Movies

Twilight Director Gets Real About The ‘Earth-Shattering’ Lesson She Learned About Hollywood After The Film’s Success

BBG News

Despite over a century of movie-making as an industry, one might expect a more balanced representation of male and female directors. However, the field remains predominantly masculine, with some progress observed in recent years through groundbreaking films such as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman. Nevertheless, it continues to be noteworthy when women directors are involved. Catherine Hardwicke, director of the 2008 blockbuster Twilight, shared her experiences and why she felt it did little to instill optimism about Hollywood‘s support for female filmmakers in the future.

Director Catherine Hardwicke played a crucial role in casting Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson for their iconic roles in the 2008 film “Twilight”, which ultimately became a box office success. Through this process, she uncovered some insights about the Hollywood industry.

It seems unlikely that there will be a surge in hiring female directors for upcoming projects. This means that opportunities for you to excel in your craft might be limited, which can be quite disheartening from the outset.

During an interview with The Guardian, Catherine Hardwicke openly discussed her experience directing the first Twilight movie. Subsequently, the film garnered a global revenue of $407.3 million for Summit Entertainment, following an opening weekend of $69.6 million (with a reported budget of $37 million). According to Box Office Mojo, it ranked among the Top 15 highest-grossing films that year.

Although she had learned about male directors achieving such prosperity by receiving a car, a multi-film contract, or having complete creative freedom, this wasn’t the case for her. Instead, things unfolded differently as she proceeded.

I stepped into a room filled with presents, as everyone was applauding the studio, and they handed me a box. Upon opening it, I found a tiny cupcake inside.

After the thrilling premiere of “Twilight,” just a month later, Deadline announced that Summit Entertainment had let go of director Catherine Hardwicke and was on the hunt for a replacement. The report hinted that people perceived her as being “tough and unpredictable” during the film’s production, ultimately leading to our paths diverging due to my requirement for more preparation time to translate my cinematic vision of this captivating tale onto the silver screen.

In the end, Summit Entertainment opted for male directors for the remainder of the series, a decision that Catherine Hardwicke has expressed some displeasure about. However, she’s also admitted that she’s content with her departure from the franchise following the first movie, as once it took off, “the expectations skyrocketed” and there were “endless suggestions, meetings, and committees.” This was quite different from the initial film where they didn’t interfere much. Hardwicke previously stated that she feels they wouldn’t have chosen a female director if they believed it would be a box office hit.

Although Hardwicke encountered some difficulties with the Twilight series, directing the films gave her an opportunity to leave her unique mark on a popular franchise. It’s generally considered that she made the best of the Twilight movies due to her skillful direction.

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2025-07-10 20:07

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