Summit Entertainment confirmed today that the final book in Stephenie Meyers vampire series,
Twilight: Breaking Dawn, will be separated into two films. This should come as no surprise to films fans, as it's the same sneaky practise that WB adopted for
Harry Potter to double the profits from the last movie in the franchise. It would be easiest to place blame all this on Peter Jackson. Despite the uphill battle to ensure that
The Lord of the Rings was split into three films, it has now become commonplace even for stories that were not split up in the original print form. Jackson won his battle because J.R. Tolkien had split his story into separate books. At the time it seemed to be all about the integrity of the source material. So, what is the excuse now? At first I was excited about the prospect of
The Hobbit being split into two films, if only because of my excitement about the director chosen at the time when this decision was made. Now that
Guillermo del Toro (
Hellboy, Pans Labyrinth) has removed himself from the project, I am concerned that over-indulgence may plague the loose follow-up to the monumentally successful trilogy. Lets not forget how Jackson managed to turn
King Kong, an 80 minute creature classic, into a three hour spectacle. With the manner in which the
Twilight series seems to have attempted to mirror
Harry Potters success, the narrative giving vampires magical abilities that are more important than horrific elements often tied to vampire films, the decision to stretch out the series was almost expected. It no longer seems to be a question of integrity to the material, but rather a way of ensuring the most profits are drained out of the trend. When there are a fixed number of sequels available, as is the case in adaptations of a popular book series such as this, the desire to stretch it out inevitably comes when the end of the gold-paved road approaches. Academy Award winner (i.e. - he should no better!)
Bill Condon (
Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls) is set to direct both films, with production beginning in fall. This announcement comes in anticipation for the release of the third film in the franchise,
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which will inevitably satisfy millions of teenage girls and lonely middle-aged women on June 30th. Part I of
The Hobbit is set to be released in 2012, though no director has yet been chosen to replace del Toro, while
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I will be released in November.