The premiere of Twilight may still be over a month
away, but that hasn't stopped Summit Entertainment, the independent production
house backing the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's teen vampire romance novel,
from jump-starting production on a sequel. According to Deadline Hollywood
Daily's Nikke Finke, Summit CEO Rob Friedman is "already readying" a
follow-up, which would presumably be based on New Moon, the second book in the
Twilight timeline.
Greenlighting a sequel (if that's indeed the case -- Ms. Finke's post is frustratingly vague on the matter) before a film's release
might strike some as a risky maneuver, but Summit has reason to be confident,
as unprecedented anticipation among teens and tweens has effectively rendered
Twilight critic-proof. Which means the relatively low-budget flick (estimated
at around $37 million) will likely become profitable in its first week in
release.
Still undetermined is what exactly Finke means by
"already readying." Has the script for New Moon been completed? Have
stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart had their schedules cleared for shoot dates? Has pre-production started? We'll be sure
to keep you posted as details emerge -- if indeed there are any details.