Chris and Paul Weitz: It runs in the family

Directors Chris and Paul Weitz are one of the few sibling tandems that has found success and respect in Hollywood. They have directed their own movies yet have also combined their forces in writing and directing. But none of them could see that they would be directing and releasing a vampire movie at the same time. And, if one would think about it, the vampire theme hits closer to home.

In LA Times article, Gina McIntyre talks to both directors where they talked about their artistic ways and upbringing. Here is an excerpt of the article:

For “New Moon,” Chris Weitz also drew from experience, though nothing having to do with family. When he was approached to helm the sequel to last year’s hit teen romance “Twilight” — which sees high school student Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) struggling to cope with a broken heart after her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) leaves her — the filmmaker said he connected with that sense of loss.

He’d been profoundly saddened by his experience making his last film, a special-effects-laden adaptation of Philip Pullman’s acclaimed novel “The Golden Compass.” He said that his inability to persuade New Line Cinema to allow him to move forward with the bleaker ending he’d originally planned for the $180-million fantasy left him feeling that he’d failed to do justice to Pullman’s work.

That Chris considers himself “a slave to the text” of the projects he adapts could work in his favor only when it comes to “New Moon.” The books in author Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series have a wildly devoted following that helped push Catherine Hardwicke’s 2008 movie to record-breaking box office grosses (it brought in $365 million worldwide). Those fans already are clamoring for the next installment, with screenings for the movie selling out earlier than for any other film to date, and Chris said he understands what they’re expecting him to deliver.

“What they want is a faithful rendition of the book, so that’s really my job,” he said.

Which is just fine with him. Chris said he actually “enjoys the restraints that are imposed by my constituency.” He’s particularly fond of adapting works of literature because he’s an avid reader — he studied English at Cambridge’s Trinity College — but for other reasons as well: “It’s probably that I’m afraid to do my own stuff because I feel like people might not take it seriously,” he said. “I have difficulty believing my own characters. I always think I can see right through them and everyone must be able to.”

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