I’m sad to report that Chris Weitz has made a decision and has shared it with the world.  I will admit that I think New Moon is beautifully directed and edited.  I think Chris Weitz would have been the perfect choice to direct Breaking Dawn.  He has the connection between the “Tri-fecta” down to a science and he has the experience needed for the special effects that are going to be required.  I know he isn’t the only one, but I’ll just say I’m feelin’ a little down about this news

E! Online reports:

Chriz Weitz may not be directing Breaking Dawn, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t think about it.

“Of course when I was making New Moon and it was doing well, it was natural to think about doing other films in the series. But I haven’t been pressured in any extreme way or anything,” Weitz tells us, adding, “I think it’s time for someone else to step up and do it, just because the third film was done by somebody else.”

That’s not all Weitz had to say. Read on to find out what he thinks about the Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart romance, splitting Breaking Dawn into two flicks and who he thinks should direct the rest of the series…

What do you think of Breaking Dawn being broken into two parts?
The book is very dense, so it’s appropriate that it’s broken into two parts. And I think that even though Twilight fans kind of want to have as much as they can at any one given time, I think they would be sad if it ended too abruptly.

What do you think of the idea of the violence and sex from the book being played out on screen?
A lot of it takes place offstage, offscreen, so I’m not sure if the sexuality presents a tremendous problem. The violence and the gore…I don’t think those are a particular problem either, because the MPA that sets the rating for it doesn’t have a huge problem with the violence for some odd reason.

Who do you think should direct the films?
I love Martin Scorsese, I love Wes Anderson, I love Michael Winterbottom. I’m not sure any of them would feel like this is their next best step, to direct a film in the Twilight series.

Is the obsession over Rob and Kristen’s possible romance ever going to end?
They’re both so appealing and attractive, and it’s very fun to think about them being together. But myself, I’ve always tried to maintain plausible deniability by knowing as little as humanly possibly as I could about what is happening, and I will continue to do so.

Do you have any advice for them?
The pressure they’re under and the amount of scrutiny they’re under is nothing that I’ve ever had to face. If I ever have that many people that interested in what I’m doing, I’ll call Rob and Kristen and ask them what I should do.

What are your thoughts and feelings?  Who would you like to see direct Breaking Dawn (and possibly Breaking Dawn 2)?

During my very few wanderings today through Twitter and TwiCrackAddict I made a wonderful discovery of revealed secrets about New Moon from Chris Weitz! 

I totally noticed the camera being knocked over during Jacob and Paul’s wolf rumble.  I love having the translation of what Aro said during the Volturi scene.  Love it!

So which one’s did you notice?  Did you catch every the first time or has it taken multiple viewings?

@Twilight is currently holding a sweepstakes on Twitter.  All you have to do is Tweet to them “I’ve seen New Moon __ times!” and you’re entered to win…today they promised this…

Want a call from Chris himself?  Get on Twitter and make sure you’re following @Twilight and send them the above Tweet!  While you’re at it, make sure you’re following @TwiMoonlight, @TwiCullenized and your’s truly, @TwiNightingale for our latest updates!

While Kristen and Taylor are making their way through parts of South America, Robert and New Moon Director Chris Weitz are starting New Moon promotions in Japan.  Check out the handsome duo in the pictures below!

From Popsugar:

“Robert Pattinson arrived in Tokyo over the weekend, and his promotional duties for New Moon kicked off this morning. He joined the film’s director, Chris Weitz, and the Japanese singer Miliyah Kato for a press conference at Shinagawa Intercity Hall, where they all posed for photos and fielded a few questions. We’re looking for your questions for Robert, too — do you have one to ask him? Robert showed off his usual range of emotions, as he laughed, sipped water, and playfully ran his fingers through his hair. Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner are off doing similar work in Brazil and Mexico, and hopefully the trio is reunited soon as they all continue on their worldwide press tour.”

Thanks to Popsugar for all the yummy photos!  To see them (there are TONS!) go HERE

There’s already a Twitpic from Chris Weitz!  If you’re on Twitter, you can follow Twilight HERE.

http://twitpic.com/lafux – From Chris Weitz – The sound mixing stage!

 From Chris Weitz – At sound mixing stage… introducing the werewolves. Trying to get the perfect bass rumble.

Kristen double and Kristen Stewart

Start the guessing!  Me thinks it’s probably the dream sequence for Bella, but whatever it is, these new stills and behind the scenes pictures posted by the LA Times are GORGEOUS! OME!

Bella double and Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson, Chris Weitz and Kristen Stewart

Feast your eyes on ALL the pictures HERE

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, reading an interview with Chris Weitz is like a breath of fresh air.  He makes every interview sound new and inviting.  He gives good view…period.  Chris spoke with Boxoffice (via TeamEdwardPOV) Check out this snippet:

Chris Weitz, Director, New Moon

“You always hear about the male gaze in films, but this seems to have such a strong female gaze. One of the prerequisites is how many times Pattinson and Lautner take off their shirts.”

Chris: It’s there in the script, and that’s one for the ladies, really. Women have been objectified plenty in Hollywood films. And there’s still sort of a chasteness to the objectification in Twilight and New Moon. One approaches it hopefully with a bit of tact—not just an exercise in beefcake peddling. You hope when you’re shooting any kind of above-the-waist nudity that it suits the demand of the moment, it isn’t just in there for the hell of it. That being said, I think we did come to Comic-Con with a lot of muscles and it was really fun to see the reaction to it. I’ve tried to make films that take into account the female members of the audience. Even American Pie, which comes from a genre that is notoriously misogynist.

What’s wrong with above the waste nudity just for the heck of it??  Just kidding…kind of.  Check out the whole interview HERE

I can honestly say that every interview I’ve read from Chris Weitz brings newfound insight.  It’s rare that he says the same thing to one interviewer that he has said to another.  He’s extremely diplomatic with his responses (especially in terms of Twilight fans) and is very thoughtful in the things that he says.

NMM posted this new interview from Bliss Magazine translated by Lion_Lamb.

Robert Pattinson in New Moon

Body Beautiful:
“It’s impossible to take a bad picture of Rob, even with these motion picture spots all over him! I think the hysteria over him is greater than for any of the other guys because the character he’s playing is unattainable and perfect. Thankfully, Rob has a highly developed sense of the absurd, so he doesn’t suffer as much as he otherwise would. However, when we were in Vancouver, there were days when he would just stay indoors and read or watch movies. If he went to his window, people would scream! He was kind of a hermit, really/ It’s hard for me to judge how he’s changed because I didn’t know him in the last movie.”

Rounding out Fansite Fridays, Twilighters Anonymous reveals part one of their interview with Chris Weitz, sure to make viewers take a big sigh of relief. Read the rest of the article HERE.

How is the transition from your version to Catherine Hardwicke’s film? Sometimes when directors change there is a big change. You can tell from the style. What kind of style do you bring to this film?

Chris: I think the biggest change would be that I am a bit of an old fogy. I’m old-fashioned and I think Catherine is very “fashion forward” and conscious of a pop sensibility. I am more tied to the old-fashioned romantic films. So that would be, if you were a film nerd, you would notice the palate of the film, the camera work. I am a lot less likely to use hand-held cameras than Catherine Hardwicke is. Things like that, they are more stylistic differences than my kind of “taking it and throwing it away.”

Obviously I owe her a lot, because she cast this great cast [so] I kind of inherited this cool “toolbox” and this extraordinary fan base.

Was there anything from the first film that you felt you had to change?

Chris:movie at all but that has been an organic development.movie. It is wrong if it feels that way. It is only right if the visual effects convey the feeling that is in the books in the first place. The world of the book expands naturally, like with the Volturi. Obviously, they weren’t in the first No, I don’t. I think the key things that worked with the first
movie are the relationships and the feelings of the main characters are the [same] things will work about this. Everything else is just bells and whistles. I mean, there are a lot more special effects in this film so the fact that I had a lot of experience in that area kind of helps. But it shouldn’t feel so different. It shouldn’t suddenly as though you are in an action
movie or a visual effects

Check out previous editions of Fansite Fridays at TA:

• Fansite Friday with Taylor Lautner: http://twilightersanonymous.com/fan-site-fridays-exclusive-new-moon-movie-set-interview-taylor-lautner-newsblog.html
• Fansite Friday with Gil Birmingham & Chaske Spencer: http://twilightersanonymous.com/fan-site-fridays-exclusive-new-moon-movie-set-interview-gil-birmingham-chaske-spencer-newsblog.html
• Fansite Friday with Wyck Godfrey: http://twilightersanonymous.com/fan-site-fridays-exclusive-new-moon-movie-set-interview-producer-wyck-godfrey-newsblog.html