David Slade Will Direct Eclipse

Just a few months back it appeared as though Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona would be handling the third film of the Twilight saga, Eclipse. But no, he's definitely not going to be helming the project - and neither is Drew Barrymore (Twilight fans were pushing for her for a while). Instead, Summit Entertainment tapped David Slade, a filmmaker who knows his way around the vampire genre, to direct Eclipse. Slade previously directed the hard-hitting indie film Hard Candy (which was scary in a whole different way) and the creepy vampire film 30 Days of Night starring Josh Hartnett.

In a press release announcing Slade's hiring, author Meyer said, "I am thrilled that David Slade will be directing Eclipse. He's a visionary filmmaker who has so much to offer this franchise. From the beginning, we've been blessed with wonderful directorial talent for the Twilight saga, and I'm so happy that Eclipse will be carrying on with that tradition."

Summit Entertainment's President of Production, Erik Feig, stated, "Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse is a muscular, rich, vivid book and we at Summit looked long and hard for a director who could do it justice. We believe we have found that talent in David Slade, a director who has been able to create complex, visually arresting worlds. We cannot wait to see the Eclipse he brings to life and brings to the fans eagerly awaiting its arrival in summer of 2010."

Production is currently underway on New Moon, the second film of the popular franchise, which is set to rise in theaters on November 20, 2009. Melissa Rosenberg, the screenwriter of Twilight and New Moon, is adapting Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse book, with Summit Entertainment aiming for a June 30, 2010 release date (that's a Wednesday).

Summit's Official Eclipse Synopsis
In Eclipse, Bella (Kristen Stewart) once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner) — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.
_{(Photo © Richard Chavez)}