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Chris Weitz, the director of The Golden Compass and About a Boy, has been confirmed as the director of the Twilight sequel New Moon. Weitz posted a letter to Twilight fans to help calm their nerves about the loss of Catherine Hardwicke as the director:

Dear fans of Twilight, New Moon, Bella, Edward and Jacob,

In the past few days I have been involved in a whirlwind romance with Stephenie Meyers’ extraordinary books.

And I am very grateful to have received her permission to protect New Moon in its translation from the page to the screen.

For fans of the books and of the film of Twilight, this may come as an unexpected twist. So I want to write briefly to try to put you at ease, and to give you reason to hope for and expect the best.

For the last decade of my career as a director, I have chosen to make adaptations of complex and involved works of literature. This has always begun with the love of a book and its characters, story, and theme; and it has always involved a respect of and responsiveness to the feelings of other people who loved those books.

When I saw the film of Twilight, I was alternately entranced and left hungry for more. I was also struck by the extraordinary passion for the characters, story and theme that was evident in the people sitting in the seats around me. My job is to live up to that devotion.

Like many of you, I am a fan of Catherine Hardwicke’s work. I can’t really say much about why she is not doing New Moon because I wasn’t involved in those decisions. But I can say that I will devote myself to making the very best and most faithful version of New Moon that can be brought to the screen. To those who doubt that as a male director I can capture Bella’s experience, I can only say that emotion is universal and that my work has often involved working with some of the most talented actresses in the world.

For the rest, the proof will have to be in the pudding. But I promise to remain responsive to your hopes and fears.

I thank you for this opportunity and for your faith.

Very best,

Chris Weitz

The writer of the Twilight novels, Stephanie Meyer, also posted a message to reassure fans. That letter is after the jump (click the continue reading link below to read her letter).

Chris Weitz, the director of The Golden Compass and About a Boy, has been confirmed as the director of the Twilight sequel New Moon. Weitz posted a letter to Twilight fans to help calm their nerves about the loss of Catherine Hardwicke as the director:

Dear fans of Twilight, New Moon, Bella, Edward and Jacob,In the past few days I have been involved in a whirlwind romance with Stephenie Meyers’ extraordinary books.And I am very grateful to have received her permission to protect New Moon in its translation from the page to the screen.For
fans of the books and of the film of Twilight, this may come as an
unexpected twist. So I want to write briefly to try to put you at ease,
and to give you reason to hope for and expect the best.For the
last decade of my career as a director, I have chosen to make
adaptations of complex and involved works of literature. This has
always begun with the love of a book and its characters, story, and
theme; and it has always involved a respect of and responsiveness to
the feelings of other people who loved those books.When I saw
the film of Twilight, I was alternately entranced and left hungry for
more. I was also struck by the extraordinary passion for the
characters, story and theme that was evident in the people sitting in
the seats around me. My job is to live up to that devotion.Like
many of you, I am a fan of Catherine Hardwicke’s work. I can’t really
say much about why she is not doing New Moon because I wasn’t involved
in those decisions. But I can say that I will devote myself to making
the very best and most faithful version of New Moon that can be brought
to the screen. To those who doubt that as a male director I can capture
Bella’s experience, I can only say that emotion is universal and that
my work has often involved working with some of the most talented
actresses in the world.For the rest, the proof will have to be in the pudding. But I promise to remain responsive to your hopes and fears.I thank you for this opportunity and for your faith.Very best,Chris Weitz

The writer of the Twilight novels, Stephanie Meyer,
also posted a message to reassure fans:

December 13, 2008Hey guys,There’s been a lot of worry and speculation on the boards lately, and I want to let you know what’s going on.First of all, like you, I’m sad that Catherine is not continuing on with us for New Moon. I’m going to miss her, not just as a brilliant director, but also as a friend. She has such a distinct, authentic voice that did amazing things for Twilight. I’m looking forward to every movie she does in the future.And she didn’t leave us empty handed. We still get the benefits of her amazing casting and the beautiful visual world she created. This foundation puts us in a good place for New Moon.Summit Films is moving forward with a new director for New Moon. They’ve asked Chris Weitz, director of American Pie, About a Boy, and The Golden Compass, to join us, and I am very pleased to announce that he’s agreed to be a part of our Twilight world. I’ve had the chance to talk to Chris, and I can tell you that he is excited by the story and eager to keep the movie as close to the book as possible. He is also very aware of you, the fans, and wants to keep you all extremely happy. (Torches and pitchforks are not going to be necessary.)I’m excited to work with Chris and I think he brings a lot to the table, not the least of which for me is that he wrote the screenplay for and directed one of my favorite movies of all time, About a Boy. I’m really looking forward to seeing his vision for New Moon.