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Showing posts with label jacob black. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jacob black. Show all posts
March 17, 2010
Taylor Lautner Interview on set of New Moon from InStyle UK
InStyle UK interviews Taylor Lautnerfrom the set of Twilight Saga:New Moon about becoming the character Jacob Black in the movie.
December 30, 2009
Tippett Studio: The Making of The CG New Moon Wolf Pack
As the New Moon rises, so do the stars at Tippett Studio. Charged with creating the Quileute Wolf Pack for the Twilight sequel, some of the industries leading character artists sunk their teeth into just under 60 shots ranging from three to twelve seconds that were pivotal to the storyline. And those shots are getting noticed.
"Strong concept art will save a lot of steps in the CG process;
it helps to keep the artists from meandering from the final goal." - Aharon Bourland, Technical Art Director, Look Development.
Wolf Mountain and Frankenwolf
The challenge wasn't just to build a believable wolf, but to build five unique wolves of extraordinary size and weight, to portray that mass often with little more than the surrounding trees as comparisons, create believable fur and humanesque eyes that weren't distracting. Nate Fredenburg, Art Director, helped to make sure those requirements were fulfilled, combining real-world attributes and CG magic.
"At Tippett Studio, we always look to real-life creatures for reference on how to design our characters, real or mythical. For New Moon, we had a special opportunity to travel down to wolf sanctuary in Southern California to observe wolves up close and personal. The key to looking at live reference is to form a knowledge base, study the creatures, their quirks and behaviors, the language between the pack. We looked for signs of what the creature was about and added those to the visual effects to make them believable."
In Lucerne Valley, there is a sanctuary called Wolf Mountain where a dedicated group is trying to save wolves from extinction. This is where the Tippett artists traveled to spend personal time with the wolves, many tame enough to be approached and touched by strangers. There the artist could observe behaviors, pack interactions, hierarchy behaviors, and movement, and "closely examine the fur and its different lengths over the body, the coloring variations and markings, as well as the structure of the face, eyes, teeth and so on."The trip was extremely fruitful, but Phil Tippett, with his honed eye for perfection, added a second method to study fur under different controlled lighting and wind. "We had a bunch of photographs of wolves that we were studying but Phil was insisting that we take it to the next level and have something to touch, walk around, and actually do your own," explained Fredenburg. This resulted in the creation of what became affectionately known as the "Frankenwolf".
Tippett bought wolf pelts and cut them up with an Exacta knife and pasted it onto a taxidermy blank "so that we could do a lighting lab in two conditions? controlled lighting on our stage where we could shine very specific lights and look at how the fur responded, then we took it outside on an overcast day, which was perfect for New Moon. We came up with strategies for how to artistically make the wolves look better in flat lighting, which is what we were dealing with and is a very difficult lighting situation."
Hair Raising
One of the key observations we made at Wolf Mountain was the complexity of the fur. From nose to tail the fur quality changes, prompting the painters to create a zone chart of the animal that divided the wolf up into fur zones; on the nose and the legs the hair was short and velvet, on the neck the mane was thick and long, belly clumped and long, the back more medium length while the tail was bushy. The coloring was not only unique over the length of the body, but the hair follicle had unique color ticking from root to tip.
Image courtesy Tippett Studio.
"Even with as far as computing power has come," said Fredenburg "it still is very difficult to accurately mimic real life, so everything we do to come up with our fur look is an approximation,a cheat. It's not about replicating a wolf hair for hair; it's about getting the feel of a wolf. Even though we pushed 4 million hairs on this show, which is
twice what we normally grow, it is still not nearly the number of hairs a real wolf has."
A real wolf would have hundreds of millions of hairs but a digital wolf will only have perhaps four million, so some interpretation is needed to achieve the same effect.
To help achieve the fullness and fur realism needed, Aharon Bourland, Technical Art Director and Look Development, helped create Tippetts' in-house tool, Furator.
New Moon was the second Tippett film where this tool was used. Similar
to Shake in that is uses a tree-based system, it allows for characteristics
of hair to be added via nodes, then merged back together for the final groom.
It was developed to be highly flexible and extensible, such as the ability to twist a group of hairs from the tip and leave the base alone.
Another very helpful addition was Scraggle, a tool that used a CV interp node that increased the number of CV's and resulted in a scraggled hair, then further adjusted so that the majority of scraggle was towards the base, creating the illusion of a thicker undercoat with smoother fur on top.
Source
November 27, 2009
Twilight Saga 'New Moon' Style Costumes: The Cullens & Jacob Black
"New Moon" costume designer Tish Monaghan continues a sartorial magnifying glass to the wardrobes of the Cullen family and boy wonder Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).
THE ENRICHED CULLENS
We know those Cullens are basically perfect, but one modification was made to the family’s closet for "New Moon." "Chris wanted to stay away from them looking as pastel as they did in the first film," Tish explained. “He thought they stood out too much. So he wanted them more of the world, but set apart within the color palette — so, just in cool colors.” Here, Alice (Ashley Greene, left) wears a blue dress by Rebecca Taylor and Rosalie (Nikki Reed, right) wears an Eli Tahari design.
MODERN HISTORY
One part of Tish’s design aesthetic for “New Moon” was making sure characters dressed in clothes that suited their back-story. For instance, you will always see Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) in cowboy boots — at Jackson’s request. “Jackson’s from Texas and so is Jasper,” she noted. “He was a major in the civil war, so that’s the thing he always holds on to.” Here, Jasper (center) wears a John Varvatos sweater, a Hugo Boss shirt and J.Lindeberg jeans. Emmet (Kellan Lutz, far left) is in a custom made vest, Hugo Boss shirt, Diesel Jeans and flaunts a Cullen Crest cuff. Esme (Elizabeth Reaser) wears a pale purple dress from Club Monaco.
Get the look (Esme): "Two Way Crinkle Chiffon Runway Dress" by Rebecca Taylor ($228)
DADDY DEAREST
“Peter [Facinelli] himself likes to think of his character as inspired by Paul Newman or Robert Redford,” Tish noted. “So he’s always dressed casual, yet put together.” Here, after Bella's birthday turns bloody, Carlisle wears a Theory suit and a Paul Smith shirt. Bella wears a dress made by Tish, which has since been replicated by Hot Topic for $98.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
“She’s like this pixie-ish character, whimsical and fashion conscious,” Tish said of Alice’s style. “She’s a girly girl, and wherever you can add details to her clothing it really helps cement her character — like when she’s in school I gave her the pretty neck scarf and the hand warmers and long sleeves. The blue jacket was from Zara.” On the right, in the scene when the Cullens vote on Bella’s vampire fate, Alice wears a blouse from Teenflo in Vancouver and J Brand Jeans.
Get the look (blue jacket) "Tullette Drawstring Jacket with Pockets" from Tulle ($27).
VIVA ITALIA!
Tish says her inspiration for Alice’s ensemble on her adventure to Italy with Bella was Audrey Hepburn. “I was thinking, how can we cover her up fashionably?” the costumer recalls. “I wanted to get her long gloves because I knew she was going to be driving in this Porsche, which initially we thought might be a convertible.” After finding the “perfect” coat (by Michael Kors), Tish decided on Theory pants, red leather gloves from the Italian fashion label Gala, a Banana Republic scarf and “Jackie O” Ray Ban sunglasses (which you catch a glimpse of when she first enters the Volturi lair).
Get the look (red gloves): Preston & York Ruched-Cuff Leather Gloves from Dillard's ($48).
JACKED UP JACOB
When the werewolf wasn’t shirtless, Tish says she outfitted him in Banana Republic and GAP t-shirts because “they fit really well and they had a little bit of stretch to them.” And if the site of Taylor’s bulging biceps had your hearts pumping, that was intentional. “We tailored his t-shirts so they showed off his muscles,” she explained. “We specifically made his shirts a little tighter, a little shorter and the sleeves a little bit too short, like he was growing out of them.”
A HIDDEN WOLF
That forest scene on Jacob’s tee (a graphic the “New Moon” costume department custom designed) was meant to be a tad literal, according to Tish. “The director said, ‘Why don’t you give him something that has a wolf on it?’” she remembered with a laugh. “It was as something that symbolized what was to come but didn’t hit the nail on the head. We tried not to make it so obvious but it did have a moon, a tree a very small image of a wolf.”
Source
THE ENRICHED CULLENS
We know those Cullens are basically perfect, but one modification was made to the family’s closet for "New Moon." "Chris wanted to stay away from them looking as pastel as they did in the first film," Tish explained. “He thought they stood out too much. So he wanted them more of the world, but set apart within the color palette — so, just in cool colors.” Here, Alice (Ashley Greene, left) wears a blue dress by Rebecca Taylor and Rosalie (Nikki Reed, right) wears an Eli Tahari design.
MODERN HISTORY
One part of Tish’s design aesthetic for “New Moon” was making sure characters dressed in clothes that suited their back-story. For instance, you will always see Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) in cowboy boots — at Jackson’s request. “Jackson’s from Texas and so is Jasper,” she noted. “He was a major in the civil war, so that’s the thing he always holds on to.” Here, Jasper (center) wears a John Varvatos sweater, a Hugo Boss shirt and J.Lindeberg jeans. Emmet (Kellan Lutz, far left) is in a custom made vest, Hugo Boss shirt, Diesel Jeans and flaunts a Cullen Crest cuff. Esme (Elizabeth Reaser) wears a pale purple dress from Club Monaco.
Get the look (Esme): "Two Way Crinkle Chiffon Runway Dress" by Rebecca Taylor ($228)
DADDY DEAREST
“Peter [Facinelli] himself likes to think of his character as inspired by Paul Newman or Robert Redford,” Tish noted. “So he’s always dressed casual, yet put together.” Here, after Bella's birthday turns bloody, Carlisle wears a Theory suit and a Paul Smith shirt. Bella wears a dress made by Tish, which has since been replicated by Hot Topic for $98.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
“She’s like this pixie-ish character, whimsical and fashion conscious,” Tish said of Alice’s style. “She’s a girly girl, and wherever you can add details to her clothing it really helps cement her character — like when she’s in school I gave her the pretty neck scarf and the hand warmers and long sleeves. The blue jacket was from Zara.” On the right, in the scene when the Cullens vote on Bella’s vampire fate, Alice wears a blouse from Teenflo in Vancouver and J Brand Jeans.
Get the look (blue jacket) "Tullette Drawstring Jacket with Pockets" from Tulle ($27).
VIVA ITALIA!
Tish says her inspiration for Alice’s ensemble on her adventure to Italy with Bella was Audrey Hepburn. “I was thinking, how can we cover her up fashionably?” the costumer recalls. “I wanted to get her long gloves because I knew she was going to be driving in this Porsche, which initially we thought might be a convertible.” After finding the “perfect” coat (by Michael Kors), Tish decided on Theory pants, red leather gloves from the Italian fashion label Gala, a Banana Republic scarf and “Jackie O” Ray Ban sunglasses (which you catch a glimpse of when she first enters the Volturi lair).
Get the look (red gloves): Preston & York Ruched-Cuff Leather Gloves from Dillard's ($48).
JACKED UP JACOB
When the werewolf wasn’t shirtless, Tish says she outfitted him in Banana Republic and GAP t-shirts because “they fit really well and they had a little bit of stretch to them.” And if the site of Taylor’s bulging biceps had your hearts pumping, that was intentional. “We tailored his t-shirts so they showed off his muscles,” she explained. “We specifically made his shirts a little tighter, a little shorter and the sleeves a little bit too short, like he was growing out of them.”
A HIDDEN WOLF
That forest scene on Jacob’s tee (a graphic the “New Moon” costume department custom designed) was meant to be a tad literal, according to Tish. “The director said, ‘Why don’t you give him something that has a wolf on it?’” she remembered with a laugh. “It was as something that symbolized what was to come but didn’t hit the nail on the head. We tried not to make it so obvious but it did have a moon, a tree a very small image of a wolf.”
Source
November 26, 2009
Twilight Saga:'New Moon' Costumes of Edward Cullen and Bella Bella Swan
We knew how much you loved Edward's grey pea coat in "Twilight" (it was a custom design). And we bet you already own a version Bella's blue hooded jacket (made by BB Dakota) — but with "New Moon" comes a whole new shopping list. So, starting today, we'll look back at the making of the movie's wardrobe with costume designer Tish Monaghan. First up: Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart).
BEGINNING THE PROCESS
“There was already a particular look in place, so the first thing I did was find out from the studio and the director, Chris Weitz, if they were happy with the looks of the characters,” recalled costume designer Tish Monaghan. “Were there things they wanted changed? Once I got those instructions — there were only minor adjustments to be made.” Bella's presentation from “Twilight” was kept consistent. “[The studio and Chris] liked that she was a tomboy and that she was in earth tones and was a little bit out of place. So I picked up on all of those comments, and when I did all of my purchasing for her, I stayed more or less in that world unless there was something specific that was required in the script.”
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
During a interesting (to say the least!) double “date” with Mike (Michael Welch, left) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner, right) Bella wore the “Signe Smocked top” by Joie and American Eagle jeans. But the most notable part of her outfit is her token accessories — the turquoise bracelet and moonstone ring, which, according to Tish, were the very same trinkets Kristen wore in “Twilight.”
Get the look: "Cute Options Embroidered Smocked Peasant Top" from Target ($27)
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN (part 2)
One Bella takes a leap of faith (a.k.a. a cliff dive) she puts on Jacob’s big shearling jacket. The costumer found that coat, which was manufactured by Split, in old stock from the “Twilight” wardrobe closet.
HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE
When Bella decides to go for an adrenaline fix — in hopes of summoning the image of a disapproving Edward — she hops on her newly minted (thanks, Jacob!) motorcycle for an unsuccessful joy ride. Thankfully her fall was padded, uh, somewhat by her Burkman Bros plaid jacket, which Tish picked up in the Men’s Department at Barney’s Co-Op.Get the look: Roxy "First Love" Bomber Jacket from Dillard's ($80)
DASHING EDWARD
“This is the most important costume [for Edward] because it’s the last thing Bella remembers him in,” the costumer said of Robert Pattinson’s suit. “We had to be very careful about choosing something that was absolutely right because he has to spend almost the whole film in it.” So, instead of buying one, Tish created her own suit out of a grey tweed with blue and orange flecks in it. “I wanted old world fabric to match with his heritage. I also wanted something that had texture and that would be able to age.” That’s right, there were six copies of this ensemble made in order for Robert to wear it continuously and in many different elements (i.e. in the ocean during Bella’s cliff dive!). Kristen is wearing a custom made jacket that was replicated from the one she wore in “Twilight.”
THE GREEN MILE
“Putting Bella in hunter green was a request from Chris [Weitz],” Tish said of Kristen’s button up shirt, which was a design from Boy by Band of Outsiders paired with J Brand jeans and Keds. “We knew that Bella was going to be running through a crowd who were all going to be in red, so we had to choose a color that would make her stand out and still transition easily to that forest scene at the beginning of the film.” FYI, Edward's grey peacoat on the right was homemade by Tish and her crew!
Get the look: The "Essential Stretch Military Shirt" in "Cacti" from Express ($50).
ROBED AND DANGEROUS
If you're wondering where the black shirt went that Robert was slowly unbuttoning to reveal his six-pack vampire self to the crowd in Italy (in the movie, we see him put on a red robe after his attempts are thwarted by Bella, but, uh, did he just dump his acutal shirt on the ground?), it's in the black hole pf movie making. "When the script was originally set, Edward was supposed to be captured outside by Demetri and Felix — that’s why he is thrown a red robe," Tish explains. "[But], by the time they decided he was instead going to be captured inside, we had already filmed the inside scenes."
THE ENCHANTED FOREST
“These were the first costumes that I designed,” Tish recalls of the sequence in which we see future Bella as a vampire running with Edward in the woods. “The fantasy was this sort of post-wedding feeling where they were hunting in these light-colored outfits through the dark forest. I didn’t want them in anything practical.” So, she put Robert in some pretty high-end threads: a vest from Loden Dager, a Club Monaco linen shirt, Orme in Portofino khakis and Magnanni shoes (the same ones he wears with the grey suit throughout the movie). For Bella, Tish aimed for sweet and girly, while Chris Weitz envisioned a look from Greek mythology: Diana the Huntress. The result? “We made that silk chiffon over silk organza dress. It was nice to see her in something feminine.”
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
Tish is one lucky lady — she also got to put her costumer designing gene to work on the next film in the Saga, “Eclipse.” But does that mean she’d give us any details on that closet? Well, sort of: “’Eclipse’ is just one week later,” she hinted. “Bella graduates, and color wise, that she is linked more to the Cullen’s — she gets out of her earth tones, and she dresses a little more grown up.”
Source
BEGINNING THE PROCESS
“There was already a particular look in place, so the first thing I did was find out from the studio and the director, Chris Weitz, if they were happy with the looks of the characters,” recalled costume designer Tish Monaghan. “Were there things they wanted changed? Once I got those instructions — there were only minor adjustments to be made.” Bella's presentation from “Twilight” was kept consistent. “[The studio and Chris] liked that she was a tomboy and that she was in earth tones and was a little bit out of place. So I picked up on all of those comments, and when I did all of my purchasing for her, I stayed more or less in that world unless there was something specific that was required in the script.”
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
During a interesting (to say the least!) double “date” with Mike (Michael Welch, left) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner, right) Bella wore the “Signe Smocked top” by Joie and American Eagle jeans. But the most notable part of her outfit is her token accessories — the turquoise bracelet and moonstone ring, which, according to Tish, were the very same trinkets Kristen wore in “Twilight.”
Get the look: "Cute Options Embroidered Smocked Peasant Top" from Target ($27)
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN (part 2)
One Bella takes a leap of faith (a.k.a. a cliff dive) she puts on Jacob’s big shearling jacket. The costumer found that coat, which was manufactured by Split, in old stock from the “Twilight” wardrobe closet.
HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE
When Bella decides to go for an adrenaline fix — in hopes of summoning the image of a disapproving Edward — she hops on her newly minted (thanks, Jacob!) motorcycle for an unsuccessful joy ride. Thankfully her fall was padded, uh, somewhat by her Burkman Bros plaid jacket, which Tish picked up in the Men’s Department at Barney’s Co-Op.Get the look: Roxy "First Love" Bomber Jacket from Dillard's ($80)
DASHING EDWARD
“This is the most important costume [for Edward] because it’s the last thing Bella remembers him in,” the costumer said of Robert Pattinson’s suit. “We had to be very careful about choosing something that was absolutely right because he has to spend almost the whole film in it.” So, instead of buying one, Tish created her own suit out of a grey tweed with blue and orange flecks in it. “I wanted old world fabric to match with his heritage. I also wanted something that had texture and that would be able to age.” That’s right, there were six copies of this ensemble made in order for Robert to wear it continuously and in many different elements (i.e. in the ocean during Bella’s cliff dive!). Kristen is wearing a custom made jacket that was replicated from the one she wore in “Twilight.”
THE GREEN MILE
“Putting Bella in hunter green was a request from Chris [Weitz],” Tish said of Kristen’s button up shirt, which was a design from Boy by Band of Outsiders paired with J Brand jeans and Keds. “We knew that Bella was going to be running through a crowd who were all going to be in red, so we had to choose a color that would make her stand out and still transition easily to that forest scene at the beginning of the film.” FYI, Edward's grey peacoat on the right was homemade by Tish and her crew!
Get the look: The "Essential Stretch Military Shirt" in "Cacti" from Express ($50).
ROBED AND DANGEROUS
If you're wondering where the black shirt went that Robert was slowly unbuttoning to reveal his six-pack vampire self to the crowd in Italy (in the movie, we see him put on a red robe after his attempts are thwarted by Bella, but, uh, did he just dump his acutal shirt on the ground?), it's in the black hole pf movie making. "When the script was originally set, Edward was supposed to be captured outside by Demetri and Felix — that’s why he is thrown a red robe," Tish explains. "[But], by the time they decided he was instead going to be captured inside, we had already filmed the inside scenes."
THE ENCHANTED FOREST
“These were the first costumes that I designed,” Tish recalls of the sequence in which we see future Bella as a vampire running with Edward in the woods. “The fantasy was this sort of post-wedding feeling where they were hunting in these light-colored outfits through the dark forest. I didn’t want them in anything practical.” So, she put Robert in some pretty high-end threads: a vest from Loden Dager, a Club Monaco linen shirt, Orme in Portofino khakis and Magnanni shoes (the same ones he wears with the grey suit throughout the movie). For Bella, Tish aimed for sweet and girly, while Chris Weitz envisioned a look from Greek mythology: Diana the Huntress. The result? “We made that silk chiffon over silk organza dress. It was nice to see her in something feminine.”
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
Tish is one lucky lady — she also got to put her costumer designing gene to work on the next film in the Saga, “Eclipse.” But does that mean she’d give us any details on that closet? Well, sort of: “’Eclipse’ is just one week later,” she hinted. “Bella graduates, and color wise, that she is linked more to the Cullen’s — she gets out of her earth tones, and she dresses a little more grown up.”
Source
November 24, 2009
Twilight Saga: New Moon Behind-The-Scenes Footage And Interviews
Behind-The-Scenes Look At Scene Where Jacob Transforms
You've seen the movie clip, but check out what it takes to create the scene where Jacob protects Bella from the wolf pack.
Behind The Scenes At Bella's Birthday
You've seen the completed scene, but now check out what it took for Kristen Stewart to get that paper cut.
Exclusive 'New Moon' Clip: Bella's Paper Cut
An innocent birthday present nearly turns tragic in this exclusive "Twilight: New Moon" clip.
Behind The Scenes At The Volturi Fight
Check out what it was like to shoot the Volturi fighting with Robert Pattinson.
The Volturi Vs. Edward And Alice Cullen
"She knows too much. She's a liability," Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower) tells Aro (Michael Sheen) before the fight breaks out.
Robert Pattinson's Take On The Volturi
The "New Moon" actor describes what the vampire lords' roles are in the "Twilight" universe.
Dakota Fanning Plays A Bad Girl
The "New Moon" newbie talks about her character, Jane, and her bad powers.
Dakota Fanning Talks About Working With Kristen, Rob, Ashley And More
Plus, she talks about the wide appeal of the "Twilight" sequel.
You've seen the movie clip, but check out what it takes to create the scene where Jacob protects Bella from the wolf pack.
Behind The Scenes At Bella's Birthday
You've seen the completed scene, but now check out what it took for Kristen Stewart to get that paper cut.
Exclusive 'New Moon' Clip: Bella's Paper Cut
An innocent birthday present nearly turns tragic in this exclusive "Twilight: New Moon" clip.
Behind The Scenes At The Volturi Fight
Check out what it was like to shoot the Volturi fighting with Robert Pattinson.
The Volturi Vs. Edward And Alice Cullen
"She knows too much. She's a liability," Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower) tells Aro (Michael Sheen) before the fight breaks out.
Robert Pattinson's Take On The Volturi
The "New Moon" actor describes what the vampire lords' roles are in the "Twilight" universe.
Dakota Fanning Plays A Bad Girl
The "New Moon" newbie talks about her character, Jane, and her bad powers.
Dakota Fanning Talks About Working With Kristen, Rob, Ashley And More
Plus, she talks about the wide appeal of the "Twilight" sequel.
November 23, 2009
'New Moon' Has Fans Jumping From Team Edward To Team Jacob
With even Kirsten Stewart questioning Bella's alliance to Edward and with Taylor Lautner looking particularly beefy these days, it's no wonder die-hard Team Edward members are questioning their allegiance to the brooding vampire.
Some fans are switching teams altogether — so does that mean no one is on Team Edward anymore?
"I'm still Team Edward," Stephanie told MTV News early Friday after catching a midnight screening of "New Moon" in New York. "Die-hard."
The majority of Twi-Hards agreed that no matter how hot Lautner gets, Edward will always have their hearts. But, obviously, Jacob has his supporters too, many of whom were always behind the werewolf, along with some newcomers.
"I was definitely Team Edward, and I'm kind of leaning toward Jacob now," Alyssa said. Another fan added: "Team Jacob. I like the underdog."
At a Thursday "New Moon" screening in New York, Stewart elaborated on Bella's relationship with Edward in the forthcoming films. "I've always backed her up in her devotion to Edward," she said. "And to see that falter will be interesting. ... I'm looking forward to seeing the love triangle actually becoming a problem. We sort of innocently touch on it in 'New Moon,' but it actually becomes something that is very, very real."
Source
November 10, 2009
'New Moon' Wolves 'Bring A Warmth' To Film
"Twilight" mastermind Stephenie Meyer describes Rosalie Hale as the most beautiful woman in the world — a tall, statuesque vampire with long, wavy, blond hair and eyes resembling violets. Onscreen, 21-year-old beauty Nikki Reed has lived up to that impossible description, endearing herself to fans even as she further antagonizes their beloved Bella Swan.
Rounding out a week of Cullen family interviews that has included Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser and Kellan Lutz, we caught up with the refreshingly frank actress to talk about the joys of a half-naked Taylor Lautner, rainbow analysis and why she'll never, ever own a Rob Pattinson doll.
MTV: What's the biggest difference, in your personal opinion, between the three "Twilight" books currently being filmed as the "Saga"?
Nikki Reed: The biggest difference? Well, I know the similarities — it's an ongoing love story. I guess the action increases and the excitement and visual stimulation. But I think "New Moon" really revolves around this intense love triangle, and with "Eclipse," it's more heightened.
MTV: What's your favorite scene in "New Moon"?
Reed: Anything that Taylor Lautner is in. Seriously, the kid is — he's not a kid, he's a young man — but he's incredible. And I'm not saying that because he takes his shirt off in every scene. [Laughs.] Seriously, you forget that he's half-naked in every scene, because he is so incredible. He makes this film amazing.
MTV: Tell us about your favorite new character to join the franchise, who wasn't in the original film.
Reed: All of the wolves. They bring a very obvious warmth. To see people actually interacting and wrestling and touching each other and rolling around in the mud and being a bunch of boys? That was a nice addition. Because the vampires are all very ... cold. It sounds super cliché, but there was a lot of interaction, a lot of human interaction [in "New Moon"]. It was nice.
MTV: You guys have known each other for so long. What do you discuss between takes?
Reed: Um, I suppose all kinds of things. We usually talk about rainbows. [Laughs.] That and how tired we are. That seems to be a very common topic: how exhausted we are.
MTV: As the "Saga" has continued filming, do you find yourself becoming more or less like Rosalie?
Reed: I guess the older I get, the more understanding and forgiving I've become. I'm learning how to see people as people and forgive them for their mistakes — and I guess that is unfolding in Rosalie's life as well.
MTV: What do you think is the secret to the enormous success of the "Twilight" series?
Reed: It's a universal love story. The obvious answer is the books, if you're asking why the films are successful. But if you're asking what people are drawn to, I think it's ideas, situations [and] circumstances that are just out of reach, just out of the realm of possibility. I mean, it's not realistic, but it's this whole idea about living forever. People are fascinated by vampires, because it's the one thing we can't [attain]; it's unachievable. Also, the love these two characters have for each other is relatively unhealthy and unrealistic as well. People are fascinated with situations like that.
MTV: There is so much "Twilight" swag out there now. Do you own any?
Reed: "Twilight" memorabilia? No. [Laughs.] I don't have an Edward doll.
Source
Rounding out a week of Cullen family interviews that has included Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser and Kellan Lutz, we caught up with the refreshingly frank actress to talk about the joys of a half-naked Taylor Lautner, rainbow analysis and why she'll never, ever own a Rob Pattinson doll.
MTV: What's the biggest difference, in your personal opinion, between the three "Twilight" books currently being filmed as the "Saga"?
Nikki Reed: The biggest difference? Well, I know the similarities — it's an ongoing love story. I guess the action increases and the excitement and visual stimulation. But I think "New Moon" really revolves around this intense love triangle, and with "Eclipse," it's more heightened.
MTV: What's your favorite scene in "New Moon"?
Reed: Anything that Taylor Lautner is in. Seriously, the kid is — he's not a kid, he's a young man — but he's incredible. And I'm not saying that because he takes his shirt off in every scene. [Laughs.] Seriously, you forget that he's half-naked in every scene, because he is so incredible. He makes this film amazing.
MTV: Tell us about your favorite new character to join the franchise, who wasn't in the original film.
Reed: All of the wolves. They bring a very obvious warmth. To see people actually interacting and wrestling and touching each other and rolling around in the mud and being a bunch of boys? That was a nice addition. Because the vampires are all very ... cold. It sounds super cliché, but there was a lot of interaction, a lot of human interaction [in "New Moon"]. It was nice.
MTV: You guys have known each other for so long. What do you discuss between takes?
Reed: Um, I suppose all kinds of things. We usually talk about rainbows. [Laughs.] That and how tired we are. That seems to be a very common topic: how exhausted we are.
MTV: As the "Saga" has continued filming, do you find yourself becoming more or less like Rosalie?
Reed: I guess the older I get, the more understanding and forgiving I've become. I'm learning how to see people as people and forgive them for their mistakes — and I guess that is unfolding in Rosalie's life as well.
MTV: What do you think is the secret to the enormous success of the "Twilight" series?
Reed: It's a universal love story. The obvious answer is the books, if you're asking why the films are successful. But if you're asking what people are drawn to, I think it's ideas, situations [and] circumstances that are just out of reach, just out of the realm of possibility. I mean, it's not realistic, but it's this whole idea about living forever. People are fascinated by vampires, because it's the one thing we can't [attain]; it's unachievable. Also, the love these two characters have for each other is relatively unhealthy and unrealistic as well. People are fascinated with situations like that.
MTV: There is so much "Twilight" swag out there now. Do you own any?
Reed: "Twilight" memorabilia? No. [Laughs.] I don't have an Edward doll.
Source
October 23, 2009
October 5, 2009
Competing for Bella
We caught up with New Moon star Taylor Lautner to discuss his work on the latest installment in the Twilight series.
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Lautner is the youngest star in Twilight's fantastical love triangle, but he's an old pro at discipline. At 11, he was the top ranked global champion in four styles of karate; at 12, he won the Junior World Championship. The next year, Robert Rodriguez [Spy Kids, Sin City] cast him as the kiddie action hero in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D, followed up right after with playing one of the brood in Steve Martin's Cheaper by the Dozen 2. As Twilight's Jacob—the Quileute Indian high-schooler who learns how to transform into a werewolf just as his classmates learn to shave—Lautner was launched into international stardom, and the most surprising thing about it is the young athlete was first considered too scrawny to make the transition to the brawnier, more action-packed sequel, New Moon. One year and thirty pounds of muscle later (every ounce of which was breathlessly detailed on fansites), Lautner's on the cover of magazines, he's featured prominently on New Moon's poster and, true to form, the young actor is already hard at work on the third installment in the series, 2010's Eclipse. Though he's hardly had a break since he first entered the dojo as a first-grader, Lautner's in high spirits, laughing his way through an interview where he tells BOXOFFICE about his secret love for romantic comedies and whether he'd ever date a fan.
If the last two books in the series hadn't already been written, what do you think Jacob should do to win over Bella?
I don't think he would have changed anything, and I don't think he should change anything. Jacob and Edward are extremely different guys and it's just whether you want one guy or another. Jacob is himself, and he has a relationship with Bella that Edward doesn't. And Edward has a relationship with Bella that Jacob doesn't. So I wouldn't change a thing.
As an actor, how do you make the audience root for Jacob and get invested in his feelings when the outcome of the love triangle is already known?
Well, you try and take things one step at a time. When I'm filming New Moon, I'm not thinking about Eclipse. When I'm filming Eclipse, I'm not thinking about Breaking Dawn. We just have to focus on the movie that we're doing.
What is it like for your family and friends to see people scream at pictures of you topless?
[Laughs] It's weird. It's embarrassing for me, and I'm sure it's awkward for all of them.
Have you gotten teased about it at family dinners?
Not yet, and I'm hoping that doesn't happen because I'll start blushing.
You came into acting from karate. Do they overlap—they seem to share the need for focus and concentration.
It's a lot of hard work. That's probably the most I got out of karate: it was a lot of work. A lot of training. And you need that for everything in life.
It's helped you take on these physical roles with Twilight and the Robert Rodriguez film.
Absolutely. And I love action, so it definitely helps with that.
Everybody has been talking about the muscle that you've put on. The furor around actors and their weight changes is something you usually see happen with older actors who are more established. You're 17—what is that like to have people paying so much attention to your biceps?
It's different. It was all for the job, and that's all. I knew that Jacob was going to transform not only mentally, but physically as well, from Twilight to New Moon, and I wanted to be able to portray him correctly for all the fans. That was my motivation. It was a lot of hard work, though.
Does your old karate coach wish you had that much muscle on you back when you were still competing?
I probably wouldn't have been as flexible, so it wouldn't have worked out that well. He's probably thankful.
What do you like about playing Jacob?
I love Jacob and Bella's relationship. It's very different from Edward and Bella's. Jacob and Bella start off as really good friends. They become best friends—they can tell each other anything, they do whatever together, ride motorcycles. I love that. And then their relationship starts growing into more and more, and you wonder if they're going to go past friends. I love being able to do that. And work with an amazing actress, Kristen Stewart, and all of the help around us, our director Chris Weitz, the whole crew. It's a lot of fun.
What will draw guys your age to New Moon?
There's a lot more action than Twilight. It's more exciting—it has werewolves and vampires, which creates fights because they don't get along. Not only does the action step up, but the whole story line does as well. Now there's a third person involved.
It's been years since we've had a good werewolf film—it's been vampires, then zombies, then vampires again. What's awesome about werewolves?
They're different. Werewolves are extremely strong, which is cool. But it's a bummer because I don't actually get to play my werewolf. It's full-blown CGI; it's either me or a CGI werewolf. So that's a bummer, but I know they're going to look awesome in the film. I'm excited to see it.
That wolfness—do you have to bring that animal movement in your human performance?
The only difference is in New Moon, I play pre-transformation Jacob, and post. He doesn't transform into a werewolf until halfway through the film. For pre-transformation, the books describe Jacob as clumsy. He trips over his own feet—he's a kid. And as soon as he transforms, he all of a sudden because extremely agile. There's several scenes that show his new agility, so that was the biggest thing I had to bring out.
Not to jump ahead too much, but Jacob's love life takes a turn in the fourth book that I think might be hard to translate to people who haven't read the series. Do you have any thoughts on how to handle his 'imprinting' on Bella's daughter?
I'm sure it would be different. It was definitely a surprise for me when I read the book. But we're just trying to take it one movie at a time, and nothings been confirmed yet on the fourth, so we're just staying focused on Eclipse at the moment.
What is your favorite thing to do while shooting a movie?
I always carry a football around with me, and there's a lot of people on set between the crew and the cast who like to play, so I'm always throwing the football around and that keeps me entertained.
Whose career do you want to have?
I've always loved Matt Damon. I love the Bourne series. Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington. But I'd also like to change things up. Not only do I like the action movies, the drama movies that all three of those actors do, I'd also love to challenge myself with different roles. Romantic comedies—I think the best examples would be Gerard Butler, Ryan Reynolds.
Ryan Reynolds has been so under-appreciated—he's amazing.
Definitely.
Tell me then about working with Garry Marshall [Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride] for Valentine's Day.
It was awesome. I was so glad I got to do that before I went back and filmed Eclipse. Working with Garry—that's a once in a lifetime thing. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to see it when it comes out in February.
When it comes to romantic comedies, he's the king. If you wanted to get into them, there you are already.
Absolutely. I know—I couldn't have asked for more.
Are you romancing the other Taylor, Taylor Swift, in it?
Yes, in the movie. Which was a lot of fun.
Did you heart break for her when Kanye jumped in during the video music awards?
Yeah. It was...unfortunate.
What is a movie you love that you're embarrassed to admit?
The Notebook. I don't think I should be embarrassed to admit it though—it's a great movie. I'm not embarrassed. I'm saying it proudly.
One of the things I think is interesting about Jacob is he's an American Indian character put out there as this gorgeous romantic lead. The last time I can remember that happening, Daniel Day-Lewis or Kevin Costner were involved.
You know, I really haven't thought of it like that, so that's interesting? Thinking about that, yeah, it goes back to Last of the Mohicans.
You have some heritage yourself from your mother's side?
I'm mainly Dutch, German and French. That's pretty much who I am.
I heard there was also some Ottawa and Potawatomi?
We have no idea how much there is—it's in my far distant background.
Fair enough. I'm Dutch as well, so way to represent us—we don't get enough credit either.
Gotcha!
Would you ever date a fan?
I don't exclude anyone...
What has that been like, dealing with the fan experience?
All I can say is it's mind-blowing. I, myself—and nobody else—ever expected it, so it's incredible to have the support and the passion of the fans behind us. We're so thankful because we wouldn't be here today on movie number three in Vancouver if it wasn't for them. They're amazing.
I saw that you have two books written about you on Amazon.
Are you serious?!
One is an unauthorized biography and the other is a 94-page picture book.
Oh my. I guess if it's unauthorized, then you can't believe anything. Don't believe anything you hear—or read.
People could say that you're half-alien, half-prince.
And everyone would be believing it. That would not be good. It's different. This whole franchise is unlike anything else. Which is a good thing, it's awesome.
Do you avoid Googling yourself?
Absolutely. That would not be good if I did that. Definitely try to stay away from that or it could get in your head.
Are you parents doing anything to try to keep your life in check? 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's millions of girls screaming, but you're still a normal kid?'
Absolutely. I'm hoping it doesn't take too much work. I feel the exact same—I'm the same person as before. It's just a completely different world. I have my world, and then I have Twilight world.Source
September 19, 2009
Taylor Lautner: Robert Pattinson Doesn't Need Workout Advice
'He definitely doesn't need any pointers at all," Lautner joked about the actors' shirtless appearances in 'New Moon.'
Before Lautner headed into the show though, he stopped to speak to MTV News about the trailer, which features him shirtless much of the time.
"I think they might start crying," he guessed about what he thought might be the fans' reaction to seeing him as werewolf Jacob Black running around with his wolf pack.
But Lautner isn't the only one Twilighters got an eyeful of in the trailer — Robert Pattinson also appears sans shirt. And Lautner insists that if the two were to compete in some kind of shirt-off, the competition would be stiff. "I don't know [who would win]. Rob, he's getting some muscle," he explained. "There's some good competition."
Lautner famously had to pack on the muscle to reprise his role as Jacob. So we wondered if Pattinson has been seeking advice from him on how to bulk up. "No, he definitely doesn't need any pointers at all," Lautner joked. "He's got it covered."
In addition to talking about all things "New Moon" trailer, Lautner opened up about what it's been like on-set for the movie's sequel, "Eclipse." "Yes it's a lot of fun," he said. "I think we're, like, a month in, so it's exciting to be back with our new director David Slade and back with the whole team again."
Slade is the third director to helm a "Twilight" flick, and Lautner admits that he's got a whole new dark take on the saga. "It's been good. He's a lot different, but I think he's going to add a cool taste to the movie," he explained. "It might be a little darker."
And Lautner thinks Slade will take the action in this flick, which involves a lot of battling, to the next step. "I feel like the action level is stepping up each and every film. 'New Moon' definitely has a lot more [action] than 'Twilight,' and I feel like Eclipse is bumping it up another level," the actor said.
Sure, Lautner is cool with the films going in that direction. But he's not so cool with the fact that he doesn't get to partake in that action as much as he would like in "Eclipse." "We're at war the whole time or most of the time. I think it's going to be pretty good but it's a bummer 'cause I'm a wolf the whole time, so it's not actually me getting to do my action. ... But you'll be able to see the cute fuzzy wolf."
And what does he think of that wolf? Well, that jury of one is still out. "I'm not sure yet! I think I've got to watch it a couple more times," he joked.
Before Lautner headed into the show though, he stopped to speak to MTV News about the trailer, which features him shirtless much of the time.
"I think they might start crying," he guessed about what he thought might be the fans' reaction to seeing him as werewolf Jacob Black running around with his wolf pack.
But Lautner isn't the only one Twilighters got an eyeful of in the trailer — Robert Pattinson also appears sans shirt. And Lautner insists that if the two were to compete in some kind of shirt-off, the competition would be stiff. "I don't know [who would win]. Rob, he's getting some muscle," he explained. "There's some good competition."
Lautner famously had to pack on the muscle to reprise his role as Jacob. So we wondered if Pattinson has been seeking advice from him on how to bulk up. "No, he definitely doesn't need any pointers at all," Lautner joked. "He's got it covered."
In addition to talking about all things "New Moon" trailer, Lautner opened up about what it's been like on-set for the movie's sequel, "Eclipse." "Yes it's a lot of fun," he said. "I think we're, like, a month in, so it's exciting to be back with our new director David Slade and back with the whole team again."
Slade is the third director to helm a "Twilight" flick, and Lautner admits that he's got a whole new dark take on the saga. "It's been good. He's a lot different, but I think he's going to add a cool taste to the movie," he explained. "It might be a little darker."
And Lautner thinks Slade will take the action in this flick, which involves a lot of battling, to the next step. "I feel like the action level is stepping up each and every film. 'New Moon' definitely has a lot more [action] than 'Twilight,' and I feel like Eclipse is bumping it up another level," the actor said.
Sure, Lautner is cool with the films going in that direction. But he's not so cool with the fact that he doesn't get to partake in that action as much as he would like in "Eclipse." "We're at war the whole time or most of the time. I think it's going to be pretty good but it's a bummer 'cause I'm a wolf the whole time, so it's not actually me getting to do my action. ... But you'll be able to see the cute fuzzy wolf."
And what does he think of that wolf? Well, that jury of one is still out. "I'm not sure yet! I think I've got to watch it a couple more times," he joked.
September 5, 2009
'New Moon' Actor Kiowa Gordon Reveals How To Tell The Wolves Apart
'We all have our own colors,' the 'Twilight' rookie says of his wolf pack brothers.
Our vote for breakout beefcake is Kiowa Gordon, the Hollywood newcomer who portrays Embry Call in the upcoming films. Smart, friendly and a big fan of Stephenie Meyer's work, he's the guy who spilled the beans on the "muffin scene." , Gordon returns with more delicious "New Moon" details about his native heritage, tattooing the fans and how you can tell the wolves apart.
MTV: You and the other wolves are new to the "Twilight" series. Did you look to Taylor for inspiration, since he'd already been through a movie?
Kiowa Gordon: Yeah. And he's really buff, so we look to that too. [Laughs.]
MTV: You looked to his buffness for inspiration? We've seen you guys without your shirts on, so obviously it helped.
Gordon: Yeah, well, when we showed up, they were like, "We got you a personal trainer. You guys are gonna train hard!" And so we were like, "Sweet, we get to work out!" And it was really fun.
MTV: Now that filming is done, how do you think "New Moon" is going to turn out, particularly your scenes?
Gordon: Well, our scenes were the most fun, I think, out of the whole movie, probably. I'm looking forward to seeing it in completion, because it looks great from what I've seen — all the photos, everything looks awesome.
MTV: The "Twilight" series has done a good job so far of hiring actual Native American actors to play the Quileute tribe. Can you tell us about your background?
Gordon: I am Hualapai. We are located in Northern Arizona, at the Grand Canyon. We own the Skywalk area. When I was growing up, my mom tried teaching us [the language], all my seven siblings and I. But we just laughed at her, because it sounded funny to us. Now, I'm kind of sad that I couldn't learn it, because it's a dying language. So, hopefully, I'll get to learn it sometime soon.
MTV: Do you have any scenes in "New Moon" with Kristen or Rob?
Gordon: No, nothing with Rob. We don't meet the vampires yet. We know [the Cullens], and we don't like them, so we don't like playing with them. But Kristen and Taylor, we have a couple scenes together.
MTV: You're joining this big, massive fanbase with an already-tight group of stars. How accepting were they of you rookies?
Gordon: We had a big dinner together, the whole cast and the director and the producers. And we all got to know each other and just become friends, basically. Now I have some friends for life. It's really awesome.
MTV: How about the fans?
Gordon: I guess I've been welcomed with open arms. A couple weeks after getting announced out there to the public that I got the role, a girl actually tattooed my name on her back with a paw print!
MTV: Your real name, not Embry's?
Gordon: Yeah! It was like, "Whoa!" And now I have my own team of supporters, for some reason.
MTV: The movie hasn't even come out yet! Does that put extra pressure on you to make sure your performance doesn't suck?
Gordon: Yeah, then they're gonna [want to remove the tattoos]. Maybe she'd cut it off. [Laughs.]
MTV: We've seen Taylor as a wolf in the "New Moon" trailer, but what are the rest of you guys going to look like?
Gordon: Well, we all look like brothers, so [we'll look similar], but we all have our own colors, so you can [tell which is which]. It's distinctive.
Source
Our vote for breakout beefcake is Kiowa Gordon, the Hollywood newcomer who portrays Embry Call in the upcoming films. Smart, friendly and a big fan of Stephenie Meyer's work, he's the guy who spilled the beans on the "muffin scene." , Gordon returns with more delicious "New Moon" details about his native heritage, tattooing the fans and how you can tell the wolves apart.
MTV: You and the other wolves are new to the "Twilight" series. Did you look to Taylor for inspiration, since he'd already been through a movie?
Kiowa Gordon: Yeah. And he's really buff, so we look to that too. [Laughs.]
MTV: You looked to his buffness for inspiration? We've seen you guys without your shirts on, so obviously it helped.
Gordon: Yeah, well, when we showed up, they were like, "We got you a personal trainer. You guys are gonna train hard!" And so we were like, "Sweet, we get to work out!" And it was really fun.
MTV: Now that filming is done, how do you think "New Moon" is going to turn out, particularly your scenes?
Gordon: Well, our scenes were the most fun, I think, out of the whole movie, probably. I'm looking forward to seeing it in completion, because it looks great from what I've seen — all the photos, everything looks awesome.
MTV: The "Twilight" series has done a good job so far of hiring actual Native American actors to play the Quileute tribe. Can you tell us about your background?
Gordon: I am Hualapai. We are located in Northern Arizona, at the Grand Canyon. We own the Skywalk area. When I was growing up, my mom tried teaching us [the language], all my seven siblings and I. But we just laughed at her, because it sounded funny to us. Now, I'm kind of sad that I couldn't learn it, because it's a dying language. So, hopefully, I'll get to learn it sometime soon.
MTV: Do you have any scenes in "New Moon" with Kristen or Rob?
Gordon: No, nothing with Rob. We don't meet the vampires yet. We know [the Cullens], and we don't like them, so we don't like playing with them. But Kristen and Taylor, we have a couple scenes together.
MTV: You're joining this big, massive fanbase with an already-tight group of stars. How accepting were they of you rookies?
Gordon: We had a big dinner together, the whole cast and the director and the producers. And we all got to know each other and just become friends, basically. Now I have some friends for life. It's really awesome.
MTV: How about the fans?
Gordon: I guess I've been welcomed with open arms. A couple weeks after getting announced out there to the public that I got the role, a girl actually tattooed my name on her back with a paw print!
MTV: Your real name, not Embry's?
Gordon: Yeah! It was like, "Whoa!" And now I have my own team of supporters, for some reason.
MTV: The movie hasn't even come out yet! Does that put extra pressure on you to make sure your performance doesn't suck?
Gordon: Yeah, then they're gonna [want to remove the tattoos]. Maybe she'd cut it off. [Laughs.]
MTV: We've seen Taylor as a wolf in the "New Moon" trailer, but what are the rest of you guys going to look like?
Gordon: Well, we all look like brothers, so [we'll look similar], but we all have our own colors, so you can [tell which is which]. It's distinctive.
Source
August 31, 2009
'New Moon' Actor Went Too Far With Kristen Stewart
'Wolf Pack' members describe injury, aggressive confrontation with Kristen Stewart.
The second day of the official "Twilight" convention started with a howl from "New Moon" actor Kiowa Gordon, who, along with fellow Wolf Pack members Alex Meraz and Chaske Spencer, sat down for an hour-long Q&A session at the event.
Meraz initially took the stage wearing black sunglasses to conceal an injury received during mixed-martial-arts training for an "Eclipse" fight scene he'll have with Kellan Lutz. "In theory it's a good idea, but I got my eyes beat up," he said. "So they're kind of red. I'm being insecure."
While Meraz has been throwing punches in preparation to play shapeshifter Paul, Spencer took a more laid-back approach for his Quileute pack-leader role. "I just watched a lot of movies to get the character, Sam, and watched a lot of generals," he said.
One thing the trio tries not to do when preparing to film is read the blogs.
"For the first two weeks, when it came out I was in the Wolf Pack, I did it," Meraz said. "I was in my trailer [saying], 'People like me! People like me!' " But the gleam quickly wore off and negative comments began to bug the actor. "By Googling myself, I'm not going to find anything I like," he said, adding, "I'm arguing with an 8-year-old!"
Onstage the affable trio shared an obvious rapport, crediting some of their bond to cuddling on-set to keep warm during rain-drenched shirtless scenes. They shared several funny anecdotes from filming "New Moon," including Meraz's embarrassing moment with Kristen Stewart.
"I decided, all right, the Wolf Pack stay up all night looking for who's killing people on the res, so we don't sleep very much. So I thought it would be a great idea if I stayed up for 10 days straight." What should have been a simple scene — a confrontation between Bella (Stewart) and the Wolf Pack — became, in Meraz's mind, his "Brando moment." Wanting to try something different, the actor played the scene overly aggressive: screaming, grabbing Stewart by the throat, hurtling his line at her.
"[Director] Chris Weitz comes off-set like, 'Yeah, I like the energy Alex, but just take it down a little,' " Spencer chimed in: "Meanwhile the producers are freaking out back there."
" 'Cause nobody touches Kristen Stewart," joked Meraz.
Things get even more heated for Meraz when he phases into a wolf. For "New Moon," Weitz told the actors to envision the phasing sequences as a "pop like popcorn," which meant the actors only had to do a little shake before CGI took over from there. For the novel's wolf mind-reading sequences, the trio said it would be portrayed on film through quick glances. "With real wolves, that's actually how it's done," Meraz said. "The alpha male does things just with its eyes."
Spencer and Meraz also reminisced about the cliff-diving scene, a stunt they performed themselves, though for Spencer, his favorite scene was kissing onscreen love Emily (played by Tinsel Korey). "It was a lot of takes," Spencer said. "It's a hard job."
Source
The second day of the official "Twilight" convention started with a howl from "New Moon" actor Kiowa Gordon, who, along with fellow Wolf Pack members Alex Meraz and Chaske Spencer, sat down for an hour-long Q&A session at the event.
Meraz initially took the stage wearing black sunglasses to conceal an injury received during mixed-martial-arts training for an "Eclipse" fight scene he'll have with Kellan Lutz. "In theory it's a good idea, but I got my eyes beat up," he said. "So they're kind of red. I'm being insecure."
While Meraz has been throwing punches in preparation to play shapeshifter Paul, Spencer took a more laid-back approach for his Quileute pack-leader role. "I just watched a lot of movies to get the character, Sam, and watched a lot of generals," he said.
One thing the trio tries not to do when preparing to film is read the blogs.
"For the first two weeks, when it came out I was in the Wolf Pack, I did it," Meraz said. "I was in my trailer [saying], 'People like me! People like me!' " But the gleam quickly wore off and negative comments began to bug the actor. "By Googling myself, I'm not going to find anything I like," he said, adding, "I'm arguing with an 8-year-old!"
Onstage the affable trio shared an obvious rapport, crediting some of their bond to cuddling on-set to keep warm during rain-drenched shirtless scenes. They shared several funny anecdotes from filming "New Moon," including Meraz's embarrassing moment with Kristen Stewart.
"I decided, all right, the Wolf Pack stay up all night looking for who's killing people on the res, so we don't sleep very much. So I thought it would be a great idea if I stayed up for 10 days straight." What should have been a simple scene — a confrontation between Bella (Stewart) and the Wolf Pack — became, in Meraz's mind, his "Brando moment." Wanting to try something different, the actor played the scene overly aggressive: screaming, grabbing Stewart by the throat, hurtling his line at her.
"[Director] Chris Weitz comes off-set like, 'Yeah, I like the energy Alex, but just take it down a little,' " Spencer chimed in: "Meanwhile the producers are freaking out back there."
" 'Cause nobody touches Kristen Stewart," joked Meraz.
Things get even more heated for Meraz when he phases into a wolf. For "New Moon," Weitz told the actors to envision the phasing sequences as a "pop like popcorn," which meant the actors only had to do a little shake before CGI took over from there. For the novel's wolf mind-reading sequences, the trio said it would be portrayed on film through quick glances. "With real wolves, that's actually how it's done," Meraz said. "The alpha male does things just with its eyes."
Spencer and Meraz also reminisced about the cliff-diving scene, a stunt they performed themselves, though for Spencer, his favorite scene was kissing onscreen love Emily (played by Tinsel Korey). "It was a lot of takes," Spencer said. "It's a hard job."
Source
August 18, 2009
New Moon's Latest Trailer: More RPattz & Lautner
As promised, the gatekeepers at Summit Entertainment have released an updated trailer for New Moon, featuring a behind-the-scenes interview with Taylor Lautner.
A French version of the trailer was released last week, and quickly taken down. But now RadarOnline.com's got the full, live action, shirtless clip!
What we know: Rpattz leaves Kristen Stewart's Bella, driving her straight into the arms of a 30lbs-beefier Jacob (Lautner).
What's new: Quadruple shirtlessness with The Wolf Pack, the first look at Dakota Fanning's evil Vulturi henchwoman Jane, a virtually naked roll-around with Pattinson and Stewart.
Plus: More stunts! Motorcycles! Angst!
Source
August 11, 2009
Taylor Lautner Introduces His 'New Moon' Wolf Pack
'Twilight' star gives us details on his Quileute buddies — and reveals a scene that wasn't in the book.
In last year's "Twilight," cute little Jacob Black got pushed around a bit. Bella gave him the dreaded "just a friend" treatment, Edward stared him down at the end of the movie, and he barely got a "thank you" after working so hard on that damn truck.
But in November's "New Moon," a bigger, buffer Black will be back — and this time, he's bringing along some friends.
"He's pissed off a lot in this movie," laughed Taylor Lautner, looking spiffy at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards in a multi-buttoned vest that he told us "took an hour" to put on. "He is pissed off for many different reasons."
As Twilighters know, "New Moon" gives us a rapidly developing Jacob, now with the power to transform into a werewolf. It also introduces us to Jacob's Quileute friends, a group of sometimes-shirtless hunks who've already set the fandom on fire with glimpses of them in pictures and on Burger King crowns.
"We've got Sam Uley, who leads the pack. We all follow him. He's the alpha," Lautner said, introducing us to his wingmen. "And then we've got Jared and Paul — Jared is a funny guy, a real jokester — and Bronson [Pelletier], who plays him, in real life is the same way, so he does that well. Paul is the hothead. He goes out with my girl, and I tear him to shreds. And then there's Kiowa [Gordon] who plays Embry — he's my best friend."
And speaking of Jacob's friends, Lautner also told us that one of his favorite scenes in the "New Moon" movie is something that didn't occur in Stephenie Meyer's novel. It's a moment revolving around the newly glimpsed character of Quil Ateara and his smoothness with the ladies — or lack thereof.
"I loved shooting the scenes with Embry and Quil," he revealed. "Tyson [Houseman] plays Quil, and he's just kind of a funny character.
"Me and Bella — I'm sorry, Bella and I — are working on the bikes, and Embry and Quil come in," Lautner explained of the scene. "Quil's checking out Bella [and trying to be smooth] and is like, 'Hey, I'm Quil. Quil Ateara.' It's a really funny scene, and the two were really great in it."
Source
In last year's "Twilight," cute little Jacob Black got pushed around a bit. Bella gave him the dreaded "just a friend" treatment, Edward stared him down at the end of the movie, and he barely got a "thank you" after working so hard on that damn truck.
But in November's "New Moon," a bigger, buffer Black will be back — and this time, he's bringing along some friends.
"He's pissed off a lot in this movie," laughed Taylor Lautner, looking spiffy at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards in a multi-buttoned vest that he told us "took an hour" to put on. "He is pissed off for many different reasons."
As Twilighters know, "New Moon" gives us a rapidly developing Jacob, now with the power to transform into a werewolf. It also introduces us to Jacob's Quileute friends, a group of sometimes-shirtless hunks who've already set the fandom on fire with glimpses of them in pictures and on Burger King crowns.
"We've got Sam Uley, who leads the pack. We all follow him. He's the alpha," Lautner said, introducing us to his wingmen. "And then we've got Jared and Paul — Jared is a funny guy, a real jokester — and Bronson [Pelletier], who plays him, in real life is the same way, so he does that well. Paul is the hothead. He goes out with my girl, and I tear him to shreds. And then there's Kiowa [Gordon] who plays Embry — he's my best friend."
And speaking of Jacob's friends, Lautner also told us that one of his favorite scenes in the "New Moon" movie is something that didn't occur in Stephenie Meyer's novel. It's a moment revolving around the newly glimpsed character of Quil Ateara and his smoothness with the ladies — or lack thereof.
"I loved shooting the scenes with Embry and Quil," he revealed. "Tyson [Houseman] plays Quil, and he's just kind of a funny character.
"Me and Bella — I'm sorry, Bella and I — are working on the bikes, and Embry and Quil come in," Lautner explained of the scene. "Quil's checking out Bella [and trying to be smooth] and is like, 'Hey, I'm Quil. Quil Ateara.' It's a really funny scene, and the two were really great in it."
Source
August 8, 2009
'New Moon' Wolf Kiowa Gordon Talks About The Pack
'He saves humans from vampires, basically,' Gordon says of his character in the film.
Thursday night, we caught up with Gordon at the red-carpet premier of the new Vanessa Hudgens flick "Bandslam." In his first-ever interview with MTV, the rookie actor was eager to talk about hanging with Taylor Lautner's wolf pack, the "surreal" experience of meeting Twilighters, and offer a preview of his call of the wild.
MTV: Give us your breakdown of the character, as we'll see him in the movie.
Kiowa Gordon: I am Embry Call; he's a Native-American. He lives on his res, and he goes into a transformation which freaks him out completely. He turns into a wolf. So he gets some extra baggage going there — and then he saves humans from vampires, basically.
MTV: Break down the wolf pack for us.
Gordon: Alright, the head is Sam Uley — he's played by Chaske Spencer, who is a great guy. He's the leader of the pack, he runs us and helps us go through our phase. Next is Jared — he transforms next, and he's the fun boy, the jokester. He's played by Bronson Pelletier, and he's a funny guy too — he's awesome, we became really close. And Alex Meraz plays Paul — he's the hotheaded, ferocious guy that always wants to be in the middle of the action, and he's the go-to guy if Sam needs something taken care of.
MTV: And how about yourself?
Gordon: Jacob's really weirded out that I joined this cult of shirtless Natives. [We] thought that Paul, Jared, and Sam were just these [egotistical] guys that thought so highly of themselves and called themselves the protectors of the tribe, and I'm just the shy, lanky kid. Then Jacob sees me [join them] and he's like, "Wow, I've lost a friend," but that's really not the case; we can't tell Jacob or other Quileutes about our transformations until they have transformed themselves. Then, next in line is Jacob of course, and he's so natural to it; his wolf is stronger than like any other one.
MTV: You and some other "New Moon" stars were exposed to the public for the first time at Comic-Con. How was that?
Gordon: Yeah, I went to the Comic-Con for the "Twilight" screenings, and the question- and-answer [sessions], and it was crazy. They all started screaming as soon as we walked off the bus; the whole time we were answering questions they just kept screaming and screaming. It was so surreal for me. I've also gone to my own things — like I've gone to this unity conference out in New Mexico where Native American youths gather and share their tribal affiliations and all that awesome stuff. And [Twilighters were there and] they went crazy.
MTV: Taylor has said that he gets to speak the Native-American language of the tribe a bit in "New Moon." Do you?
Gordon: No, I would just — we make noises.
MTV: Noises? Can you give us an example?
Gordon: Hopefully I won't get in trouble for this. But yeah, [there's a scene where] we get out of the car, and we have to do this call — this signal that we're home. Me and Jared, we go [he unleashes a loud, yipping noise]. It's kinda funny. But it's awesome.
MTV: Wow. And that basically means "Hi Honey, I'm home"?
Gordon: [Laughs.] Yeah!
Source
Thursday night, we caught up with Gordon at the red-carpet premier of the new Vanessa Hudgens flick "Bandslam." In his first-ever interview with MTV, the rookie actor was eager to talk about hanging with Taylor Lautner's wolf pack, the "surreal" experience of meeting Twilighters, and offer a preview of his call of the wild.
MTV: Give us your breakdown of the character, as we'll see him in the movie.
Kiowa Gordon: I am Embry Call; he's a Native-American. He lives on his res, and he goes into a transformation which freaks him out completely. He turns into a wolf. So he gets some extra baggage going there — and then he saves humans from vampires, basically.
MTV: Break down the wolf pack for us.
Gordon: Alright, the head is Sam Uley — he's played by Chaske Spencer, who is a great guy. He's the leader of the pack, he runs us and helps us go through our phase. Next is Jared — he transforms next, and he's the fun boy, the jokester. He's played by Bronson Pelletier, and he's a funny guy too — he's awesome, we became really close. And Alex Meraz plays Paul — he's the hotheaded, ferocious guy that always wants to be in the middle of the action, and he's the go-to guy if Sam needs something taken care of.
MTV: And how about yourself?
Gordon: Jacob's really weirded out that I joined this cult of shirtless Natives. [We] thought that Paul, Jared, and Sam were just these [egotistical] guys that thought so highly of themselves and called themselves the protectors of the tribe, and I'm just the shy, lanky kid. Then Jacob sees me [join them] and he's like, "Wow, I've lost a friend," but that's really not the case; we can't tell Jacob or other Quileutes about our transformations until they have transformed themselves. Then, next in line is Jacob of course, and he's so natural to it; his wolf is stronger than like any other one.
MTV: You and some other "New Moon" stars were exposed to the public for the first time at Comic-Con. How was that?
Gordon: Yeah, I went to the Comic-Con for the "Twilight" screenings, and the question- and-answer [sessions], and it was crazy. They all started screaming as soon as we walked off the bus; the whole time we were answering questions they just kept screaming and screaming. It was so surreal for me. I've also gone to my own things — like I've gone to this unity conference out in New Mexico where Native American youths gather and share their tribal affiliations and all that awesome stuff. And [Twilighters were there and] they went crazy.
MTV: Taylor has said that he gets to speak the Native-American language of the tribe a bit in "New Moon." Do you?
Gordon: No, I would just — we make noises.
MTV: Noises? Can you give us an example?
Gordon: Hopefully I won't get in trouble for this. But yeah, [there's a scene where] we get out of the car, and we have to do this call — this signal that we're home. Me and Jared, we go [he unleashes a loud, yipping noise]. It's kinda funny. But it's awesome.
MTV: Wow. And that basically means "Hi Honey, I'm home"?
Gordon: [Laughs.] Yeah!
Source
July 27, 2009
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON Interview with Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner
Following a very enthusiastic Comic-Con panel for Summit Entertainment's The Twilight Saga: New Moon, co-stars Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner sat down to talk about what fans can expect from the next installment in the story, and how much better prepared they are for all of the attention and adoration, this time around.
Q: So, how's your Comic-Con experience been?
Taylor: It's very similar to last year. It's just that we were expecting it, this time. Last year, we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. This time, we brought ear plugs.
Q: How does it feel to be working on such a popular film with such a huge fan base?
Kristen: It feels good. There's nothing bad. Trying to describe what it feels like is so funny. Everyone feels like we're nervous about the pressure and having approval, but this art form is so subjective, anyway. People say, "I love this book. I'm obsessed with it." And, we can say, "Well yeah, me too.' Everything is better, if you're on some sort of common ground. It's like fire. There's nothing better than sharing passion. This is so far out of our scope of what's going on in our head, when we're shooting a movie. It was strange having fans so close, but like Chris Weisz said, it's like doing theater when they stand up and clap after every take, and sit there very quietly organized, in little rows, and try not to disturb us while we're all in character. It's a little bit more pressure, but at the same time it was motivating.
Taylor: It was encouraging.
Kristen: Yes, it was very encouraging.
Taylor: It was kind of cool to see you have this fan base behind you.
Q: How was it shooting in Italy?
Kristen: I had never spent more than a couple of days there. We went to Rome, for the first Twilight tour. It was so fleeting. I was only there for two seconds. It was so overwhelming to sit on the countryside for hours and just do nothing. It's a completely different world. I would love to spend more time there. We shot in this little town that was gorgeous.
Q: Do you enjoy working on different films, in between filming each of these installments of the saga?
Kristen: Yeah, if it was Twilight all the time and I did nothing in between, I would go a little batty. For me, I'd say it definitely alleviates pressure.
Q: How's The Runaways going?
Kristen: Really good. It's hard to talk about now because I still have four days of shooting left. I feel that what we're doing is really important. I feel like what The Runaways did was really important, so trying to convey that is really awesome. It's daunting, to say the least.
Q: What do you think the New Moon fans are not expecting from this film?
Taylor: Giant fuzzy werewolves.
Kristen: No, I think they expected those.
Taylor: I honestly don't think they're expecting to be as heartbroken as I think they will be. I know when I read New Moon, I really felt bad for Jacob's character and Bella, just because Jacob can't have her and he's trying to get her, and everything that's going on, and her being torn and confused. I felt really bad, but actually, when I lived the experience with Kristen, it was much worse, and I just can't imagine what the fans are going to think when they watch that.
Kristen: He feels bad for himself.
Taylor: I don't feel bad for myself. I feel bad for Jacob and I feel bad for you.
Q: What do you think the fans are going to enjoy the most about New Moon?
Taylor: Somebody like me would enjoy the action because I love action movies and New Moon takes that to another level than Twilight was. And, it's a lot more complicated, this time around. It takes what Bella and Edward developed in Twilight, and it smashes that at the beginning, and then it becomes complicated until the end of the movie.
Kristen: Yeah, it's not an easy story. Not that Twilight was, but Twilight was about two people who were already conflicted internally, throwing themselves against each other, mindlessly. It was just very impulsive. And, in this case, we had to think a lot more about what we were doing because it wasn't instinctual, like a chemistry love thing. Everything in these movies is heightened. If you get sad, you don't just get sad. It's like you'd rather just be dead. I guess people experience that in real life, but in our movie, it's more than that. So, it was just harder.
Q: Does something like that take the challenge for you, as an actor, to another level?
Kristen: Yeah, it's hard because you have no reference. I don't know what it's like to be shattered by somebody who physiologically completes you, and then you have that taken away, and what that feels like. I don't know because, for me, it doesn't exist. So, yeah, it's hard.
Q: Was there a moment in time when you realized Twilight was going to become this phenomenon?
Kristen: I think at Comic-Con last year.
Taylor: For sure, definitely. When we were filming, it had no attention as it does, this time around. The first big thing for us was Comic-Con. Just to walk out on that stage and hear the screams of the 6,000 fans was really different and I don't think any of us were expecting it. So, that was the huge eye-opener for us, the first time around.
Q: When the Twilight saga is done, how will you feel about getting your life back?
Taylor: I'm so thankful to be a part of this, and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. I've made a lot of great friendships with everybody that I've worked with, and we've got a while left. I haven't really started thinking about that yet because it's my main focus right now.
Kristen: Yeah, which is good, I guess. I can't wait to be finished because, when I start a movie initially, I'm dying to get it done. I'm thinking about something all the time and I want to go through the experience. I want to do the scenes and I want to make sure that we do them right. And, in this case, I have so much ahead of me. Usually, I have six weeks and, at the end of the six weeks, we will have made our product. We will have gone through everything that we wanted to. But, in this case, I have to wait, literally, years. So, I'm waiting to get it done. I want it to be done.
Source
July 21, 2009
Taylor Lautner New Photo as Jacob Black
A year ago, no one knew who the heck Taylor Lautner was, and Robert Pattinson was just some British guy from the fourth Harry Potter movie. Then thousands of fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight book series descended on Comic-Con for a peek at the movie, and the rest is history. This year, Lautner and Pattinson are in New Moon, directed by Chris Weitz. No word on whether the hot young stars will be at Comic-Con but new footage from the November release will be shown.
Source
July 3, 2009
'Twilight' World Comes To Life In Forks, Washington
Summer School in the small Washington town features 'Twilight' classes, field trips and prom.
If you're like many "Twilight" fans, you cherish every word of Stephenie Meyer's novels, gush each time Robert Pattinson runs his fingers through his hair and celebrate the birthdays of the Cullens as if you're part of the family. But if you haven't been to Forks, you're missing out on a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
After all the time that I've spent covering the "Twilight" beat for MTV, I was extremely honored to be asked to attend Summer School in Forks: A "Twilight" Symposium, a real-life fan event that allowed Twilighters to attend classes, go to a prom and enjoy field trips around the real-life town that Meyer immortalized by making it home to her beloved characters.
"We're having Summer School in Forks right now," beamed Kaleb Nation, a.k.a. the "Twilight" Guy, a popular blogger/author. "We have all these bands up here for the 'Twilight' prom. I gave a speech earlier, and we have all these speakers that have been talking about the series. We have the woman who [voices] the audio books here. It's been an amazing event for a bunch of Twilighters to get together in Forks."
Driving into the small town (population 3,000), the first things you see are the enormous trees, the gorgeous beaches — and the pouring rain and overcast skies that make it such a perfect place for sexy vampires to call home. Then, when you pull into town, you see a quaint Disneyland for Twilighters: A motel sign screams "Edward Cullen Slept Here," a local Chinese restaurant features a "Twilight Dinner" and every third storefront sells Robert Pattinson cardboard cutouts, custom-made T-shirts and other "Twilight" trappings.
"I've had the flower shop for about 14 years — my mom owned it before me," explained Charlene Cross, owner of Lepell's Twilight Central (where an employee dressed as Alice sells lollipops that read "Bite Me" and bumper stickers that say "Warning: I Drive Like a Cullen"). "Business is three times what it normally would be. [Before the novels became popular], when I sold flowers strictly, holidays, funerals, weddings would be a good time. Now it's a daily thing, and I think it's only going to get bigger."
"The town was having some major economic issues, because their major export was logging — and then 'Twilight' came along," Kaleb explained. "And if you look at Forks now, Stephenie has transformed this town into a 'Twilight' tourism economy. It's crazy."
"None of our students are vampires — at least, not that we're aware of," grinned Kevin Rupprecht, the real-life principal of Forks High School, who promised me that he resists the daily temptation to call Edward Cullen to his office over the loudspeaker. "Thousands and thousands of people come through this town, just to see the 'Twilight' setting, every month. We do have a couple of lockers, for the fans, that are designated for Edward and Bella. People like that. And we do know which parking spot the almost-accident occurred in. So we direct fans to that; they eat it up."
Forks High was the site of the Symposium. And although it was fun to see all the fans wearing T-shirts that read "Jasper Says Relax" or fathers dressed up like Carlisle (complete with brown contact lenses), they were here for some serious business.
"We got to listen to a lecture by John Granger, who is the author of many [books about] Harry Potter," explained Maddi of "Bloodsuckers," a "Twilight" podcast, who attended Granger's class on religious themes within the pages of the popular novels. "Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon, and we didn't realize how much her religion played into the 'Twilight' series. ... He told us about how Bella and Edward, in the series, represent the relationship between man and God. Edward is God, Bella is man, and when he leaves she feels an absence in her heart. That was really interesting."
Another interesting part of the weekend was Saturday night's "prom" in the Forks High gymnasium. With attendees of all ages dressed in their best evening gowns and suits, popular "Twilight" acts the Bella Cullen Project, Bella Rocks and the Mitch Hansen Band sang odes to the Cullen clan. The YouTube sensation Hillywood Players walked amongst them dressed as Bella, Jasper, Alice and Edward — the latter had his shirt open to reveal his chest, naturally. After sniffing a few potential mates, "Edward" chose his dancing partner from among the blushing fans.
"It's been totally inspirational," Mitch Hansen said of his first time in Forks, saying that he was moved enough to write some new lyrics. "It's mind-blowing."
On Sunday, yours truly got to deliver the keynote speech to the "graduates" during a ceremony that saw them all receiving diplomas. As we stood in the real-deal Forks cafeteria, it was hard to deny the feeling that Edward could come strolling in at any moment, grab a tray of food that he would only poke at and stare longingly at Bella from across the room. As the line between fiction and fact continued to blur, the Twilighters exchanged hugs and phone numbers, taking home the memories of a lifetime along with their diplomas.
"We ended up taking the same flight Bella took to get to Forks in 'Twilight,' " explained Maddi, remembering the journey that she and her friends had taken to get to the tiny town Meyer selected for her novels despite the fact that she had never actually set foot here. "We went from Phoenix to the Seattle airport, then took a puddle-jumper from Seattle to Port Angeles and got to see all the beautiful scenery.
"We ate at Bella Italia, which is where Edward and Bella had their first date. It was pouring — just like it should be — when we got here," she continued, saying that even when there isn't a scheduled fan event, Forks is still a Disneyland for Twilighters. "Everywhere you go, you can just imagine Bella and Edward walking down the street in this cozy little town. It really is like being in the home of 'Twilight.'
Source
If you're like many "Twilight" fans, you cherish every word of Stephenie Meyer's novels, gush each time Robert Pattinson runs his fingers through his hair and celebrate the birthdays of the Cullens as if you're part of the family. But if you haven't been to Forks, you're missing out on a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
After all the time that I've spent covering the "Twilight" beat for MTV, I was extremely honored to be asked to attend Summer School in Forks: A "Twilight" Symposium, a real-life fan event that allowed Twilighters to attend classes, go to a prom and enjoy field trips around the real-life town that Meyer immortalized by making it home to her beloved characters.
"We're having Summer School in Forks right now," beamed Kaleb Nation, a.k.a. the "Twilight" Guy, a popular blogger/author. "We have all these bands up here for the 'Twilight' prom. I gave a speech earlier, and we have all these speakers that have been talking about the series. We have the woman who [voices] the audio books here. It's been an amazing event for a bunch of Twilighters to get together in Forks."
Driving into the small town (population 3,000), the first things you see are the enormous trees, the gorgeous beaches — and the pouring rain and overcast skies that make it such a perfect place for sexy vampires to call home. Then, when you pull into town, you see a quaint Disneyland for Twilighters: A motel sign screams "Edward Cullen Slept Here," a local Chinese restaurant features a "Twilight Dinner" and every third storefront sells Robert Pattinson cardboard cutouts, custom-made T-shirts and other "Twilight" trappings.
"I've had the flower shop for about 14 years — my mom owned it before me," explained Charlene Cross, owner of Lepell's Twilight Central (where an employee dressed as Alice sells lollipops that read "Bite Me" and bumper stickers that say "Warning: I Drive Like a Cullen"). "Business is three times what it normally would be. [Before the novels became popular], when I sold flowers strictly, holidays, funerals, weddings would be a good time. Now it's a daily thing, and I think it's only going to get bigger."
"The town was having some major economic issues, because their major export was logging — and then 'Twilight' came along," Kaleb explained. "And if you look at Forks now, Stephenie has transformed this town into a 'Twilight' tourism economy. It's crazy."
"None of our students are vampires — at least, not that we're aware of," grinned Kevin Rupprecht, the real-life principal of Forks High School, who promised me that he resists the daily temptation to call Edward Cullen to his office over the loudspeaker. "Thousands and thousands of people come through this town, just to see the 'Twilight' setting, every month. We do have a couple of lockers, for the fans, that are designated for Edward and Bella. People like that. And we do know which parking spot the almost-accident occurred in. So we direct fans to that; they eat it up."
Forks High was the site of the Symposium. And although it was fun to see all the fans wearing T-shirts that read "Jasper Says Relax" or fathers dressed up like Carlisle (complete with brown contact lenses), they were here for some serious business.
"We got to listen to a lecture by John Granger, who is the author of many [books about] Harry Potter," explained Maddi of "Bloodsuckers," a "Twilight" podcast, who attended Granger's class on religious themes within the pages of the popular novels. "Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon, and we didn't realize how much her religion played into the 'Twilight' series. ... He told us about how Bella and Edward, in the series, represent the relationship between man and God. Edward is God, Bella is man, and when he leaves she feels an absence in her heart. That was really interesting."
Another interesting part of the weekend was Saturday night's "prom" in the Forks High gymnasium. With attendees of all ages dressed in their best evening gowns and suits, popular "Twilight" acts the Bella Cullen Project, Bella Rocks and the Mitch Hansen Band sang odes to the Cullen clan. The YouTube sensation Hillywood Players walked amongst them dressed as Bella, Jasper, Alice and Edward — the latter had his shirt open to reveal his chest, naturally. After sniffing a few potential mates, "Edward" chose his dancing partner from among the blushing fans.
"It's been totally inspirational," Mitch Hansen said of his first time in Forks, saying that he was moved enough to write some new lyrics. "It's mind-blowing."
On Sunday, yours truly got to deliver the keynote speech to the "graduates" during a ceremony that saw them all receiving diplomas. As we stood in the real-deal Forks cafeteria, it was hard to deny the feeling that Edward could come strolling in at any moment, grab a tray of food that he would only poke at and stare longingly at Bella from across the room. As the line between fiction and fact continued to blur, the Twilighters exchanged hugs and phone numbers, taking home the memories of a lifetime along with their diplomas.
"We ended up taking the same flight Bella took to get to Forks in 'Twilight,' " explained Maddi, remembering the journey that she and her friends had taken to get to the tiny town Meyer selected for her novels despite the fact that she had never actually set foot here. "We went from Phoenix to the Seattle airport, then took a puddle-jumper from Seattle to Port Angeles and got to see all the beautiful scenery.
"We ate at Bella Italia, which is where Edward and Bella had their first date. It was pouring — just like it should be — when we got here," she continued, saying that even when there isn't a scheduled fan event, Forks is still a Disneyland for Twilighters. "Everywhere you go, you can just imagine Bella and Edward walking down the street in this cozy little town. It really is like being in the home of 'Twilight.'
Source
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