Summit Entertainment For Sale!

"Twilight" studio Summit Entertainment is still deep in negotiations with two potential buyers, but won't reach an agreement with either before the end of 2011.

The Santa Monica firm remains in talks to sell itself to fellow studio Lions Gate Entertainment and private equity firm Colony Capital, a co-owner of Miramax, people familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly said.

Executives at Summit had hoped to close a deal by the end of the year because of certain tax and financial advantages, two of the people said, but that has virtually no chance of happening by Saturday.

Instead, talks with both parties have slowed down during the holiday season and are expected to pick back up next week. Summit is likely still looking to close a deal as soon as possible, as it is currently in a good position with one more "Twilight" sequel yet to be released and a significant pile of cash that, one knowledgeable person said, will be distributed to investors in the event of a sale.

Both Lions Gate and Colony are said to be offering about $350 million to $400 million to acquire Summit, along with the assumption of roughly $200 million in debt.

If Lions Gate were to take control, Summit chiefs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger are expected to run the merged studio's motion picture group, sources close to the negotiations said. If Colony, which is led by billionaire investor Tom Barrack, were to be the winning bidder, Summit would likely be merged with Miramax. In that scenario, it's likely that Friedman and Wachsberger would run the combined company, possibly alongside Miramax CEO Mike Lang.

RELATED:

Summit management considering buyout of 'Twilight' studio

Lions Gate, Summit homing in on key details for proposed merger

Summit Entertainment, Lions Gate said to be back in merger talks

Source LATimesBlog

Summit Entertainment sues Twilight.com owner for Copyright Infringement

Summit Entertainment is suing the owner/operator of twilight.com, claiming the primitive fan merchandise site violates its copyright:

Summit claims that Tom Markson is illegally using “Twilight” trademarks and copyrights “and leading consumers to believe that they had reached the official ‘Twilight’ motion picture website.’”

BREAKING DAWN “Apparently” to Be Shot in Rio

It remains unclear whether Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, to be directed by Bill Condon, and starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, will be shot in Rio de Janeiro, where Bella and Edward spend their fateful honeymoon.
The problem, or at least the chief problem is reportedly tied to security issues in that city and the homonymous state in which it’s located.
The latest on that from RioFilme’s director/president Sérgio Sá Leitão  in a tweet dated Sept. 6, is that Breaking Dawn will "apparently" be shot in Rio, "though that hasn’t been confirmed, yet."


altfilmguide

Summit Promises That Breaking Dawn Won't Be Rated R

‘I can’t say for a fact, but I just don’t see us getting into an R-rated area,’ studio’s distribution chief tells MTV News.

In the “Twilight” universe, there are levelheaded questions — will “Breaking Dawn” be in 3-D? — and then are the improbable, yet intriguing, ones. Among the more puzzling queries is whether, based on the many scream-inducing elements of its source material, “Breaking Dawn,” will draw an R rating instead of the usual, Twi-approved PG-13.

It’s hard to imagine Summit Entertainment making a “Twilight” movie that would require its tween-heavy audience to convince adults to buy them movie tickets, but the idea nonetheless remains a topic of discussion in the blogosphere. So we decided to put the question to Summit. While the studio acknowledges that discussions about an R rating are definitely taking place (“By all means,” said distribution chief Richie Fay), the studio remains committed to its tried-and-true PG-13.

“I don’t see it ever becoming an R-rated movie,” Fay told MTV News. “The middle road we have to travel is a mutual respect as to staying true to the book but not turning off your audience.

“It’s always with the eye of making Stephenie Meyer happy and making the audience happy,” he added. “I can’t say for a fact, but I just don’t see us getting into an R-rated area with any of the ‘Twilight’ titles.”

That sentiment jibes with what “Breaking Dawn” scribe Melissa Rosenberg has been saying for a while.

“In this series, you don’t sacrifice anything,” she said in April. “There are some movies that wouldn’t play at PG-13, like ‘The Hangover,’ but this is just not one of them for me. Again, if you’re capturing character, emotion and emotional journey, you’re OK.”


MTV via Spunkransom

Cinematical: No 'Twilight' at Comic Con This Year

For the past couple years, San Diego Comic Con has been invaded by thousands of loyal Twi-hards itching to get a good spot at the much buzzed-about Twilight panel so they could scream their pretty little heads off and shake the foundation of the San Diego Convention Center. For anyone who's attended Con these past couple years, you know how insane the Twilight panels were. Picture a rock concert times twelve, with thousands of girls (and their equally-as-obsessed moms) camping outside the convention center for days in anticipation of the hour-long panel. Not only did the panel get in the way of everything else going on (to the point where other studios tried to steer clear of all things Twilight), but it was also a pain in the neck to cover from a press perspective because the thing was a freakin' circus.

Rest easy Con-goers, as Summit Entertainment has just confirmed to Cinematical that there will be no Twilight panel this year. Whether it's because they have no Breaking Dawn footage to show (it won't start shooting until the fall) or because the cast just didn't want to do it, we don't know. What we do know is that Summit will instead be bringing two other films for panels: Red and Drive Angry 3D. Expect Breaking Dawn to pop up next year.

On Thursday, Summit will host a panel for Red, with Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban and Mary Louise Parker in attendance, along with director Robert Schwentke and graphic novel writer Warren Ellis. Aside from a Q&A, they'll be showing off the film's final trailer. On Friday, the Nicolas Cage flick Drive Angry 3D will have a panel with Nic Cage, Amber Heard and director Patrick Lussier. New footage is promised for that one.

Check out the full press release after the jump. So, you Twi-hards pissed there's no Breaking Dawn at Con this year?

Los Angeles, CA July 7, 2010 – Summit Entertainment, which impacted Comic-Con for the past two years when it introduced thousands to THE TWLIGHT SAGA cast in San Diego, will be doing it again by bringing two of the most anticipated action films, RED and DRIVE ANGRY 3D, to this year's convention. Summit will provide a first ever look at exclusive footage as well as cast and filmmakers during panels on Thursday, July 22nd and Friday, July 23rd in Hall H.

Details of the panels are as follows:

Thursday, July 22, 2010 – 2:15pm – 3:15pm – Hall H:


RED – Stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, and Mary Louise Parker join director Robert Schwentke and Red's graphic novel writer Warren Ellis as they debut the final trailer exclusively to Comic-Con 2010, before it's ever in theaters, and answer questions about bringing this well known D.C. Comics graphic novel to the big screen. Based on the graphic novel by Ellis, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren star in this explosive action-comedy in which former CIA top agents become the Agency's top targets because of the secrets they know.

Friday, July 23, 2010 – 10:30am – 11:00am – Hall H:

DRIVE ANGRY 3D – In a Comic-Con exclusive, stars of the film including Nicolas Cage, and Amber Heard as well as director Patrick Lussier will debut footage from the high-octane, blood-spattered road trip through hell. In this newest action horror shot in 3D, a vengeful father hunts down the people who brutally killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby.

In addition to the exciting panels, Summit Entertainment will once again have a booth set up in the Grand Hall at Comic-Con where the studio will showcase titles from its upcoming slate. Those who stop by will be able to answer a call at the Summit phone booth to speak live with Summit filmmakers and talent or customize a t-shirt at the live t-shirt press. In addition, the prize wheel never stops spinning with thousands of promotional giveaways and exclusive prizes to win throughout the convention!

Cinematical via DiarioTwilight

Official Breaking Dawn Press Release from Summit (Kellan & Ashley info)

The Cullen Family Cast Returns For Summit Entertainment's THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN

Los Angeles, CA May 19, 2010 – Summit Entertainment has confirmed that Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser, and Nikki Reed will all return as members of the Cullen Family in THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN. These cast members join Billy Burke as Charlie Swan.

Academy Award® winner Bill Condon will direct THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN based on the fourth novel in author Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. The project is currently being written by Melissa Rosenberg with Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt, and Stephenie Meyer producing. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN is slated to be released November 18, 2011.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

The family of vampires, to which the leading male character Edward Cullen belongs, is comprised of Facinelli as Carlisle, Greene as Alice, Lutz as Emmett, Rathbone as Jasper, Reaser as Esme, and Reed as Rosalie.

The third film in the franchise, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is due in theaters on June 30, 2010.

About the TWILIGHT film series
The TWILIGHT film series stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and tells the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father, and becomes drawn to Edward Cullen, a pale, mysterious classmate who seems determined to push her away. But neither can deny the attraction that pulls them together...even when Edward confides that he and his family are vampires. The action-packed, modern day vampire love story TWILIGHT, the first film in the series, was released in theatres on November 21, 2008 to a blockbuster reception. The second installment of the film franchise, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON was released November 20, 2009. The franchise has grossed over $1.1 billion in worldwide box office ticket sales to date.

About Summit Entertainment, LLC
Summit Entertainment, LLC is a worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production and distribution studio. The studio handles all aspects of marketing and distribution for both its own internally developed motion pictures as well as acquired pictures. Summit Entertainment, LLC also represents international sales for both its own slate and third party product. Summit Entertainment, LLC releases on average 10 to 12 films annually.

TwilightFB

Is Summit Entertainment Now One of the Major Studios?

Will there be life after Twilight? Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in 'Twilight' - Maverick Films Related Content Stories
Summit Replaces Hardwicke on New Moon. Who Should Get the Job?
Summit and Twilight: Was a Bigger Budget Needed?
"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (2010)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

Twilight

So what's the deal? Is Summit Entertainment one of the big studios now? Should we consider them such, or are they still an indie production company? The truth is slightly murky at this point, with the studio still straddling the line between the two and existing in the realm of being something of a MINI-MAJOR. For the past few years it has thoroughly outperformed the indie houses and smaller studios, while pulling in half of the total gross of the smallest major studio. But that could change any minute now.

Summit isn't a studio with an impressive list of films under its belt. While it sports a host of higher profile films, its one saving grace is a small property it picked up and continues to churn out that you know best as Twilight. Flush with cash from their license to print money, they've been investing in more lucrative, somewhat midrange ventures that they hope will pay off. Trouble is, they keep stumbling. While the Twilight films bring in big bucks at the box office, on DVD, and in merchandising, the critical reception has bottomed out, hinting that the franchise will have an extremely short shelf life as the girls who love it now will soon outgrow it. Meanwhile, the studio can't seem to find another hit. This year alone they have two stinkers in the poorly conceived Furry Vengeance and the film with one of the worst endings ever, Remember Me. Neither performed admirably, and while their third film, The Ghost Writer, received tons of critical praise, backlash against director Roman Polanski kept people away.

All told, with a third of the year down, Summit is only accounting for 1.7% of the total box office and is 10th in a 12-horse race. Of course, all that is about to change. With a summertime release of the third Twilight film, Eclipse, there's a good chance repeat business could make this a bigger hit than the last one, even though the third book is notoriously the worst, loathed even by many fans, and Twilight fever seems to be cooling. Even the rage against it seems to be waning, as those angry over glittery vampires lose interest in the joke and move on. Whether or not this breaks any of the previous box-office totals is immaterial; the film will still make a ton of money and shoot Summit once again up the chart to its safe place in the middle of the list.

But can it go over the top? Can a strong box-office take from Eclipse work in tandem with other feminine counterprogrammed films like the saccharine Letters to Juliet (which will play very well to older female audiences) and the younger, hipper Step Up 3D to ultimately break out and push Summit into the top six? Can it muscle its way past struggling studios like Universal that look to have very weak summer lineups? Can Summit finally earn its place at the table and lure some very attractive film projects, taking risks where other studios won't?

Or will they continue to have a year like they're having, and find themselves duking it out for a strong showing in the middle? Personally, I like Summit. I like what they appear to be doing. And I'd love to see another major studio rise to prominence, especially as we watch studios like Miramax, MGM, and the Weinstein Company fade away. Keep an eye on Summit this summer. They might surprise us all and prove to be the little studio that could.

For one, Eclipse is widely regarded by critics and fans as the best book in the Twilight series. Eclipse has the best (most defined) character arcs, clear human-level scope, regular well-needed humor, tense romance, and great action paced throughout the book. Twilight fans sites find that the book is the favorite of the series among approx. 2/3 of readers. Eclipse will definitely be a winner for Summit; preview fans were incredibly enthusiastic, more so than the first two films.

(An aside: Breaking Dawn, the last of the series, is the most controversial book among fans as Bella begins to realize her full potential as a vampire, and the romance is downplayed after the first act; there is an oddly adult infant character introduced which could be problematic, although if Condon simply drops much of the "oddly adult" parts, it should film well. The scope is truly epic, and should really be a great finale. But again, due to the maturing lead role, many fans, especially those in the target demo, have some real problems with the Breaking Dawn).

"Can Summit finally earn its place at the table?" is an important question. I see their real problem as two fold.

First, they need to step up, set aside the odd, indie plots they've championed thus far (other than Twilight), like Remember Me. Star Pattinson wanted to make it, but that should not have been good enough to green light it. It is difficult to tell a good story with mainstream appeal, at low cost. But it can be done... if you have the right talent.

Which is the second problem. Summit has a real anti-social take on hiring and firing. Examples?

Director Catherine Hardwicke sends Twilight into the stratosphere, providing the money to make the studio into a major... and they fire her. Now she's got Red Riding Hood, a genius film, the hottest thing for young women in development since Twilight, in pre-production at Warner Bros.

When key villain Rachelle Lefevre tries to get a boost to her salary, they fire her, publish acrimonious scheduling insults, and re-cast, causing a major continuity lapse for Eclipse, the one real problem the film has. And it was totally avoidable, if they'd been willing to bargain and adjust rather than just trumpet how "right" they were in firing this lowly actress, who still gets adoring fans swamping her every appearance. How about Bryce Dallas Howard, her replacement? Zero. Nada. No interest whatsoever. She is the girl pretending to be Rachelle/Victoria. Fail. Want proof? Just look at the character's Barbie doll -- a dead ringer for Lefevre.

The Cullen family supporting cast asks for salary upgrades to $1 mil per film, quite modest given their widespread appeal -- Been to Harold Square lately? Any youth-oriented awards shows? -- and that they are likely to be close to the billion dollar range for each of Breaking Dawn. So what does Summit do? It runs a high-profile, public screed against the Cullen actors like it's the Teamsters going on strike. They make it very clear that they intend to fire one or more of them because they are being "greedy" and ruining the entire production.

What?!? Just look at the fan boards now. They aren't arguing about Team Edward or Team Jacob, they are fighting over what is an appropriate percentage of gross for integral supporting cast members. What fun. Fans are comparing Summit to the Volturi, the arch villains of the series, drawing parallels between their motives and approaches. Which are actually quite accurate. Has Summit even read the Twilight books?

And "integral" is the key word there. In the minds of fans, the Cullen family is a big deal, and huge part of the appeal, more like Disney's "rag-tag" supporting characters in their princess films, than the brief roles in a typical drama. Not so many lines, but essential in the books and in the expectations of the fans.

Read more
via RobPattzNews

Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson To Attend 'Eclipse' Convention

Next month, Summit Entertainment's official Eclipse convention will take place at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in L.A., and Twi-hards are in for an extra special treat. Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will all be on hand to attend a panel event on Saturday, June 12.

Other stars scheduled to appear at the event include: Booboo Stewart, Christian Serratos and Michael Welch, among others. The three-day convention will take place from June 11-13, and, according to its official Web site, will include celebrity panel discussions and the unveiling of exclusive footage. Attendees will also get to participate in contests, auctions and presentations from major Twilight fan sites.

Unfortunately, Rob, Kristen and Taylor won't be able to hang out for photo opportunities or autographs surrounding their panel event, but fans are still promised an action-packed Twilight-themed weekend. And with just two weeks until the premiere of Eclipse on June 30, the convention is a perfect way to get psyched for the movie. Tickets are available now at TwilightConvention.com.


JSYK 

‘Eclipse’ Advanced Tickets & ‘Breaking Dawn’ Cast Issues

Today we have a couple of Twilight Saga news items – but unfortunately it’s a good news/bad news kind of situation. Advanced tickets go on sale for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soon, while the fourth movie, Breaking Dawn, is reportedly being held up by money-hungry cast members.

Eclipse Early Ticket Sales

The Hollywood Reporter has the news that two major online ticket retailers, Fandango and Movie Tickets, will begin selling tickets for Eclipse six weeks in advance, employing a similar technique as Warner Bros. with its Sex and the City 2 (another movie that will have a largely female audience).

Although websites for major theater chains will link to Fandango and Movie Tickets, ticket selling at actual theaters won’t begin until a lot closer to the release of Eclipse at the end of June. The reason Eclipse advance tickets are being sold so soon is partly in response to a poll on Fandango’s website, which revealed that 36% of 14,000 responses (that’s 5,040 for you non-math whizzes) named Eclipse as their most anticipated summer movie.

And here we are at Screen Rant – writers and readers alike – falling over ourselves to see movies like Inception and The Last Airbender…

A Fandango spokesman, Harry Medved, had this to say:

“The latest trailer has gotten great buzz among the fan sites as there’s clearly a lot more fast-paced action this time around… There’s also great curiosity about seeing some of ‘The Twilight Saga’s’ new characters coming to life on the big screen for the first time.”

Many people around the blogosphere have been trying to predict which films are going to take top prize at the summer 2010 box office, with Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3 listed as early favorites. Will Eclipse beat out both of those films and rake in the most dough this summer? We’ll be keeping an eye on these advanced ticket sales for an early indication.

Advance tickets go on sale for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at Fandango and Movie Tickets on Thursday, May 13th at midnight. The movie itself hits theaters on June 30th, 2010. Will you be buying your tickets in advance?

Breaking Dawn Hold-Up

Now that you’ve gotten your good news, I’m afraid we have to move on to the bad news: According to THR, Esq., some of the Twilight Saga supporting actors are being sticks in the mud by holding out for more money than is being offered.

Deals are close to being in place for main cast members Kirsten Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner (they were only signed for four films, and now Breaking Dawn is being split in two). Deals are already done for supporting actors like Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen) and Billy Burke (Bella’s father).

However, the actors and actresses who portray the Cullen kids – Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene are singled out in particular – are holding things up by trying to get bigger paydays for Breaking Dawn. Reportedly Summit’s offer is about 10 times what those actors previously earned, but the figures were deemed “offensive” because of the money the franchise has made. It might even get to the point where “one of them is thrown out on the street to make a point.”

Despite Summit making an absolute fortune on The Twilight Saga – so far on relatively small budgets – the studio isn’t willing to pay a hefty chunk of change for actors who only play supporting roles. Just look at Rachelle Lefevre: She played the vengeful Victoria in Twilight and New Moon but was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard for Eclipse, supposedly due to money and scheduling issues.

Although Summit is definitely eager to get things moving as quickly as possible with Breaking Dawn, they can’t really do so until deals for at least the main cast members are signed. But I don’t think the same can be said for the supporting actors. I wouldn’t be surprised if we soon hear news that Lutz or Greene (and unnamed others) are up for replacement the same way as Lefevre was.

After all, the fans might be a bit upset at first, but really it’s Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner that they care about keeping in their respective roles. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a Twilighter’s outburst if any of those three were replaced…

On a side note, it’s still looking very likely that Breaking Dawn will be split into two movies, released a year apart from one another, but nothing is official yet. Sources say there’s still a chance it could just be one movie, as Summit is holding on to that option. But sources say they’d be shocked if it wasn’t split in two – “This thing is gonna’ be two movies… with or without the cast intact.”

What do you think of all this hold-up business: should these supporting actors be allowed to demand such high salaries or should they be replaced for their greed?

If all goes to plan, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn will be shot back-to-back this Fall under the direction of Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) with Part 1 being released in November 2011 and Part 2 released one year later in November 2012.


THR via Collider via screenrant

Who's Really Replaceable in Breaking Dawn?

If there's anything we've learned over the past year or so with our Twilight coverage, it's how to decipher Summit Code. And right now, we're picking up some major stress over at the hot studio.

Aside from Bill Condon's "creative thoughts" on whether Breaking Dawn should be one or two movies, the other reason holding up an official announcement is supposed salary disputes. Who didn't see this one coming?

So whose heads are really on the chopping block?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene are playing hardball after an "offensive" salary offer for the (most likely) fifth movie.

Guess what? We're hearing this is oh so true.

Summit will pretty much pay whatever it takes to keep Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner for the final flicks. The golden three aren't going anywhere, like, duh.

As for the other Twi cast members? Like we've said before, the little studio that could finds them replaceable, which was part of the reason Rachelle Lefevre was recast. It was a warning, so to speak, to snap some of the demanding cast back in their place. Remember she, too, tried to squeeze out more money for Eclipse and look where that got her.

Sure, there were petitions and Twitter protests to get Rachelle back, but after a few weeks the hype died down and everyone pretty much forgot about the old Victoria, hate to say it. New Moon still went on to break box-office records despite the future casting shakeup. Summit believes this will still be the case for the next three movies, and they're probably right.

Hmmm, so guess this means Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone are taking what they can get? Smart. And ironic, too, since, aside from K.Stew, Nikki most certainly had the best résumé when signing on to Twilight.

Alright Ashley and Kellan, listen up, because aside from Robsten (who obviously we heart the most), you two are easily our second faves: Take the current offer.

Why?

Because if you all don't come to a salary agreement, the studio is going to get over you two very fast. Most likely scenario is they will replace one of you (first) if these salary negotiations don't make any progress. Then that will be a warning to the other one with a "see, you can stay or go, we don't care" message.

Any guesses as to which star would be the first to be let go? (We know who!)

And let's be real, as much as we adore Kellan, he has had maybe three lines throughout this entire franchise, and while Ashley has played a bigger part, her role quickly fades as the book goes on.

So please babes, if not for us, do it for the fans! You're both still making way more money than in the first flick, anyways. What's one more go-round?


eonline

CANNES: E1 Holds Onto 'The Runaways'

CANNES: The Toronto-headquartered distribution group is going to release the rock biopic The Runaways starring Twilight Saga's Kristin Stewart this summer in the UK and Ireland. The news is not unexpected given that E1 releases all of Summit’s films in Canada and the UK. E1 has also taken UK and Irish rights to another Summit movie, Fair Game, which plays In Competition here on Thursday. It plans to release the Naomi Watts and Sean Pean political thriller in the autumn, which would chime with Summit’s Oscar hopes.

E1 has already released The Runaways in Canada. Apparition released the Kristin Stewart and Dakota Fanning rock pic on March 19th in the U.S., hot on its Sundance hoopla. But the $10 million movie only grossed $3.5 million during its American run.


deadline

Breaking Dawn Might Split in Two Without Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene?

Starry-eyed, vampire-loving romantics aren't the only ones jealous of Bella and Edward right now.

Summit Entertainment is primed to split the final Twilight Saga installment, Breaking Dawn, into two films: author Stephenie Meyer has signed off; Bill Condon's onboard to direct two; Robert Pattinson is ready to roll, as are Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. So what's the holdup on declaring Breaking Dawn a twofer?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, it's some of the so-called secondary and lesser-paid stars of the series, particularly Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene, who have not agreed to Summit's terms and are demanding more money for their pale-faced efforts.

A source told the trade that the offers the actors received for the proposed fifth film were "offensive" in comparison with how much dough the franchise has earned. Another insider says, meanwhile, that Summit might be willing to cut ties with at least one of them to "make a point."

Now, fans have already been forced to accept a midsaga cast change: Bryce Dallas Howard replaces Rachelle Lefevre as the murderous Victoria in the upcoming Eclipse.

But there might be a mutiny if the Cullen clan is replaced with newcomers!


eonline via cullensnews

Eclipse Screencap:Kristen Stewart’s Bella Learns Some Bad News

In this screen grab from David Slade’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) hears some bad news from Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson, not in the photo) is not all that happy that Jacob keeps interfering. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

The problem is that there have been a series of strange deaths in Seattle. Not only that, Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, replacing Rachelle Lefevre) is out to get Bella because Edward killed her boyfriend who wanted to kill Bella in the first place. An army of new-born vampires is about to attack. Things don’t look good for the star-crossed lovers — again.

According to reports, Eclipse pickup shots in Vancouver have been taken care of and Pattinson, Stewart, and Lautner have already departed the southwestern Canadian city.

Photo: Summit Entertainment

Altfg

Is Summit Pushing For Robsten Now?(video)

twifans

4 million copies of New Moon DVD sold over weekend, surpassing Twilight DVD

Summit has issued a press release detailing exciting news concerning New Moon DVD sales. The weekend launch of the DVD and Blu-Ray sold 4 million copies! From the PR:

Summit Entertainment’s Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger stated, “Once again the incredibly dedicated fans of the TWILIGHT SAGA came out in massive numbers this weekend for the opportunity to be one of the first take home the second movie in the series. As we have said all along, the fans are what make this franchise and we once again thank them for their support.”

“The support that we have received from our retail partners in accommodating the incredible demand for the title has been nothing short of amazing,” said Steve Nickerson, Summit’s President of Home Entertainment. “The ground we have broken with in-store partnerships and the availability of this title has been a positive influence on the retail DVD business.”


twilightsource

Summit: No Plans Yet for Second “Eclipse” Trailer

After the trailer for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse debuted yesterday, we got a lot of questions about whether a second, longer version was already planned for release.

Gossip Cop spoke with a rep for Summit Entertainment who told us there will (of course) be a new trailer at some point, but right now there’s “no talk… nothing in the works.”

So it looks like Twilight fans will have to make do for now with the trailer being shown before Remember Me this weekend… and, of course, YouTube, where nearly 5 million people have already watched yesterday’s release.

Gossip Cop will report on future Eclipse clips as soon as we hear.

Stay tuned…


Gossipcop

Twilight New Moon Premieres on DIRECTV Cinema! Includes Bonus Footage not Available on Cable!

“Twi-hards” who have DIRECTV won’t even have to leave the comfort of their own living rooms to be one of the first to see last fall’s box office phenomenon, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. In conjunction with the highly anticipated DVD release of the movie by Summit Entertainment, DIRECTV will offer a midnight premiere of the movie on Saturday, March 20 on DIRECTV Cinema. In addition, customers who purchase the Pay Per View movie, will also receive behind-the-scenes bonus features about the film – not available on cable. In addition to being able to see teen heartthrobs Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black) and Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) in crystal-clear 1080p HD, DIRECTV customers will also have access to the bonus featurette The Subtle Details, which offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at New Moon’s production design, costuming and more. DIRECTV customers will also receive Chris Weitz Takes the Helm, a feature that documents the transition from Catherine Hardwicke, director of Twilight, to New Moon director Chris Weitz, and his vision of the future of the series.

“DIRECTV Cinema’s goal is to provide customers with the ultimate in- home movie experience they can’t find anywhere else,” said Sarah Lyons, vice president, Upgrade Marketing, DIRECTV. “We are thrilled to not only offer The Twilight Saga: New Moon in 1080p HD but to also give our customers a deeper look at what went into to making the film.” Twilight Saga: New Moon will premiere on DIRECTV Cinema and DIRECTV on Demand at midnight, Saturday, March 20. The movie will be available in 1080p HD (same as Blu-ray) for $5.99 or standard-definition (SD) for $4.99. In addition, Summit Entertainment’s Twilight In Forks, which is a documentary that explores the Pacific Northwest town that inspired the Twilight phenomenon, will also be available in 1080p HD for $5.99 or for $4.99 (SD). For more information on the movies available on DIRECTV Cinema please visit directv.com/cinema.


Bellasdiary

Summit revamps website and adds ‘Eclipse’ synopsis

Summit Entertainment has redone their website and you can check out their page for Eclipse here.

Eclipse synopsis from the site:
In Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob – knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.


Team-twilight

Chris Weitz Wishes He Could Cut the Frolicking Vampire Scene From New Moon

Chris Weitz Wishes He Could Cut the Frolicking Vampire Scene From New Moon Twilight fans still have a few months to go before Eclipse hits theaters this Summer, but they'll flock to the stores in a few weeks to pick up copies of New Moon on DVD on March 21. I was lucky enough to chat with director Chris Weitz on everything from his favorite scene to what he wishes had ended up on the cutting room floor.


Popsugar

Kellan Lutz: 'Breaking Dawn' Should Be 5 Movies

And he's confused by 3-D too
I can't even believe it's March and we still have no word on what's going on with Breaking Dawn. And it's not that Summit Entertainment is simply withholding information from the public because the Twilight saga's stars don't even know. But Kellan Lutz has the best idea yet- Make Breaking Dawn into 5 movies!

It's a little bit bittersweet. While we really want to know what's going on with Breaking Dawn, we also don't want to admit that the saga is coming to an end. and it sounds like Kellan Lutz has the same kinds of feelings as us. He and the cast still have no idea what's going on with the last film (or films). He tells MTV, "There's no word... Hopefully we get that phone call, and if they want to make it into five movies, I just don't want it to end. I love my character so much."

Best idea ever! Five Breaking Dawn movies would mean Twilight for at least a few more years. And since all the Twilight stars are being asked what they think about Breaking Dawn in 3-D, Kellan Lutz shared his feelings on that, too. And he seems to have the same sentiments as both Robert Patttinson and Kristen Stewart. He says, "I heard they were talking about it. I don't really care to see it in 3-D... 3-D kind of hurts my eyes anyways. Avatar was amazing in 3-D and in IMAX, but I don't think I wanna see a little baby half-vampire in 3-D... There's just some scenes I just wouldn't want to see in 3-D."

OK, so it seems the overall sentiment is Breaking Dawn in 3-D is just not a good idea. But really? What kind of 3-D movies are Kellan Lutz and Robert Pattinson watching that make their eyes hurt so much anyway? And are they forgetting to wear the glasses?

We sure hope to have some more breaking news for you soon. Kellan is hoping to see Chris Weitz come back as the director, but we don't even have word on that yet! Maybe Summit Entertainment is planning something really amazing for us.... Right? And we hope it involves Kellan Lutz without a shirt.


Limelife