Category Archives: Chris Weitz
Chris Weitz Talk About Rob, Kristen & Taylor – “I Want To See Them Succeed”
“I really want to see how they’re going to figure out the part where the vampire baby chews its way out of Kristen Stewart’s stomach,” said “New Moon” director, Chris Weitz, when we recently asked him what he’s looking forward to seeing in the final “Twilight Saga” movies.
Chris quipped with a smile, “I certainly wouldn’t know how to shoot that. I’m sure Bill Condon is going to figure it out, because he’s a terrific director.”
As for the future of Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner after “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” Parts 1 (to be released in November this year) and 2 (next year), here’s Chris’ wish for them: “For the three leads, they’re going to need to handle this last tsunami of publicity and distinguish themselves in other films.”
“With Kristen, she has always done terrific independent-film roles, and that’s great,” said Chris, who also directed the memorable “About a Boy,” “The Golden Compass” and, now, the acclaimed “A Better Life.” “Rob is doing that sort of thing, too,” Chris pointed out. “Rob is filming with David Cronenberg (‘Cosmopolis’) now. Taylor is carving a different path in action films.”
“I want to see them succeed,” Chris stressed. “I want to see them retain their essential humanity. I like them very much. What I also wish for them are happy lives that aren’t impinged on too much by the downside of the great things that have happened to them.”
You can read the rest of the interview here.
Twitter Time With Chris – New Moon, Musicals & The Social Network
Chris has been awesome answering fan tweets even though the questions are sometimes a little crazy. Here’s some more from the lasts few days.
If you’re not following him yet then you’re missing out. Go follow him on Twitter and ask him those burning questions.
Chris Weitz Tweet More About Rob, New Moon & Much More
New Moon director Chris Weitz has been very active on Twitter since he’s joined. He’s been great answering as many fan questions as Twitter will allow.
He’s some of what he’s had to say .
Rob & Taylor Talk Love & More With The Chicago Tribune
LOS ANGELES — Ask many a teenage girl to which team are they most loyal and it’s unlikely you’ll hear about the Blackhawks, White Sox, Bears or Cubs. You’ll probably get an earful about “hits” of a different kind from the new movie “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” You’re Team Edward if you love the moody vampire Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson. Team Jacob is for fans of the usually shirtless, chiseled abs of Taylor Lautner’s werewolf persona, Jacob Black.
Recently, I was a guest of Summit Entertainment in Los Angeles, talking with both actors, who are now on their third installment of fang-filled love tug of war.
Q
You both have been through three different directors on these movie adaptations. What’s been the difference for you?
Robert Pattinson: I don’t know necessarily if it shows in the final film, but the difference between Chris Weitz (“New Moon” director) and David Slade (“Eclipse” director) is dramatic. Chris saw the first one and just thought that he wanted to follow along the road. David wanted to do it completely different from the first two. It all felt so fresh right from the first day. Edward’s movement and such, from every single part of the performance, it just really shook it up a little bit.
Taylor Lautner: Well, Jacob gets a little more frustrated and a little heated in this one. It was very emotional for me. There are a lot of emotional scenes between Jacob and Bella (played by Kristen Stewart) and Jacob and Edward. He becomes very close to Bella, there’s the much-talked-about kissing scene — but also all of the fighting scenes, so it was good … it was much more dramatically challenging.
Q
And what about that kissing scene with Kristen? I know that you’re both very good friends. That has to be a little awkward.
TL: We are very close friends, but I wouldn’t say it was awkward. After we finished a take of the kissing scene that was kind of steamy, there would be a moment of silence and then we’d look at each other and she’d go, “Ewww, we just kissed … weird.” And then we had to do it again and again. After a while, it got kind of mechanical.
Q
In the movie, your characters are both in love with Bella and in hot pursuit of her interests. She doesn’t know which way to turn and even is at the core of the battle that breaks out in this film. In real life, could you be in a relationship that was so difficult to have?
RP: Oh, no way. I’m terrible at that. I can’t even deal with people shouting at each other. The slightest bit of conflict and I’m gone immediately. It’s one of the challenges of this movie for me. It’s balancing the emotional aspects with the physical demands. Occasionally, there come moments where you have to portray a big story within a fight scene and it does become quite complicated.
‘New Moon’ Director Chris Weitz Talks About “Breaking Dawn’
‘Breaking Dawn’ Is ‘Big Enough’ For Two Films, Chris Weitz Says
‘New Moon’ director also talks birth scene: ‘Kristen Stewart giving live birth through the stomach in 3-D! I’m there.’
The “Twilight” gang loves Chris Weitz. There’s no doubting that. In the run-up to the release of the Weitz-helmed “New Moon,” Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner spoke effusively about working with the director, even hoping he might reprise his role behind the camera for “Breaking Dawn.”
Weitz ended up declining the opportunity to bring the final book in the vampire series to the big screen, but he remains flattered that the cast supports him and even has a bit of advice for “Breaking Dawn” director Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”).
“That’s very sweet,” Weitz told MTV News when reminded of how the cast has championed him. “I think that’s because I was the last person who directed them.”
Weitz, who led “New Moon” to more than $700 million in worldwide box-office receipts, is confident that Condon is the right man to step into the director’s chair for “Breaking Dawn.” “I think he’s terribly talented,” Weitz said. “I know him, he’s a solid citizen, great guy, very smart. I think he’s going to do an amazing job.”
His one piece of advice? “Think carefully about babies clawing out of people’s stomachs,” Weitz said in reference to one scene in the book, going on to refer to an even more famous scene in 1979′s “Alien.” “[Director] Ridley Scott sort of did it.”
Weitz added with a laugh, “Kristen Stewart giving live birth through the stomach in 3-D! I’m there. I’m paying.”
And he’d be happy to pay for not just one film, but two. It has long been rumored that “Breaking Dawn” will be split into two flicks. That’s a move Weitz endorses.
“The book is big enough that it would warrant it,” he said.
Chris Weitz Write About Rob In Time Magazine
Robert Pattinson
I have to be careful about what I write here because it will be tweeted the moment TIME hits the stands. And if I say something bad about Rob Pattinson, I’m dead meat. That’s the devotion the Twilight films inspire. It’s certainly not how he planned it. And though I am continually impressed by the aplomb with which he handles the hysteria, I occasionally think he would take it all back if given the chance. Because essentially, Rob, 23, is a reserved, bookish sort of specimen, a guy who’d rather spend the night at the corner table in the pub with friends — a bit of a weirdo, frankly, in the best sense.
So how to write about someone who seems to answer Freud’s rhetorical question, What do women want? Perhaps it’s just worth pointing out that it’d be fun to have a beer with him even if he weren’t Edward Cullen. That we haven’t seen a tenth of what he can do onscreen. And that important things, beyond the veil of Hollywood, occupy his time too — music, conversation, ideas, a sense of the absurd. Which, maybe, explains why he never gets to my e-mails. I love you, Rob! Call me!
Weitz directed The Twilight Saga: New Moon
New Moon DVD – Chris Weitz Speaks
New Moon DVD: Chris Weitz speaks
We checked in with New Moon director Chris Weitz in advance of the DVD release, which — unless you are living under a rock — you know begins tonight at midnight. Weitz told us about his favorite extras in the DVD and talked about the future of the series. Below are some highlights:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What’s your favorite part of the DVD?
CHRIS WEITZ: The fun part for me was to talk through it with Peter Lambert, my editor, who is a very funny man. We were able to discuss quirky moments we had while putting the film together. We had lived in a cave for so long assembling the footage, so we finally had a chance to get our yayas out. We didn’t say anything scandalous or mean about anyone, but it was fun nonetheless.
When did you manage to find the time to do this?
We did it in a moment during the press tour when we were about to go to a hoity-toity premiere in New York. I was in NY and Peter was five hours later in the middle of the night on a satellite line watching it from London.
What can you tell us about the six-part documentary?
Making this film was a massive undertaking to do in the course of this one year. There were so many elements that were new to the franchise: The really intensive CGI elements, the Italian shoot. I think it will be kinda cool for fans to see how the whole thing came together.
Is there anything fans will find surprising in the commentary?
They will probably be surprised that none of the kids are on the commentary. But they were on route between some crazy screening in the South on the way to the screening in New York, and the timing just didn’t work out. They will also probably be surprised how childish Peter and I are given the amount of responsibility we held.
Speaking of editors, we recently broke the news that they replaced the Eclipse editor with the editor on the first Twilight movie. What do you think about that?
In many cases, movies like this have two editors because of the sheer amount of footage. At the very beginning of the process, I think Summit expected me to have two editors. But I had a huge amount of confidence in Pete — we worked before on a cut of The Golden Compass that never saw the light of day — and in part because I felt I owed him one for sitting with me through my dark night of the soul. I also developed a tremendous respect for him and his judgment. He was the guy I immediately thought of to edit this movie. I also knew that we could handle the load of CGI and making this big tent pole movie and for me it was going to be better to work with one editor.
Any way you’ll direct Breaking Dawn?
If I amass some major gambling debts it could happen. I don’t mean to be glib about it. But here’s the thing: I think it’s gonna be two movies shot as one and it’s such a massive undertaking. I’ve now done two special effects-driven movies, which have almost broken my mind, and I have a two-and-a-half-year-old son. There are so many circumstances that militate against me doing it. Even though I’m tremendously fond of Summit, the studio, which is kind of an amazing thing to say, of Stephenie and of the actors.
What do you think of the actors and all of their upcoming projects?
I’m really proud of Taylor and the success he’s enjoying now. I’m looking forward to all his action movies. I haven’t seen Remember Me but I’m looking forward to seeing it. I have already seen The Yellow Handkerchief and Kristen is great because she’s always great, so I bet The Runaways is going to be fantastic. I’m incredibly pleased for Anna Kendrick. How brilliant is that? It’s really gratifying. They are nice people, I like them and I’m happy to see them do well.
Eclipse Will be ‘Steamy’ – Chris Weitz
New Moon Director Promises Eclipse Will Be ‘Steamy’
By Michelle Tauber
Team Jacob, hold on to your sleeping bags.
Chris Weitz, who directed New Moon, the second installment in the Twilight series, says he has read the script for this summer’s third installment, Eclipse – and that one scene in particular is a scorcher.
“I’m looking forward to the sleeping bag scene, I gotta say,” Weitz tells PEOPLE. “That’s going to be very steamy.”
In Eclipse‘s fan-favorite “tent scene,” – spoiler alert! – a freezing Bella, who is on the run from evil vamp Victoria, gets a warm-up from werewolf Jacob when he squeezes into her sleeping bag – while a jealous Edward looks on. The movie will open June 30.
Weitz also says he is eager to see Edward’s vampire “parents,” played by Elizabeth Reaser and Peter Facinelli, sink their teeth into Eclipse‘s more intense action.
“I have a special interest in seeing Peter and Elizabeth tear people’s heads off,” he says with a laugh. “Knowing them, and how kind of kooky and delightful they are, I’m going to find seeing them being ultra-violent very interesting indeed.”
Weitz, who is not helming Eclipse – director David Slade is taking over – says he is showing his Twilight pride on Oscar Sunday by voting for Anna Kendrick, who plays Bella’s pal Jessica in the series. (She is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role opposite George Clooney in Up in the Air.)
“I voted for her of course, because she’s my homie,” says Weitz, adding that New Moon – which is being released on DVD and Blu-Ray March 20 – would have been up for more awards if the Academy had a different voting body.
What Would Chris Weitz Change In New Moon ?
Anybody else think that Edward and Bella’s slow mo run through the forest was a little cheesy or funny ?
Well Chris seem to agree.
Chris Weitz reveals his biggest regret directing ‘New Moon’
One of the most entertaining aspects of the new “Twilight Saga: New Moon” DVD and Blu-ray is the audio commentary from director Chris Weitz and his editor Peter Lambert.
During their long and funny conversation, Weitz makes a humbling revelation about one of his few regrets in the movie: the infamous moment where Aro (Michael Sheen) looks into Alice Cullen’s mind (Ashley Greene) and see the future fate of our hero Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). What was meant as a dramatic reveal that Bella would become a vampire, and thus satisfy Aro’s wishes, drew unintentional laughter as audiences observed Bella and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) seemingly skipping through the forest in slow motion.
Speaking to Weitz earlier this week, the director laughed about the moment and admitted that he discovered the mistake a bit too late.
“I think it could have been less than an Arcadian fairy tale running through the foresty movement and more of an abstract at Kristen flash on her face,” Weitz says of what he would have changed. “That would have avoided laughter, which wasn’t only heard at the premiere where there are cynics and jaded Hollywood types, but the most packed fan screenings.”
Weitz, who is currently prepping his independent drama “The Gardener ” for Summit Entertainment (the same company that shepherds “Twilight”) was taking time out of his busy schedule to talk about the release of the highly anticipated two-disc DVD on March 23. It’s clear one of the reasons he’s doing more publicity for the film is because he feels “tremendously grateful” for the support of the “Twilight” fanbase which helped “New Moon” hit $706 million worldwide and revitalize his career. He notes, “I feel like it was two-way street. The reason the fans have been kind to me is i really approached it from step one as ‘What would I want as a reader of the book?’ I didn’t concern myself with making a four quadrant movie or any overall effect other than to be true to the nature of the book. To be able to entertain people and give people joy in that way is something a director looks for his whole life.”
One of the other interesting aspects of Weitz’s audio commentary is that the filmmaker refers to a number of deleted scenes from the film. Like many commentaries, Weitz’s was recorded soon after “Noon Moon” was released. At the time he was unaware the DVD would contain none of the deleted scenes he mentions although he suspects they might be included on new DVD packages down the road.
“I think those were kind of made at the corporate level,” Weitz says. “I am very satisfied with the cut we did. Goofy running in the forest notwithstanding.”
As for fans who are still holding out Weitz may direct the fourth (and possibly fifth) installments in the series, “Breaking Dawn,” the filmmaker says that’s very unlikely.
“I think that for some rather dull reasons it probably won’t happen, but that’ because of my family and what I owe them having done tow big epic-y films and I get to make ‘The Gardener’ in LA,” Weitz says. “But [to do that after 'New Moon'] I think my mind would explode.”
After “Gardener,” which Weitz told me he wouldn’t mind seeing at Sundance next year, things are happily up in the air.
“I’ve wanted to do ‘The Gardener’ for a couple of years now and it was always built into my life plan,” Weitz admits. “And I happen to be fortunate in having representatives who get that and who are not always trying to get me to get a payday.”
Chris Weitz Looks Back At New Moon
IESB Exclusive Interview: Chris Weitz Looks Back at The Twilight Saga: New Moon
One of the most talked about and most popular films of 2009, The Twilight
Saga: New Moon, will be released on a two-disc special edition DVD and Blu-ray on March 20th. The special Saturday release date will allow for fans across the nation to celebrate at midnight release parties at various retailers.
To celebrate and promote the upcoming DVD release, director Chris Weitz took a few minutes to talk to IESB about his experience making the second film in the Twilight Saga, reflect on working with the film’s stars, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, and his plans for the future.
IESB: In doing the commentary for the New Moon DVD, was there anything that you realized you regretted having to cut, or did the final cut of the film meet all of your expectations?
Chris: I was very satisfied with the final cut of the film, personally. It was what I had set out to do.
IESB: Were there any specific parts of the film that you were most looking forward to talking about for the commentary?
Chris: I was very happy to talk about some of the more complicated shots that we did, like the roundy-round shot. That was a bit in which we took what was a series of chapter headings in the book and turned it into a motion-control shot in which the seasons passed as Kristen Stewart’s character, Bella, remained in the same place. What I like to do with CG is to use it as expressively as possible, and not to make things blow up good, but to sometimes render something ineffable that would be very difficult to do in camera. That involved a lot of work, in which a motion-control camera captured the movement of our steady-cam operator. So, it was a pleasure to talk about that, and about what goes into something like that.
IESB: Having had to deal with stunts, green screen, CGI, weather, bugs and everything you had going on, what was the biggest challenge in bringing this film to the screen, so as to please as many of the fans as possible?
Chris: I think the greatest challenge was the logistical load of it. When you’re talking about taking a film from beginning to end in one year, it’s difficult to do that with a normal film where people are just sitting on their butts, talking to one another. But, when you add in underwater work, heavy CGI work and wire work, it becomes extraordinarily complicated. And then, you add in getting the London Symphony Orchestra to record a soundtrack, and getting 10 or so indie bands to compose songs especially for the film, there are a lot of timelines that are ticking along, at the same time, and you hope that you are able to combine it all at the right point. And, you always end up, just at the last minute, on the last day, your final CGI shot comes in. There are about 400 and something CGI shots, which actually isn’t that many compared to what I’ve done before, but it’s quite a lot. It can complicate things when you’re in the editing room.
IESB: Did you have any preconceived notions, coming into this film, about what it would be like to work with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, prior to filming with them? And, was there anything you learned about working with them that really surprised you?
Chris: I think what surprised me most was how level-headed they were, given the kind of pressures that they were under from the attention of the fans and the number of things that could have taken their head out of the game, and how much they really cared about getting their characters right. In the second film, in a franchise in which you know that people are going to go see it anyway, it’s very impressive to see young actors who really care about getting things just right. It’s the first time I’ve actually been twice the age of the actors, except on About a Boy, but that was really working with a child actor. These guys are actually rather grown up. I was surprised at how old I actually felt, in comparison to them. At the same time, I was really impressed by their professionalism.
IESB: Is there a specific reason why you didn’t include any commentary from Kristen, Rob and Taylor on the DVD? Were they just not available?
Chris: I just didn’t want them to say anything bad about me. No. It was actually happenstance. These things are scheduled during the whole press bonanza that you’re doing and, on that particular day, everyone was in motion between one screening and the next, and I happened to be the only piece of the puzzle, as well as Peter Lambert, who was in London, that was available. Now, I’m sure there will be something on the Internet about some kind of scandal where we don’t like each other, or something. That will be interesting. I’ll have to check Twitter for that. But, it was really a much more boring reason than that.
IESB: At what point during production did you know that you were on the right track and that things were going the way you wanted them to? Is that something you can even have a realization of while you’re filming?
Chris: No, I don’t think you do, until you get to sit in the editing room and take a look at things. In some ways, you can tell from the level of satisfaction of your actors. You can tell whether they film comfortable or not, and I go a lot based upon their feelings about how a scene is going. They’re usually very good judges of the flow of a scene. But, you don’t really know until you put it all together, and you don’t really have the opportunity to do that until the very end. I knew it was a very good-looking film because (cinematographer) Javier Aguirresarobe is a genius. So, I was never in doubt of that, or of the production design because David Brisbin is brilliant. But, in terms of how it all worked when everything was cut together, you really don’t have an idea until the end.
IESB: If length had been of no concern for you, is there anything from the book or the script that you wish you could have included?
Chris: Not really. I think the movie could have still been longer and fit in under the wire of how many screenings a day that you’re supposed to have. But, there feels like a natural length and flow to every movie, and this one just felt right, in terms of the speed of the storytelling. There is another version that people can see eventually, in which every seen is extended and no bit of dialogue from the script is missed out, and I think that that could be very satisfying for the very hardcore fan, but this is pretty much how I planned it out to be.
IESB: Looking back on the process of making New Moon, from pre-production to the finalization of the DVD, what will you remember most about the experience? Was there anything that you learned about directing or filmmaking that you’ll carry with you to future projects?
Chris: What I learned was the power of a devoted audience, in supporting the filmmaker’s efforts. I felt incredibly supported by the fans throughout the process. And then, to see their enjoyment and anticipation was such a visceral experience that you don’t usually get to have on a memory. What I learned, as a director, was that very early on I promised myself and the actors that I would never rush them along or expect them to do something, just because it was a movie and we had a schedule to meet, and that we could always talk things through, no matter what. When I worked with my brother, I was probably the guy who was less likely to talk with the actors, and this was a full commitment to always engaging with them, and that’s something I’ll always take with me.
IESB: With the reception for New Moon being so overwhelming and favorable for the final outcome of the film, would you consider coming back to helm the last film, if that were to present itself, or have you moved on from the Twilight Saga?
Chris: I wouldn’t say it’s so much that I’ve moved on. It’s just a very daunting prospect for someone with a young family to imagine taking on what I think will probably be an 80-day shoot. It may have moved on from me. I think the best set-up for this series of films may be that there’s a new filmmaker for each one.
IESB: After being involved with something this special, how do you follow it up next?
Chris: I like to just change things around, as much as possible, when I can. And so, the next thing that I’m going to do is called The Gardener, and it’s a story of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in East Los Angeles and his son. It’s a very simple story, but with some really grand themes to it. The continuity is that I’m doing it at Summit because they have shown a lot of faith and belief in me, but it is a film that is being made on a much smaller scale.
