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In early November 2008, Summit Entertainment announced that they had attained the rights to the remaining books in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.[12] On November 22, 2008, one day after the theatrical release of Twilight, Summit Entertainment confirmed that they would begin working on New Moon. "I don't think any other author has had a more positive experience with the makers of her movie adaptation than I have had with Summit Entertainment," said Meyer. "I'm thrilled to have the chance to work with them again on New Moon."[13]
| Watch Out for New Moon - December 2010. |
In early December 2008, it was announced that Catherine Hardwicke would not be returning to direct the sequel. Hardwicke cited time restrictions as the reason behind her leaving the project, saying, "I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct New Moon. Directing Twilight has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel—it is a great story."[15] On December 13, 2008, it was announced that Chris Weitz, director and writer of The Golden Compass and co-director of American Pie, was hired to direct New Moon. Regarding being chosen for the project, Weitz said, "I am honored to have been entrusted with shepherding New Moon from the page to the screen."[16]
In an interview conducted by Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM, Kristen Stewart stated that the filming for New Moon would begin sometime in March 2009. Commenting on one of the filming locations, she said, "A lot of the movie takes place in Italy and I think we're actually going to get to go to Italy."[17]