CATHERINE HARDWICKE - SUN SETS FOR TWILIGHT DIRECTOR

SUN SETS FOR TWILIGHT DIRECTOR

Despite receiving credit for the biggest opening weekend ever by a female director, Catherine Hardwicke has parted company with Summit Entertainment and the Twilight franchise. Confirming a story by Nikki Finke on her Deadline Hollywood Daily blog, Hardwicke said in a statement, "I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct [the Twilight sequel] New Moon. ... I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel -- it is a great story." Summit Entertainment Co-Chairman/CEO Rob Friedman told Finke "Catherine and Summit have agreed to part ways on the sequel because our visions are different." Finke, however, suggested that a personality conflict may have been at the root of the problem, quoting a source as saying that Hardwicke "was 'difficult' and 'irrational' during the making of Twilight. "

08/12/2008