Fansite Advice: If He Gets Nothing Else Right, Chris Weitz Had Better Not Screw Up...

With the first scenes for New Moon being filmed at Incinerator Rock, fans can breathe a bit easier that one of their most-anticipated scenes -- the cliff diving at La Push -- will make it to the big screen. But what other advice would Twilighters like to give director Chris Weitz? We asked the fansites, and here's what they told us. As always, drop us a comment below with your thoughts.

Twilight Lexicon

TwilightLexicon.com

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better not screw up ... the two love stories."

First, we'd love to wish Chris and the cast nothing but the best. We're rooting for you guys! We'd say that the most important advice we can give is that it's first a story about relationships. Don't get too caught up in the supernatural and forget that it's the start of a love triangle. Even though they are werewolves and vampires, they haven't lost the emotional part of their humanity. All the CGI in the world won't matter if we don't care about those characters ... although we would like an improvement over sparkly wind-chime Edward as much as the next person would.

Twilight 20 Somethings

Twilight20somethings.com (Elizabeth)

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better not screw up ... the emotion that is so tangible during the cliff-diving scene."

Contrary to beliefs that we want Rob in every scene, it is not true. How can we feel the same emotions as Bella if we are still seeing Edward every 15 minutes? It will make the reunion all the sweeter in the end if we are missing Edward just as much as Bella.

Try to stay true to the original color palette. It was simply stunning and it will help tie the movies together. We want to feel like it is the same series after all.

Pay a little more attention to hair and make up. Even small details. Trust me, fans notice everything, good or bad. With a bigger budget comes bigger expectations.

The biggest advice I can give is: Keep Stephenie Meyer involved every step of the way! If Steph has the say that she did in Twilight, New Moon can't go wrong. Trust and listen to her as Catherine did.

Bella and Edward

BellaAndEdward.com (Jenny)

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better not screw up ... Chapter 3, 'The End,' when Edward leaves Bella. It's a key scene and shapes Bella's character for the rest of the book."

My advice for Chris Weitz is:

  • Stay as close to the book as possible.
  • Don't omit key scenes (wolves in the meadow, Edward's proposal, the whole of the scene in Volterra).
  • Pay attention to how the characters change and evolve in New Moon (especially Bella).
  • Focus on the Cullens as much as you can -- they are, after all, the driving force behind the fanbase (both as characters and actors).
  • Make Jacob a likeable character; he has a lot of fans that don't want to be disappointed by his characterization.
  • Cast the Volturi correctly. Dakota Fanning is a good start, but we need the rest of the Volturi to be true to their descriptions in the books.
  • Don't use too much dialogue straight from the text -- sometimes it doesn't work as well as it should.
  • No crazy direction, please. (For example, a weird forest camera spin.)
  • Keep the fans updated -- we like to know what's going on!
Twilighters Anonymous

TwilightersAnonymous.com

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better not screw up ... the CGI and the break-up scene."

Below is more specific advice for Chris:

  • BE.A.FAN.OF.THE.BOOK. Know it, feel it, and see it from the fans' perspective. In fact, consider visiting some fan sites to see what they have to say.
  • While the pack's emergence in this book is significant, please don't make this just a CGI showcase with crappy, exploding werewolves.
  • There should be a heavy accent on the events leading up to, and including, Edward leaving, and also Bella and Edward’s dramatic reunion. This is a love story about what you do when your very reason for existing disappears; Bella's not just your average teenage girl with a broken heart.
  • Please don't think of New Moon as just a cash cow! Many of us have imagined this book in our head for years.
  • Find as much humor as possible in the midst of this emotional roller coaster. It cannot be so dark that it's not enjoyable.
Twilight Moms

Twilightmoms.com (Kirsten)

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better not ... mess it up by finding excuses to have Rob in it. Leave it like the book."

  • Don't be afraid to bring the emotion into the story that I felt was somewhat lacking in Twilight. This is, first and foremost, a love story riddled with strife and angst. Let those emotions out and the story will flow.
  • Get rid of the twinkling noise when Edward sparkles.
  • Don't get so caught up in special effects that you lose the love stories.
  • Show us Bella's relationships with the Cullens -- especially Alice.
  • Don't rush the development of Jacob and Bella's relationship just to get Edward back in the story -- let us experience Bella's feelings of total abandonment by Edward and her healing through Jacob.
New Moon Movie

newmoonmovie.org

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better ... get the pacing of the movie right. The book is slow -- some people think it's too slow, but most fans agree the slow pace is necessary to show how devastated that Bella Swan becomes. If he tries to speed up the movie too much to appease the taste of people who haven't read the book, the fans will be in an uproar."

Lion and Lamb Love

LionandLambLove.com

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better not screw up ... Edward leaving and making Bella (and all of us watching) miserable. Chris needs to make sure that all the viewers feel how much pain she is in. The whole sequence from the book has to be there, including Bella in the woods feeling lost, horrible, and half dead because she lost Edward."

Our "advice" would be to add some of the funny scenes of the book, like Bella thinking she is dead after coming home from Italy. It's something we really missed in Twilight (and it's part of the charm of the books. Makes you relate to Bella as she is just one of us. Just makes her normal.)

We know the movie is a drama and it should be, but it needs to have the kind of humor that is so typical for Bella.

Edwards Meadow

EdwardsMeadow.com (Alice)

"If he gets nothing else right, Chris Weitz had better not screw up ... the werewolves. He better not try to go for Hollywood's old grizzly version of werewolves. The Quileute werewolves just turn into regular wolves ... jumbo sized."

My advice to Chris would be to just imagine himself in the characters' shoes -- imagine how they would feel in the situations they're faced with. How would you feel if something you loved more than life itself was taken away from you forever? How would you feel if you had a completely normal life, and then suddenly your life was drastically changed (such as turning into a werewolf)? If he can put himself in the characters' shoes and feel the emotions they feel, then it will help the rest of the pieces of the movie fall into place.



Post this article to: Digg | del.icio.us | Facebook | MySpace | StumbleUpon | Fark | Reddit

User Comments

Please Log in or register to comment on Fansite Advice: If He Gets Nothing Else Right, Chris Weitz Had Better Not Screw Up....
  • mwills0924

    05/26/09 01:28 PM
    I agree with the facts that Chris needs to bring out the pain that Bella is feeling and he needs to make sure and get that the biggest part of Bella being with Jacob is for a shoulder to lean on. He needs to follow the book as closely as possible...the book is great..why fix something that isn't broken...many fans will be upset if new moon turns out nothing like the book...i myself was disappointed with twilight because it left out some of the main dialouge from the book and it got all the scenes backwards and threw in some that didnt even make sense...so just follow the book and everyone will love it...=]
    Review Rating: 0
    Characters remaining:
    Submit Cancel
  • Tanyaluv73

    05/18/09 05:07 PM
    I have to say that I agree 100% with the comments from Alice, Jenny and from the website LionandLambLove.com (cute name!!).
    After reading the book just about 3 times it is highly essential to focus on the building relationship that Bella has with the Cullen family. It is also important to really develop the relationship with Edward...why Bella hearts aches just at the mention of his name trying to hold herself together, the feeling that she was a zombie, the fact that she has built up this entanlged attachment to her true love Edward and what it did to her life outside of Edward. She obviously cares about him more than life itself and then to be told that, "she's not good enough for him" when she always felt a bit undeserving of his love and devotion especially when he promised not to leave her. Devastated! Classic case of true love and the realization of discovering your soulmate in an unimaginable world.
    On the other hand Jacob's character is there to pick up the pieces as much as he is allowed to. Knowing that the feelings that are developing within himself may as well be an uphill battle, yet he doesn't give up the hope that he may be the one thing close to normalcy for Bella. The "wolf pack" is talked about to a great detail in the book, but it should not become the whole movie. Bella becomes dependent upon Jacob because of the innocence that lies in that relationship for her at a time that she truly needs a friend that she can relate to...not your normal human social network for there is nothing normal about Bella at this point. It's the relationships that are developed. The Family that Bella wants to belong to for the rest of her eternity, the one female who turns out to be a dear best friend (Alice), the commitment Charlie has for his daughter to see her through a trying time and not to mention the history that Bella experiences first hand of the Volturi and the danger from Victoria. It's alot, but if done right I would not have to wait for the dvd!!!
    Review Rating: 0
    Characters remaining:
    Submit Cancel
NEW MOVIE RELEASES
2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012
PAGES ON OUR
© 2009 ReelzChannel