User blog:VampiresAndWerewolfsareAwesomeAsHell23/Stephenie Meyer speaks on writing Breaking Dawn Part Two, The Host and Austenland

On Breaking Dawn Part - 2 :
Right now Breaking Dawn 2 is being edited and having special effects added. Still a ways to go with some very complicated effects; we’re doing some things we’ve never done before. I’ve gotten to see a few scenes so far, and everything is so cool. Bill Condon has such a gift. I was there, I saw everything get filmed, yet I’m still always surprised at how he’s able to put it together into something that is more than the sum of its parts.

I’m looking forward to the Breaking Dawn 1 DVD coming out this week. I actually have no idea what all is on it, and I’ve got my fingers crossed for some of my favorite scenes that didn’t make it into the movie.

I look forward to seeing some of you in the upcoming months as publicity for Breaking Dawn 2 starts up. It feels so weird to think it’s all coming to an end! Happy in some ways, depressing in others. The saddest part for me is that the next premiere is the last time I’ll get to see you guys all together. It’s something I always look forward to, even though it’s frenzied and I don’t really get a chance to talk to anybody. I’ll just tell myself that a couple of you will show up for The Host premiere so that I don’t get too depressed about finality and goodbyes. It’s been quite a ride, hasn’t it? Thanks for being there with me through all of this. It wouldn’t have been any fun without you. See, now I’m getting maudlin. Better call it quits before I start crying.

On The Host :
The Host begins filming this coming Monday the thirteenth, and I am so excited. It’s somewhat of a dream to have the creator and director of my favorite sci-fi film (Gattaca) helming this movie. I love the script he’s written, I love his beautiful vision, and I love working with him.

I also can’t say strongly enough how thrilled I am with our cast. The talent involved is unbelievable. We’ve been so blessed/lucky/kissed-by-fate all throughout the casting process. Wanda/Melanie is a very complicated role, and for a long time one of our biggest worries in the producer camp was finding an actress who could bring those two distinct personalities to life. And then Saoirse came along and we all quit worrying. If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching her act, I highly recommend her recent release, Hanna. Actually, watch her in anything she’s done and you’ll see what I mean. After Saoirse joined us, amazing actor after amazing actor signed on until none of us could believe our good fortune. Just the other day I got to meet William Hurt (!!) in full Jeb beard and hair, and it kind of choked me up. He looks amazing—they all look amazing!—and I can’t wait to see them in action next week.

On Austenland :
Have you ever read a book and thought to yourself, “This would be a great movie! I would love to see a movie of this story”?

That is exactly how Austenland the movie got started for me. My good pal Shannon sent me her first adult novel (by which I mean not written for children; sometimes people misunderstand that description), and I loved it. It was funny and romantic and I could see it all so clearly. What a great movie it would be. Shannon and I talked about how much fun it would be to take a video camera to England and film it ourselves, possibly using sock puppets for actors. We agreed that we would do so in ten years.

And then the lovely Jerusha Hess called Shannon to talk about directing a screen adaptation of one of her novels, and one thing led to another. And so, as some of you already knew, I’ve spent the last many months working on a little indie film called Austenland, based on the novel by Shannon Hale. It’s really something to be intimately involved with a movie from the conception on through the filming and editing, and quite an education, too, with still more to learn as we get into post production now. Working with an author, rather than being the author, was a fun change. It helped that the author in question was my bestie. The trailer is not avaliable so you are going to have to wait until the movie is written and filmed. I do apologise though. Sorry!

On getting back to wrting-
So the busyness will not be ending anytime soon with all three projects currently ongoing. I’m hoping to get a little writing done at the same time, but writing on set has proved an elusive goal for me in the past year. I’m looking forward to this May, when I will officially be home for good and back here at my computer where I like to be best.

Steph