This time last year, Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight premiered to great success, if mixed critical results, launching a full-blown pop culture phenomenon in the process. Its sequel, New Moon, faces even more of an uphill battle among film critics and non-fans, thanks to an angst-heavy plot pulled straight from the pages of its source material. But are critics being too harsh on New Moon? We rounded up a sampling of reviews.
So you're not a Twi-hard, you haven't read the books, and you can't decide if you want to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon. But you know Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen are in it, and you've heard something about this Robert Pattinson character. Besides, who doesn't love vampires AND werewolves? (Answer: nobody.)
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Although Summit has kept mum about officially adapting the fourth book in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, fans have latched on to New Moon director Chris Weitz as a favorite to helm the sequel. But has Weitz taken himself out of the running to direct Breaking Dawn in favor of retirement?
Bella came dressed in Oscar de la Renta. Edward Cullen wore Gucci. Even young Jacob Black looked sharp in Calvin Klein. The entire Twilight universe sparkled in full force for Monday’s premiere of The Twilight Saga: New Moon -- well, with the exception of one flame-haired vampiress -- for a red carpet celebration that proved that this Twilight thing is only going to get bigger with each new installment.
In case you weren’t one of the thousands of screaming fans camping out for hours on the streets of Los Angeles for a glimpse of the New Moon cast, here’s a rundown of what you missed: celebrities, vampires, werewolves, rock stars, a few thousand-plus of the most devoted Twilighters and Twi-hards in the world, and the ever-present, ear-piercing sounds of unadulterated fan adoration. Start gearing up for next summer’s Eclipse!
Take that, Jedi nerds! According to Fandango, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is now the best advance ticket seller of all time, beating out such fan-driven franchise films as Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and The Dark Knight – and it hasn't even had its premiere!
Although werewolves are the natural enemies of vampires in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Edward Cullen has another enemy lurking in the tunnels beneath Volterra: Felix, a wall of muscle with a mean streak and a penchant for punishing errant vampires with his fists. To play the Volturi enforcer, director Chris Weitz enlisted 6’8” Canadian actor Daniel Cudmore, a part-time stunt actor best known as the shirtless mutant Colossus in X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand.
We caught up with the jovial actor during his multi-city Twilight tour with fellow Volturi Charlie Bewley before the pair moved on from Philadelphia to Seattle and finally, Phoenix. (Check out our exclusive interview with Charlie Bewley here!) Cudmore discussed his pivotal fight scene with Robert Pattinson (including how much of the stunt work Rob performed himself), shared his insights on Felix’s inferiority complex, and gave his impressions on Eclipse director David Slade.
// More: Exclusive: Daniel Cudmore on ‘New Moon,’ ‘Eclipse,’ and Fighting Rob Pattinson
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga is practically the Midas touch for up-and-coming actors like newcomer Charlie Bewley, the strapping British actor who won the role of the menacing Volturi guard, Demetri. We spoke with Bewley via phone from Philadelphia, where he had just completed one of many stops on a cross-country Twilight tour with co-star and fellow Volturi Daniel Cudmore (and where, earlier in the day, the avid runner had tackled the infamous Rocky Balboa stairs, with mixed results).
// More: Exclusive: Charlie Bewley on 'New Moon' and Demetri's Sexual Ambiguity
While The Twilight Saga: New Moon belongs to Jacob and the Wolf Pack, the sequel also introduces a new, sinister threat: the Volturi, an ancient and powerful coven of vampires who rule the vampire world from beneath the Italian city of Volterra. We spoke with Jamie Campbell-Bower – a.k.a. the Volturi leader Caius – about his brief but important appearance in New Moon, his ambiguously homosexual portrayal of Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and how he's managed to avoid falling victim to the fan and media frenzy that surrounds co-stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart – despite having tens of thousands of followers on Twitter.
// More: Exclusive: Jamie Campbell-Bower on 'New Moon' and Harry Potter's Gay Grindelwald
Since The Twilight Saga: New Moon is all about the rise of the werewolf – in the form of its bare-chested, strapping young Quileuete Indian protectors – we seized the chance to speak with the most volatile member of the Wolf Pack. As Paul, newcomer Alex Meraz adds a hot-blooded physicality that leads to one of New Moon's best moments – a surprise showdown in which Bella (Kristen Stewart) finds herself caught between two raging wolves. Find out more about Meraz, the slap heard ‘round the Twi-verse, and how the Native American actor thinks the Twilight films serve the Native American community.
// More: Exclusive: ‘New Moon's' Alex Meraz on Bella's Slap and More
Kristen Stewart was confident and engaging at this weekend's massive junket for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, where she spoke at length about New Moon, Eclipse, her stratospheric celebrity, and everything in between. We singled out the five most important things you need to know from Kristen's interview, from the New Moon syllabus Chris Weitz gave to cast and crew before shooting started (we want one!) to the hotly anticipated 'sleeping bag scene' in Eclipse.
// More: Five 'Twilight' Tidbits from 'New Moon' Star Kristen Stewart
Rumors had been swirling about the last chapter in the Twilight Saga film franchise: would Breaking Dawn get greenlit or not? While everyone from Twilight producer Wyck Godfrey to star Kristen Stewart managed to stay tight-lipped about the unconfirmed sequel at today's New Moon press conference in Beverly Hills, our hopeful hearts got a piece of very big news about the film from none other than Robert Pattinson.
// More: Robert Pattinson Confirms Fall 2010 Start for 'Breaking Dawn'
Love the best-selling soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: New Moon? Starting November 6, you can love it live, in person, as, according to Rolling Stone, bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Skulls, and Anya Marina play sets inside – where else? – Hot Topic stores across the country. You heard that right: Death Cab is playing Hot Topic. Let the revoking of the indie credentials begin!
