I just want to say hello to all of you and let you know that I'm stoked to be getting underway on the adventure of making BREAKING DAWN. As you've probably heard, I've been given a very warm welcome by Stephenie and Team Summit - who are super-focused, as you know, on getting these movies right.
I'm pretty busy bringing myself up to speed on what you already know by heart: I've read BREAKING DAWN twice, rewatched Catherine's and Chris's movies 2-3 times each, have all four CDs playing in my car, and have Catherine's notebook, Mark Cotta Vaz's companion books, and even Volume 1 of the graphic novel here on my desk - a corner of my office is starting to look like Hot Topic. I realize that this barely qualifies me for "newborn" status in the universe you've been living inside for a few years now, but a guy's gotta start somewhere.
Like many of you, I've always been slightly obsessed with vampires, dating back to the prime-time series DARK SHADOWS, which I followed avidly as a kid. But that alone hadn't been enough to get me interested in making a vampire movie, even though my early screenwriting and directing efforts grew out of a great love for horror movies and thrillers. Since making GODS AND MONSTERS thirteen years ago, however, I've been yearning for a return to a story with Gothic overtones.
The wonderful world that Stephenie has created has obviously struck a chord with you, and I don't think it's difficult to see why. For me, her characters are simultaneously timeless, yet very modern. Rooted in a beautiful, real landscape with a great sense of place, Bella, Edward, Jacob, and the rest of the Forks/La Push menagerie, experience emotions that are primal, and universal: desire, despair, jealousy - and it all comes to fruition in BREAKING DAWN. This is a final chapter in the best sense; not just wide in scope and scale, but emotionally charged and intense throughout.
I'm a huge admirer of the already-iconic Kristen, Robert, and Taylor, and wanted to be the one to work with them as they face the challenges of bringing your beloved characters to the end of their journeys. Really, what could be more fun than that?
Please feel free to ask questions in the comments section below, and I'll do my best to answer them. I hope that this will be the first of many occasions I'll get to check in with you as we set to work bringing BREAKING DAWN to the screen. I am excited and grateful to have all of you alongside me for my TWILIGHT journey.
All best,
Bill Condon
Hello Mr. Condon,
ReplyDeleteI would like to start off by saying that as a TwilightMOM I am grateful that acknowledged us in your letter.
We are similar in that we are both relatively new to the world of Twilight. I did not pick up my first book, movie or Twilight Saga Swag until January 16, 2010. Yes, I know "Welcome to the Party, what took you so long?" I think it had a lot to do with my just turned 18 yr old SON! He still won't even say the name but at least I did get him to STOP hiding my Pocket Edward!
I have read all the books 4 to 5 times, I am on my 5th time for Eclipse then Breaking Dawn. I have seen Twilight 6 - 7 times, but have only watched New Moon completely through 3 times. It is all still so fresh in my mind and even after only 3 1/2 months of being a Twi-Mom, I feel so vested in these characters that my body aches and I breakdown crying when Edward leaves Bella and it happens again when Bella finds the strength in herself and saves Edward. The only other time in my life (I will turn 39 on May 22nd) that I was this connected to a character in a book was 18 years ago when I Devoured Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Again similar to you, I have had an obsession with vampires.
I am very excited to see your vision and look forward to updates and "insider" sneak peeks, information and any little Bites you can let us have. There is one thing that I hope you will give us. I would love to see a picture of the "Hot Topic" corner of your office.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and let the fun begin!
Sincerely,
Tonya Renee Pinyan
Hello Mr Condon I am really interested to see how the more adult themes which are inevitable in this story are going to be depicted when some fans are quite young. A frenzied first sexual experiance for both main characters..The unusual and possibly life threatening pregnancy, with nasty internal beatings and the drinking of blood. And then a very traumatic and graphic emergency ceasarian where the baby is literally gnawed out of the mother by the father after which he bites her allover and stabes her through the heart with a huge syringe full of venom. Bella ia left naked , paralysed from the waist down, ripped open right into her abdominal cavity Bitten on the breast and covered in the blood she has vomited back from her special 'Blood smoothies' I wish you the greatest of luck with this challenge..I think Renesmee is one of the least of them! IF you need a mature fat lady for soibhann I would be SO avaiable haha! My very best wishes to you for this project..with it's almost rabid fans it is going to be an interesting ride! mbest regards Karen M Hurworth UK
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