead. He tries to get himself killed. Alice and Bella get to Italy in time to save him. The Volturi meet Bella. Jane's power doesn't work on her. They decide she (Bella) needs to either be eaten or turned. They're going to keep tabs on the situation.

Okay, that was longer than necessary, especially since you already knew everything. However, there was kind of a point. (I just made it up right now. :D) Everyone who has read New Moon knows that Edward isn't in most of it. Jacob really gets his shot, and Bella experiences what it's like to care for him but to be without Edward. It's a double-edged sword.

But I personally think that's what makes the book great.

I admit -- I'm a little biased with my love for Jacob. As much as I've always wanted Bella and Edward to be together, I loved reading about my favorite wolf. But that doesn't mean I was glad Edward was gone.

I'll get to the point. In this article, Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger discuss how Twilight has changed Summit. One question produces a particularly interesting answer.

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.

Now, I'm not going to throw myself into a frenzy because I really don't understand what that means. However, that's the point. What does 'Edward is present for the movie' even mean? Are they talking about the scenes that Edward is just naturally in? Are they going to do some interesting manipulation with when Bella hears his voice? Are they going to alter the storyline? WHAT!?

There's no doubt that Robert's popularity has sky-rocketed since this film. He was voted as People's 13th sexiest man alive. Girls of all ages are swooning. It's become ridiculous. You can't go anywhere without hearing how gorgeous he is now. And some people have taken that as a sign that without Robert, the movie won't sell as well.

Robert's performance was great. So was Kristen's. So as everybody else's. I can understand the fear, but I don't think it's validated. Remember the 75,000 people who petitioned to have him removed from the role of Edward? Until the viral advertising of Twilight, nobody even really knew or cared about Robert. Of course, he'll always have those die-hard from the beginning fans, but those don't make up the majority of the Twilght fanbase. And to be clear, when I say that few cared about him, I didn't mean as a person. He's well worth caring about; however, very few people were familiar with his work. It's hard to be passionate about somebody that you don't know very well.

It's safe to say, then, that Robert wasn't the one who brought in all of the fans to the theaters. It was Twilight itself.

The same thing is going to happen here with New Moon.

A lot of people probably want to see Rob, but the majority will already know the storyline and accept that he's not in most of it. They'll still go see it anyway. Maybe the hardcore anti-Jacob fans will be miffed about the uberness of the wolf's presence, but even they know what is going to happen.

I'm a little worried that by 'Edward is present in New Moon', they mean they're adding scenes. I, personally, am 100% against that. Not because, like I mentioned, I'm happy about Edward being gone (because I'm not), but because I think this storyline is of an incredibly sensitive nature.

Some have mentioned that perhaps they'll show Edward talking to Bella. That might do the smallest amount of damage than the other choices, but it would seriously irk me. Bella can't see Edward. She looks for him, but she only hears him. That's because his voice is in her imagination. Edward doesn't KNOW what's going on. Her imagination is fabricating his presence. As Stephenie said, if Edward knew what was going on, he would leave to get to her IMMEDIATELY.

Some have suggested that maybe they'll depict Edward's 'adventures' in Italy; show his pain. And while that would be cool, let's save that for the sequel to Dark High Noon. *cough* Most of the Twilight series -- from Twilight to Beaking Dawn-- is from Bella's point of view. The first movie did really way in staying that way, and that's how the series should continue.

There are numerous possibilities as to what they could mean when they 'Edward is present'. Short of them meaning that he is present in the original scenes from the book, I'm pessimistic about the outcome.

You know what happens, but let me rant, okay?

Edward doesn't just take a vacation or take time off to think about things. He leaves, and he takes everything with him. After Jasper attacks, Edward begins to recalculate his relationship with Bella and decides that it isn't safe. His departure to Italy is an attempt to erase himself from her life. That's pretty dramatic.

When he's gone, Bella is described as catatonic. She goes through the motions, but she doesn't live her life. And then she starts hanging out with Jacob. He takes her mind off of the pain. She never forgets Edward and the pain without him, but she feels better with Jacob than she's felt since the loss of Edward.

But then she hears his voice. She fixes up motorcycles and cliff dives and does all of this stupid stuff just to hear his voice. It's a voice that's only in her head, much less. And after cliff diving, Alice gets a vision and doesn't see Jake pulling her to shore because of he's a werewolf, so everyone thinks Bella's dead. Even Edward. He thought that by leaving her, she would be safe, but it looked like she still died anyway. And that's when Edward becomes desparate. He loses it and decides to get himself killed. Bella and Alice barely make it in time!

There's so much suspense that is involved in the book. Why would they change it? Somebody mentioned about twilight: Why change it when it's selling? If Edward is present for the movie in places where he's supposed to be absent, that takes away from the intensity of the story. We should all being wondering where the hell Edward is and what he's doing, even the fans who have read the books. If Edward's there, there's no room left for questioning!

Plus, Robert could use the time off. :( The guy seems so fragile. It would definitely be a nice break for him.

Michael Copon Congratulates Taylor Lautner

*Takes a deep breath* It's going to be so hard for me to do this article. I loathe this man with a passion. Reading about him, hearing him -- it boils my blood and I seriously get enraged. But I'm going to be as accurate as possible with this article just like I've been with the two before.

If you haven't heard the name Michael Copon, you probably live under a rock. How's the Internet service down there? :P His acting resume includes productions like The Scorpion King 2, One Tree Hill, and Bring It On: In It To Win It. But as of lately, Copon is most famous for the rumors that placed him as one of the top choices to play the bigger, buffer, 'older' Jacob Black in New Moon.

I don't know when the rumors first started, but the longer that Summit refused to comment on the state of Taylor's future involvement, the more it looked like Michael Copon was going to be taking over. To give you an idea of how long the agony of not knowing lasted: On December 20th, I checked up on Twilight news over at TST. (I'd lost the Internet at my house and hadn't been able to access it for about a week and a half.) On that day, I saw that Michael Copon was rumored to be replacing Taylor. It wasn't until January 7th that Summit came out with an official statement that Taylor was secured as Jacob. Okay, that was less than a month, but it felt like forever.

Now, I pride myself in being a reasonably rational individual. At first glance, Copon is kind of cute, and he even looks a little bit like an older Taylor. I'd already fallen in love with Lautner as Jacob, but I knew that if they felt like they had to replace him, there was nothing I could do about it. I'd accept this man, and I'd chew out anybody who chose to throw a bitch fit over it. (TST reported that Copon was receiving nasty messages from Lautner fans. I was -- and still am -- appalled by that kind of behavior.)

And then I read the J-14 interview.

This is where a lot of Twilight/Jacob/Taylor fans became absolutely rabid. In the interview, Michael Copon essentially inflated his already enormous ego while simultaneously putting Taylor down. He talked about how Jacob wasn't brought to justice; he was too 'one-sided' and only had 'two colors', whereas Copon felt he could exhibit the 'hundreds of colors' that Jacob was meant to have.

At this point, it's already clear that this guy has never read Twilight. And you know, that's fine. Most of the actors in the film didn't read any of the books until they were cast. But when you run your mouth about something, you should know what you're talking about. Perhaps in Twilight Jacob is a little one-sided; maybe he only does have two colors. But that is because in TWILIGHT, Jacob is a plot device. That part of his character was always there; he was always meant to add a little mystery to the Cullens. However, he wasn't supposed to be as involved in the rest of the series as what he is now. Jacob's character 'spoke' to Stephenie Meyer, and thus she included him in the rest of the series. It's not fair to say that Lautner made Jacob 'one-sided' because Jacob doesn't really develop until New Moon.

The interviewer later on questions Copon's preperation for the role. Now, to be fair, the questions were asked in a manner of comparison, but Michael's answers sometimes feel a bit too pushy to me -- like he was trying to make us see the flaws in Taylor so that we'd start imagining him as Jacob. Case in point: He comments that he is 200lbs, so if anything, he needs to lose some weight. Michael then furthers the obviousness of his answer with, 'Taylor's probably what, 140 if he's lucky?' And then he goes further, comparing their heights.

The question was Taylor's been bulking up to try to get the role. Have you been preparing in any way?, not Why are you a better choice for Jacob than Taylor?.

The interview soon takes a turn where the accuracy and consistency of Michael's words get a little fuzzy. When asked about the truth about the rumors, Michael said that no auditions were taking place. That seemed pretty truthful. Even though the filming for New Moon is set in March, it seemed a little early for auditions. However, what gets me is when he said 'My representation has been talking to Summit and they're hearing that I'm one of the first picks'. That article took place on December 19th. On January 7th, just hours before the official statement was released, EW posted an article about the likeliness of Taylor's return and confronted rumors about Copon and Barnes seeking the covetted Twilight role. EW posted: Recently, there have been rumors that Michael Copon (The Scorpion King 2) and Steven Strait (10,000 BC) are jockeying for Lautner's spot. But you can chalk that up to empty Web noise: Reps for both actors say nei­ther has been approached for the role.

So which is it, Michael? Were your agents in touch with Summit and hearing that you were up for it? Or was there absolutely no contact in the first place?

As the Michael vs Taylor hype increased, screencaptures of Michael's facebook status started surfacing, and it started huge debates. Status messages included "Michael Copon [is] in a Twilight Zone!" and "Michael Copon is the older Jacob Black!". Now, in the above video, Michael Copon claims that the Facebook was a fake. Somebody created it with the intent of impersonating the actor.

MTV, however, says differently.

Okay, so I don't believe everything MTV says. In the recent Vanessa Hudgens uproar, MTV twisted Ashley Greene's words around to make it sound like she had some 'inside information'. However, I'll offer this up and let you do with it what you will. MTV is quoted in writing, 'Copon's representative confirmed to MTV News that the Facebook page is run by the actor himself and that those are indeed his words.'

It seems like Michael can't keep his facts straight. Did he create the Facebook page or didn't he?

According to the video above, Summit called and asked if Copon was starting the rumors. He might not have, but he certainly fueled them. I wish him all the best, and maybe he'll land a part in Twilight 2, but he'd better learn some real humility.

UPDATE The Twilight Lexicon has been updating on the Vanessa Hudgens rumor. Sources were printing different information, but I think we've finally got an answer. Melissa Rosenberg, the screenwriter for Twilight and New Moon, stated that 'if Vanessa is auditioning for the role of Leah, she’s written her own pages to read, ’cause I didn’t write ‘em.'

Casting and Introductions

Brenda Song

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Amber. *Waves* Hi, Amber! As you can guess by the title of this blog. I am a big twi-hard.

twi-hard (twahy-hahrd)
- noun
An overobsessive fan of the series Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, usually a teenage girl: Oh my god, that girl is such a twi-hard.

At least, that's my definition. :)

Anyway, on to introducing myself briefly. Like I said, my name is Amber. I'm 19 (20 this September!) and I live in South Dakota. I'm going to be attending college in the fall for two degrees: one in English and one in Environmental Biology. I'm currently writing a book called Manifest, but I'm taking my sweet with it. As for my Twilight obsession, I started reading it back in '07 and I'v become ADDICTED.

But I'm sure you gals and guys are here to read an awesome rant. I'm starting off with one I've written before, but I'm going to continue whining about it. :P


Vanessa Hudgens

There's a rumor that's been going around saying that Disney stars -- specifically Vanessa Hudgens and Brenda Song -- are up for the role of Leah. People are freaking. out. Message boards and websites are in a frenzy about this 'information'. How seriously am I taking this? Honestly, I think it's crap, and here's why:

I like Brenda Song. I think she's cute and adorable. I especially enjoy it when she hosts Disney's 'Pass the Plate'. Yes, I still watch Disney. :P Do I think she'd make a good Leah? Well, no. Her acting is strictly Disney. I don't foresee her breaking out into this complex drama that breaks our hearts any time soon. And seriously, her as Leah? Ladies and gents, the gal is CLEARLY asian. She does not look one ounce Native American. That wipes her off of the map for this part immediately.

How about Vanessa? She's cute. (In a pretty way, not personality-wise. Sorry, VH fans. I'm not fond of her.) She's darker skinned, so that means she's in the running automatically, right? Maybe if Summit/Chris/blah blah blah either doesn't care about authenticity or is just ignorant.

But, aha, they DO care. According to Lana Veenker, a separate company was hired to exclusively cast Native Americans. They are trying to be authentic. And don't just shrug off what Lana says as nonsense. She is actually involved in the casting process, so what she says is pretty true.

On to other factors.

Have you noticed that Summit's being stingy? If I recall the numbers correctly, Twilight was on a budget of $35mil. New Moon's budget is $50mil. That only adds $15mil more to their funds. Now, seriously, are they going to want to HIRE Vanessa/Brenda? No, because those girls have bigger pricetags on their heads. If they hire relatively unknown actors (But still professionals, so don't think that necessarily means you, buddies. It's a hard world out there.), then that means they don't have to pay them as much, which means they get more money in return. Summit is being clear in what it's priorities are: cash and more cash.

And you know what? They can AFFORD to do that! TwilightSeriesTheories.com reported a while back that 'since Black Friday, Amazon.com has sold enough copies of Breaking Dawn that, if stacked end to end, it would reach the summit of Mount Everest 8 TIMES!'. EIGHT times to the top of Mt. Everest. That is NOT a small fandom. A lot of smaller productions feel the need to hire bigger named actors to draw in audiences. However, the fans' love for the books alone generated $70.6mil in its debut weekend, according to BittenandBound.com. That's twice what was put into the film in the first place. And no big names were even IN the cast!

But people are still panicked.

I freaked out once. Remember when Taylor's part was basically up for grabs? Taylor Lautner will never be my Jacob Black, but the kid is dedicated to his role. He was working for it. And then there was that Michael Copon guy who just came in and assumed he was going to get the part. (Before anybody says anything, I was WILLING to give him a chance. C'mon, the guy's kind of cute. But if you don't know why I dislike him, go check out his J-14 interview. You'll see.) A lot of Twilight fans freaked out over that, but according to EW (Who is supposed to be REALLY reliable.), Copon's rep never even got a call for the part. So, essentially, he was never even up for the role. It's quite possible that the same thing is going on with the Disney starlettes. That's actually what Yahoo!News is saying. Now, I'm not sure how reliable Yahoo is in its news, but I'm rather inclined to believe that those two girls aren't even up for the parts. It's logical to me.

In short, DON'T FREAK OUT. Summit and Chris will do what's best for New Moon in the end.

Tchau,
Amber