The Volturi and Other Thoughts

I admit it, Taylor is going to be a hot Jacob. So there! It's out there! Now, on to other meandering musings...

The New Moon release date is fastly approaching. Before we know it, the day will be upon us! My only concern is that all us die hard Twi-hards are then going to be without a tether of hope and anticipation to hold on to. Right now, just like most of last fall, we have a goal to focus on. We are happily waiting for that day when we will be out in droves to see the next movie adaptation in the saga.

I really hope, that when New Moon opens, we hear that they are immediately rolling right into filming for Eclipse. That way, we can all reset our odometers (so to speak) and again have something to cling to.

Scratch that last paragraph, I just read that the Eclipse start date for shooting will actually overlap New Moon's. Because of this, Chris Weitz will not direct Eclipse as production won't be finished soon enough on New Moon to allow him to direct the next in the saga. So, as in the style of the Harry Potter franchise, we'll see a separate director for each Twilight flick, at least on the 1st three. Who even knows if Breaking Dawn will ever make it to the silver screen. I read a quote by Stephenie Meyer herself that said it would be very difficult to customize Breaking Dawn for the screen, and therefore pretty unlikely that it'll occur at all.

So, one good thing about the rush to get the movies made is that Chris Weitz won't be directing. The down side though is that continuity and the feel of the movies may not jive. You know, with three different directors bringing to life three different visions, it could feel like a patchwork story of sorts.

I really hope Chris Weitz does the book justice. To me, New Moon's movie adaptation is just as important as Twilight's because this contains the definitive description of the werewolves and more importantly, the Volturi. So, how ever Weitz envisions the werewolves look, transitions and behaviors AND the look, feel and ambiance surrounding the Volturri is going to be the blue print for future movies. So, he'd better get that all very right. The next director for Eclipse will basically be forced to stick to Weitz's interpretation or else it will be confusing changing such memorable elements from New Moon. An example of what I mean is that if Weitz were to poorly cast the parts for the Volturi and the next director realizes this and tries to compensate by recasting, that would sorely screw up continuity and certainly annoy fans. Hopefully Weitz will not make such mistakes.

I mentioned that because it is seriously important to me that he get the Volturi right. I never envisioned the perfect actors to cast for the parts. But I do have specific feelings attached to those characters. For instance, when the Volturi first comes onto screen, this should have a profound effect on the audience. It should be both a terrifying and beautiful moment. As a viewer, I want not to be able to tear my eyes away from them but at the same time feel compelled to look away, like at the scene of a crime. It should instantly send chills down my spine. I want the entrance to be so glorious that I don't know where to put my eyes first. There should be thought put into every detail, down to the shoes on there feet, if they are wearing shoes. Clothing wise, Guillermo Del Toro's brand of fantasy/hellish attire comes to mind. The immaculate wardrobe worn by characters in Pans Labyrinth and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army seem right for Aro, Caius and Marcus.

I want to see piping and brocade and ancient, delicate fabrics. I want them to look as though they've been entombed and might fall to ash at any moment. The Volturi's appearance should belie the strength that is hidden by their false frailty. Scary and alluring.

For others vampires in the Volturi camp, I'd like to see a personal style for each character. They shouldn't all match, as a group. The three leaders should share a certain fashion, as they have traveled down through time together. You know how interesting it is to look at a band of gypsies, (in the movies at least, I've never actually seen a real band of gypsies unfortunately) so many shiny baubles and clamouring buttons? That's how I see the Volturi. As other vamps are acquired to serve the Volturi, the look should become a pot pouri of flavors.

If Chris Weitz can do that, then he can pull off the rest of the movie with ease. Now, about those werewolves... Don't get me started...