Better Late Than Never: Thoughts on the NEW MOON Premiere

Okay, so I think it's high time I wrote about the big deal that was the NEW MOON premiere. But first I feel a need to explain that my not having brought it up before now had less to do with my having been in Australia than it did with my wanting to give the subject some thought while some of the hype surrounding it settled down. What I decided is that it's a moment in my career that should neither be overemphasized or ignored. And what I also realized is that, like most people, I tend to fixate on the mistakes I've made in my life rather than on the successes. It can be tricky, knowing how to gracefully glory in the...well, in the glory. So I want to start off by thanking all the people—the producers, directors, actors, friends and family—who have gone out of their way to acknowledge the work I did on the film. I loved being a part of this project, not because it's ended up being such a phenomenon, but really because it was an interesting situation for me, work-wise, and interesting situations are always stimulating.

Here's what made this project so interesting: first of all, contrary to what many people assume, I didn't cast TWILIGHT. Deborah Aquila and Trisha Wood did. Because Chris Wietz came on as the director for NEW MOON, and I've always worked with Chris, I was brought on to cast this second part of the series. And this meant that I had to work with the "bones" that had already been put into place when TWILIGHT was cast. So it was interesting to take a phenomenon, build on it, contribute my own creative twists, and have it work out so beautifully. It's a slightly different way of collaborating, which required me to flex slightly different muscles while casting. I'm proud of the additions to the cast, such as Dakota Fanning, Michael Sheen, and Graham Green. I also feel that with the help of Canadian casting directors Sean Cossey and Stuart Aikins, and Rene Haynes, Native American casting director, the casting of all the smaller supporting roles and day players contributed to the success of the final product. Working with them helped make this movie what it is, and I couldn't have done it without them.


Another thing that made working on this project particularly interesting is the fact that the movies are based on really popular books, so that extra level of awareness had to be factored in. There were a lot of layers that everyone involved with the movie had to remain creatively sensitive to, and I like that kind of challenge. I'd love to see Chris direct the fourth movie so that I could build on the series even more.

So, the premiere. Absolute hysteria. What it reminded me of were those grainy black and white clips I used to see of The Beatles stepping out of an airplane and waving, and then all hell breaking loose. At the NEW MOON premiere it was just like that: fans screaming, losing their minds, crying, possibly fainting. The best part about it for me was that I'd flown in two of my nieces from Georgia, and gave them a night they will never forget. And, for the record, the rest of my nieces and aunts will never forget that I DIDN'T get them tickets. Sigh. But that's Hollywood.