‘Twilight’ Director Says Studio ‘Didn’t Believe’ Robert Pattinson Was Attractive Enough at First and Asked Her: ‘Can You Make This Guy Look Good?’
variety.comZack Sharf Digital News Director “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke recently joined the “Happy Sad Confused” spinoff podcast “Watchables” to reflect on her 2008 vampire romance, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month.
Hardwicke’s film launched a $3.3 billion movie franchise and turned leads Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson into global superstars.
But Pattinson wasn’t exactly an exciting choice at first for Summit Entertainment. Hardwicke said the film studio questioned if Pattinson had good enough looks to play the vampire Edward Cullen. “When he came over to my house, he had black bangs for hair and was kind of out of shape because he was hanging out at the pub all the time,” Hardwicke recalled of auditioning Pattinson. “After we did the fun auditions [with Kristen] at my house for a couple hours, then I looked the next morning at all the footage I shot and recorded and I thought it worked not just in person but it works on screen.
I had to be sure. Of course in person I just got carried away, but you have to be sure it translates [to the screen].” “Then I sent it to Summit and he went over to meet them,” she continued. “They called me back and go, ‘Do you think you can make this guy look good?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I do.
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