Less than two weeks ago, the first still image from the set of 30 Days of Night: Dark Days was released showing Kiele Sanchez taking over for Melissa George as Stella. 30 Days creator and Dark Days writer Steve Niles originally said that they decided to cast "slightly younger" because they hoped to make more movies based on the multitude of 30 Days graphic novels.
However, in a recent interview with Bloody Disgusting, he said that there were other issues that factored in the decision.
Schedule. The enemy of all casting. [Melissa George has] got a million gazillion things going on right now, so we couldn't fit it.
As far as plans for another film after Dark Days, possibly based on the Return to Barrow graphic novel, Niles said the main concern right now is getting Dark Days "in the can."
If that goes well, we're set up to move forward. We got a great young cast that we can bring along if this works out well, and we';ll be ready to keep going with the story. Plus, the comics are done. God, what do we have, like seven different graphic novels now if it actually took off?
30 Days of Night: Dark Days is expected to debut in 2010.