The Twi-hards have struck again.

Fans of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" snatched up 4 million DVDs this past weekend after it went on sale Saturday, beating the launch of the original "Twilight" last year, which sold 3.8 million units on its first two days.

The figure included discs sold directly to consumers, not rentals, digital downloads or video-on-demand.

The difference between the movies in DVD sales is substantially less than at the box office. "New Moon" grossed $296.6 million domestically last year, compared to $192.8 million for the original "Twilight" in 2008.

Given the 13% decline in U.S. DVD revenue last year, however, gaining any ground is something of a victory for independent studio Summit Entertainment.

"Twilight" went onto become the bestselling DVD of 2009, moving 9.2 million units. It remains to be seen if "New Moon" will exceed that total or if, as happened at the box office, it will be largely a first weekend phenomenon.

-- Ben Fritz

Photo: Barbara Payne watches the "New Moon" DVD at the "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" DVD release event at Blockbuster Brookhaven on March 19 in Atlanta.

By now, Sunday's sudden and stunning news that "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke would not return to helm "New Moon" has had time to sink in.

Consider what her departure means for the franchise.

Hardwicke was key in casting Kristen Stewart and breakthrough star Robert Pattinson as the young lovers in Stephenie Meyer's romantic vampire saga, and she's got a proven track record in dealing with themes and issues concerning young people ("Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown.")

Perhaps more important, Hardwicke, who in fact is still on the promotional tour for the film, which has grossed almost $140 million in the U.S. alone, is something of a "Twilight" fangirl herself. The night before the Los Angeles premiere, she visited fans in line -- many of whom had been there for a couple of days -- posing for pictures and signing autographs. She was also at least partially responsible for getting the film's initial script, which she compared to "Charlie's Angels," nixed in favor of a more faithful telling.

Now she's gone and fans what to know what happens next. There are few schools of thought:

Not to fret, different directors can keep a series fresh. Just look at the "Harry Potter" movies, which began with the straight-forward adaptations of Christopher Columbus, went through a darker if more emotionally powerful period with Alfonso Cuaron ("Prisoner of Azkaban"), got an adrenaline boost from Mike Newell ("Goblet of Fire"), and have matured under David Yates ("Order of the Phoenix" and the upcoming "Half-Blood Prince.") Ditto other successful franchises such as "James Bond," the "Bourne" movies.

Movie watchers have already begun discussing who should take over. RopeOfSilicon.com has five female suggestions, among them Kimberly Pierce, who directed "Boys Don't Cry," and Mira Nair from "The Namesake." Earlier this month, Film.com weighed in with its top choices, including young upstart Sarah Polley and long-shot Sofia Coppola.

It doesn't matter who's behind the lens, as long as screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg sticks around. Rosenberg is credited with condensing 500+ pages of story into a two-hour film, helping to eliminate some of Meyer's clunkier passages of prose and injecting more humor into Meyer's story (i.e. the exchanges between Charlie and Billy, the dialog among Bella's human pals, details such as the wall of graduation caps.) Critics who had positive things to say about the film were grateful.

On the flip side, taking such liberties infuriated some Meyer devotees, and could do so to an even larger extent in "New Moon." Rosenberg reportedly achieved a way to squeeze in more screen time for Edward, even when he's supposed to go MIA for the majority of the second book.

The cast will be back -- what could go wrong? Pattinson and Stewart aren't going anywhere. Does anything else matter?

We have a problem, Forks. Whether or not you fell in love with Hardwicke's vision, the director's finger was on the pulse of "Twilight" fans. She relentlessly scoured Oregon for Bella's and Edward's perfect meadow, the pivotal scene for most readers. She made sure Stewart and Pattinson would steam up the screen -- on her own bed, no less. She made sure the book's many characters were all accounted for, even arguably expendable folk such as Eric.) She even went so far as to film a scene from "Midnight Sun," Meyer's as-yet-unfinished retelling of "Twilight" from Edward's perspective, which will be included as a bonus for fans on the film's forthcoming DVD. Will Summit Entertainment be able to find another director so in touch with teens and just as passionate about the source material?

What do you all think? Is Hardwicke's exit a good or bad thing for "New Moon"? Does it make a difference? Who do you want to see take over? 

-- Denise Martin

Related:
"Twilight" sequel "New Moon" gets the green light from Summit
Complete "Twilight" Countdown coverage

Photo: Catherine Hardwicke. Credit: Getty Images

While “Twilight” fans begin to debate the issues facing the filming of “New Moon" -- the next installment in Stephenie Meyer’s teen vampire series involving werewolves and a growth spurt that will require actor Taylor Lautner to appear 6'5" and 25 years old on screen -- an even more urgent problem nags:

The problem with “Breaking Dawn.”

With "Twilight" having banked $70.55 million in its first weekend of release, Summit Entertainment has already snatched up rights to the next two books in Meyer’s saga, “New Moon” and “Eclipse,” and is negotiating for the series-ending “Breaking Dawn.” Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward, has said he's only signed up to star in the next two films, and the fourth book has had little mention in the media when it comes to reports concerning "Twilight" as a movie franchise.

Perhaps the powers that be are figuring out a way to end the movie series as a trilogy.

Why? Because whether you loved or hated it, “Breaking Dawn” poses more than a few problems for the big screen. Even barring the very divided reaction from Meyer’s fan base over the final book, “Breaking Dawn” contains several head-scratching scenes and themes. (Full disclosure: As a “Twilight” fan, I thought Meyer could have done better.) The following are 10 reasons the book would be a tough-to-film movie.

(This list is one big spoiler, so please don’t read further if you haven’t read the book.)

Bella and Edward get married by Page 49.
There goes your love triangle. You can retire those Team Edward and Team Jacob shirts now. Also remember, Edward is forever 17 and Bella’s 18. A teenage wedding!

After three books’ worth of buildup, Bella and Edward finally have sex — but we get a fade to black?
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated Meyer’s post-coital details: the ripped-apart pillowcases and feathers in Bella’s hair, her black-and-blue bruises, the broken headboard. If the movie just has to be rated PG-13, then I guess it’s the only way.

But after more than 1,500 pages of chaste kisses, we’re rewarded with fade-out after fade-out on their honeymoon? Instead we get morning-after fried egg breakfasts and Edward’s nonstop agonizing over having finally bedded his bride. Hardly satisfying.

Then Bella gets pregnant.
By Page 118 (in a 754-page book) Bella is with child. At this point, the film would already be worse than a Lifetime movie of the week.

What follows are chapters and chapters of the half-vampire, half-human baby making life violently uncomfortable for Bella, which required Meyer to let Jacob narrate the entire middle chunk of the book. So in the final movie, we’d shift our focus from Bella to Jacob?

Edward goes from being the man of every girl’s dreams to a man in need…
…of some guts, some personality, something that doesn’t read pathetic. Throughout “Breaking Dawn” he's guilt-ridden over his love for Bella, even more so than in the other books. That’s admittedly difficult to believe, but true.

While Bella is bedridden, trying to keep alive the half-human, half-vampire baby eating its way through her belly, we get this choice scene in which a desperate Edward begs Jacob to offer Bella the latter’s baby-making services. (I guess half-werewolf, half-human babies are safer?) If you’d blocked that moment, here it is:

“I don’t care about anything but keeping her alive,” he said, suddenly focused now. “If it’s a child she wants, she can have it. She can have half a dozen babies. Anything she wants.” He paused for one beat. “She can have puppies if that’s what it takes.”

That's right. He said "puppies."

When she gives birth, Edward rips open Bella’s stomach with his teeth to get the baby out.
It's a bloody and gruesome birth. And what does the little bugger do once she’s out? Sinks her half-vampire teeth into mom’s chest, that’s what. What follows is an equally bloody and gruesome transformation of our teenage heroine into a vampire. How any of the birth scene gets magically transformed into a PG-13 moment is anyone’s guess.

UPDATE: "Twilight" will take in a staggering $70.6 million for the weekend. How many times are you going to see it?

Good news "Twilight" fans — "New Moon" is officially on the way.

After news broke that the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance made a big $35.7 million in its first day of release — the second biggest opening day gross outside of summer after "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" — Summit greenlighted production on the sequel "New Moon."

Here's the word from Summit Entertainment:

Los Angeles, CA November 22, 2008 — Summit Entertainment announced today that the studio is officially moving forward with the production of NEW MOON, the second installment of its filmed franchise TWILIGHT, the action-packed, modern day vampire love story. The movie will be based on the second novel in author Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, titled New Moon. The first movie in the TWILIGHT franchise, the self-titled TWILIGHT, arrived in theaters this weekend to sold-out showings.

Stephenie Meyer stated, "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. I'm thrilled to have the chance to work with them again on NEW MOON."

This isn't a big surprise. But, given the early fan reaction — which has ranged from ecstasy to, well, plain unhappy -- is this a good thing? (Or is that a stupid question?)

Is there anything you'd like to see that was left out of "Twilight" included in the "New Moon" movie? (Say, Carlisle's history with the Volturi, perhaps?)

And what about the Jacob dilemma? Is someone starting a "Keep Taylor Lautner" campaign? Do you all want to see him as older-looking werewolf Jacob? If not, which actors would you like to see cast in the role?

As usual, I want to hear all your thoughts and concerns. Leave them below!

Catch up on past Countdown interviews: Robert Pattinson (Parts 1, 2 and 3), Kristen Stewart, author Stephenie Meyer, director Catherine Hardwicke (Parts 1 and 2), screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, Peter Facinelli, Edi Gathegi and Taylor Lautner.

— Denise Martin

Related:
Complete "Twilight" Countdown coverage
Complete "Twilight" coverage on Hero Complex

We're here! Today's the day! By now, many of you have already crossed the finish line. Congrats!

But was it worth the wait? Some of you have already posted your reviews in the comments of previous "Twilight Countdown" posts. Others e-mailed  their ideas directly to me.

In general, the consensus is that the movie gets the job done and many of you thought director Catherine Hardwicke and stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson delivered the goods. You're even planning second and third trips to the theater already. A minor complaint among the majority of you is the movie's special effects, which are of the low-budget variety. (However, nearly all of you qualified that, keeping in mind that Hardwicke was working with $40 million -- not a large sum by Hollywood movie standards.)

Of course, some of you were let down. With expectations so high, it's not surprising.

So what did I think? I should say I enjoyed reading "Twilight," a guilty pleasure with equal parts breathless romance and suspense. I read through the whole thing the day I started it. After two screenings of the film, however, I ultimately felt that the movie deviated from the book in ways that made the story better. Less of a "guilty" pleasure. True, as some have complained, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg stripped much of Edward and Bella's back-and-forth moments of dialog. But I thought having shots of Pattinson looking anguished and Stewart looking like she craved him worked a lot better than having Edward tell Bella repeatedly about how torn he is about their relationship and her pushing back. Kristen Stewart's Bella, too, comes off as stronger, her feelings more grounded albeit obsessive. In Hardwicke's version, Forks is a little more diverse, a little grittier, and the love story more real and less sweepingly and conventionally romantic.I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Here's a sampling of how the rest of the fans who wrote to me felt:

It's here! Today is the big day.

Yes, midnight is technically Friday. But the point is most of you are mere hours away from seeing "Twilight."

I've seen the goods, and I can assure you, the movie delivers whether or not you've read Stephenie Meyer's vampire book.

But don't take my word for it. Here's what our pro, L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan, had to say:

As romance fans know, love needs obstacles to hold our interest, and in this egalitarian age, obstacles are hard to come by. The Oscar-winning "Ghost" of several years back had one lover living, the other deceased, and "Twilight’s" notion that he’s undead and she’s not is just as good, maybe better. Connecting this to the extreme emotions of the young teenage world, where every moment is a crisis and the chaste romance of passionate soulmates is more attractive than dubious sexual shenanigans, was the masterstroke that created a phenomenon.

It’s very much to the credit of director Catherine Hardwicke and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg that "Twilight" the movie really gets this. This film succeeds, likely unreservedly for teens and in a classic guilty pleasure kind of way for adults, because it treats high school emotions with unwavering, uncompromising seriousness. Much as you may not want to, you have to acknowledge what’s been accomplished here.

He even gives extra props to the actors playing Bella and Edward:

Hardwicke also was intrumental in casting Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattison as the star-crossed Bella and Edward, and those choices were excellent, not only because they’re skilled performers but because they, too, threw themselves into their parts as if they were Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor doing "Camille" for George Cukor.

Read the entire review here.

And our Countdown isn't over just yet! Tomorrow I'll have outtakes and exclusive art from Gina McIntyre's interviews with Catherine Hardwicke and Kristen Stewart. Her big "Twilight" feature ran in today's paper. Check it out!

I'll also be posting the best of the fan reviews here. So come back, and don't forget to send in your thoughts. I can't wait to read them.

Seeing "Twilight" on Thursday at midnight? E-mail me your review at denise.martin@latimes.com and I'll post a roundup first thing Friday morning. I want to hear all your thoughts!

And catch up on past Countdown interviews: Robert Pattinson (Parts 1, 2 and 3), Kristen Stewart, author Stephenie Meyer, director Catherine Hardwicke (Parts 1 and 2), screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, Peter Facinelli, Edi Gathegi and Taylor Lautner.

-- Denise Martin

Related:
Complete "Twilight" Countdown coverage
Complete "Twilight" coverage on Hero Complex

Photo: Associated Press

1 day left...

Excited? I'm sure many of you are going to Thursday's midnight screenings of "Twilight," and I can't wait to hear the reviews.

But what are the critics saying? Are the paid professionals, many of whom no doubt have not read Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" saga, buying into Bella and Edward''s forbidden-love story?   

So far, so good:

Michael Phillips at the Chicago Tribune is mostly pleased, calling "Twilight" a film of "intelligent strengths [albeit] easily avoidable weaknesses." He gives props to screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg for a script he deems "better written than Meyer's book, which tends toward froth and fulmination. (Sample line: 'I was in danger of being distracted by his livid, glorious face.') [...] And she tones up her heroine, who was a passive Victorian simp -- pure fainting-couch material -- on the page." Phillips' biggest beef? The special effects, which he equates to "a weaker episode from season six of 'Charmed.' "

Metromix.com's Geoff Berkshire also says Rosenberg succeeds in upping the ante of Meyer's book but comes up split on leads Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson: "As far as human-vampire romances go 'Twilight' has nothing on the best seasons of TV’s 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' but director Catherine Hardwicke’s cinematic vision is blessedly (sorry, hardcore Twilighters) a lot more enjoyable than Meyer’s clunky prose. Major props to Stewart, who refuses to turn Bella into a lovestruck sap, and anchors the movie with the ease and authority of both a great actress and a true movie star. The same can’t be said just yet for her much drooled over co-star. Pattinson takes some admirable risks to shift his character away from the stereotypical brooding rebel, but whether his career follows the teen idol lead of Johnny Depp or Luke Perry is open for debate."

Rick Bentley of the Detroit Free Press thinks both actors did a fine job, saying: "Their work should silence many of the critics." "Pattinson makes brooding a science. And Stewart finds the right blend of strength and vulnerability to play Bella. The supporting cast is strong, especially Nikki Reed as the headstrong Rosalie and Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria. And the non-vampire high school students are the best supporting cast in a vampire tale since the days of 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.'" But again, those pesky low-budget effects are a problem: "The special abilities of the vampires, such as super speed, looks gimmicky. Scenes in which Edward races or flies through the forest come across as bad puppet theater."

2 days left...

What do we think of the "Twilight" stars premiere ensembles? Rob's black on black-tie affair? Kristen's striking red skirt?

Check out our photo gallery of Monday night's fashion highlights.

Seeing "Twilight" on Thursday at midnight? E-mail me your review at Denise.Martin@latimes.com and I'll post a round-up first thing Friday morning. I want to hear all your thoughts!

And catch up on past Countdown interviews: Robert Pattinson (Parts 1, 2 and 3), Kristen Stewart, author Stephenie Meyer, director Catherine Hardwicke (Parts 1 and 2), screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, Peter Facinelli, Edi Gathegi and Taylor Lautner.

-- Denise Martin

Related:
Complete "Twilight" Countdown coverage
Complete "Twilight" coverage on Hero Complex

Photo credit: WireImage

3 days left…

When I spoke to “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer, she seemed in much better spirits than she had been in following the “Breaking Dawn” backlash and subsequent leaking of “Midnight Sun” online. (For the record, she says she won’t resume writing the book, her planned retelling of “Twilight” from Edward’s point of view, until the noise around it has died down. “I have to feel like I’m alone with it again,” she said.)

The author looked rested and genuinely excited about promoting the big-screen version of a story she’s been talking up for the past three years. And even now that she’s more in-demand than ever, Meyer graciously took some time to talk to us about what she misses most about interacting with her fans; how she argued with Robert Pattinson over his “emo” take on Edward; which moment from the book she fought to have added to the film; and her thoughts about the movie’s twist ending. (Don’t worry, “Twilight” fans, I didn’t include any spoilers in this Q&A.)

Has the divided reaction to “Breaking Dawn” put a damper on this entire “Twilight” experience for you?

Well, hmmm, no. You know, it was funny because I was expecting this sense of closure when I finished the rough draft, and I was expecting it again when I finished my editing and I knew it was going to print. But it wasn’t until the books were out on the shelves that it was done, and I had that sense of crossing the finish line, like ‘I’ve done it! I’ve gotten it all done!’

It’s sad when you can’t make everyone happy, though. It’s impossible but, at the same time, you still hope. You think, ‘Maybe I can do it,’ but you know you can’t. But gosh, if I had to rely on giving people what they wanted, I would have had to write 40 billion different books and even then, I wouldn’t get it right.

What I have to say to myself is, ‘Would I have done anything differently? No. Am I happy with how it is? Yes. Do I like to read it? Yes. Does this feel like the right ending to me? Yes.’ I’ve always written for myself. ‘Breaking Dawn’ was no exception.

The bigger things get, the more haters there are. It’s not about the books, it’s about everything they can find to pick on you about. That just seems to be how society is and it’s kind of sad. For myself, I don’t spend time on things I hate, you know? It kills me. There’s so little time, spend it with what you love.

But has the reaction changed how you interact with fans? Or how much you interact with them?

That had already started to change because it’s now a volume thing. When I started out, I’d do an event, 40 people would show up and we could have this big conversation and really get to know each other. I knew who they were and I actually corresponded with quite a few of them because I could. But then things got busier and busier and it got overwhelming. At a signing, I can barely say ‘Hi!’ to people. And that’s no fun. I really don’t enjoy that. I know people want their books signed and it’s worth it to them, but it feels horrible to me. I can’t find out what your name is or who you are and what you’re about. I don’t like that. So that’s changed and that’s a little sad. It’s great to have things be successful, but there are sacrifices that come with it.

Was there any one actor in the film that you came the closest to your vision for their character while you were writing “Twilight“?

On first look, the one that really jumped out was Ashley Greene as Alice. I saw a picture of her and just thought, ‘You found Alice! Oh my gosh!’ On the set, the person who really exceeded expectations was Rob. I didn’t think anyone could get that close to Edward. I mean, I knew he was going to do a good job, and he has this great look, but I’d seen him as Rob himself and I couldn‘t picture it.

The thing is he looks different when he does characters. When you watch the films that he’s done, you might not be able to put together with the same person because he’s such a chameleon. There were times where he was just being Rob and then you’d hear 'Action!’ and he’d step into character -- and he’d look different! He’d like sound like Edward! It was crazy. He did such a good job.

Earlier at a press conference, though, you mentioned that you butted heads with Rob over how each of you saw Edward.

Oh yeah! That was a worry! He’d sit there arguing with me telling me I’m wrong about this character. He thinks Edward is a lot more depressed than I do. He thinks Edward is on the point of suicide. I’m like, ‘No! He’s got his family that he loves. He‘s got Carlisle.’ And Rob would go (putting on a British accent), ‘Well, why does he like Carlisle so much? This man changed him into a vampire! What are you thinking?’ (Laughs) There were very intense conversations. But it was hysterical after the fact. I was worried though. I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s going to go in there and play Edward like Edward The Emo. Nooooooooo.’ But he didn’t! And it’s exactly what I wanted to see. It was crazy, but he got it. It’s on the screen and that’s all that matters.

4 days left...

As many of you read on Friday, my former colleague and pal Steven Zeitchik at the Hollywood Reporter wrote a story about Summit Entertainment ramping up development on the next two films in the "Twilight" franchise:

The company has acquired rights to the next three novels in Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster vampire series and has hired "Twilight" scribe Melissa Rosenberg to pen scripts based on "New Moon" and "Eclipse," the second and third books, respectively.

Rosenberg has said that she would adapt anything Meyer writes and sources tell the Countdown that, in fact, she is already at work condensing "New Moon" into a feature-length script.

The movie's director Catherine Hardwicke told Entertainment weekly that "Twilight" would have to gross $150 million for the studio to give a sequel the go. ''This has to be a crazy hit,'' she said. ''Nobody can say that it can do that well right now.''

To put that in some perspective, the most recent "Harry Potter" film ("Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix") grossed more than $292 million in the United States alone. And the lowest-grossing of the franchise ("Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban") made almost $250 million in the U.S.

But the Potter movies are also considered family films, which appeal to a larger broader audience. A better comparison might be the female-skewing "Sex and the City," which in spite of its R rating made more than $152 million domestically.

It's not clear whether or not Hardwicke meant $150 million total (in the U.S. and abroad), but do you think "Twilight" can hit that mark? Is it a slam dunk? Are you planning to see the movie more than once to make sure "New Moon" will be brought to life?

Vote in our poll and leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Come back tomorrow to read my exclusive interview with Stephenie Meyer, who talked about missing face time with her fans, debating Edward with star Robert Pattinson, and which scene from the "Twilight" book she asked to have added to the movie.

***A note to fans in the Los Angeles Area: Today (Sunday, Nov. 16) Twilight Live and Twilight Series Theories will be hosting a live podcast from inside the Westwood Borders (1360 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA). Wristbands ensuring access will be handed out when the store opens at 10 a.m. so get there early. Actors Peter Facinelli (Carlisle), Jackson Rathbone (Jasper) and Michael Welch (Mike) will be on hand. The event itself begins at 1:30 p.m. with a concert by the Twilight Music Girls.

Catch up on past Countdown interviews: Robert Pattinson (Parts 1, 2 and 3), Kristen Stewart, director Catherine Hardwicke (Parts 1 and 2), screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, Peter Facinelli, Edi Gathegi and Taylor Lautner.

-- Denise Martin

Related:
Complete "Twilight" Countdown coverage
Complete "Twilight" coverage on Hero Complex

Photo: Fans wait for "Twilight" stars Kristen Stewart and Nikki Reed at Hot Topic in the Garden State Plaza on November 14, 2008 in Paramus, New Jersey. Credit: WireImage