Eclipse Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg on Fans: 'They're Coming After Me a Little Bit Already!'

You're in such a unique position as the steward of this series. Have you ever gotten to meet or commiserate with Steve Kloves, who does the same thing for the Harry Potter films?

I would love to meet Steve Kloves!

Send him an email, Melissa!

I keep hoping that I'll run into him at some Writers Guild thing. To even be considered in the same category...yeah, he's amazing.

When the first film was coming out, I read an interview with you where you said Eclipse was your favorite of the books, but it would be hard to adapt since Bella was the most passive in it. How do you crack that while still remaining faithful enough that the fans won't come after you?

They're coming after me a little bit already! [Laughs]

Do you keep track of that?

I tried. I can't.

So how do you hear about it?

Every once in a while, it seeps through. My husband tries to protect me from it. It doesn't always work. But you know, it's subtle changes [in the Eclipse adaptation]. It's taking scenes where she's reactive and making her the one who's driving it. One of the scenes that's controversial a little bit because it's in the trailer is this scene in the book where Jacob almost taunts Bella to play hooky and get on his bike and blow off Edward. It's really Jacob who's driving that scene in the book, and for me in the movie, the character that the movies have created and that Kristen has embodied, that girl is not going to be taunted into doing something. That girl is driving that scene. If she wants to talk to Jacob and she's pissed off at Edward, that girl is getting on the back of that bike by her own choosing. That's a subtle change, but it shifts things. You make these choices throughout and have her be the one driving things, and it doesn't take much. It doesn't violate the story.

You're working now on Breaking Dawn, which will be split into two movies. Do you treat each of those parts like they're their own film, or like it's one film split in two?

There's absolutely a difference. Each one has to be approached as a separate movie, and each story has to stand alone.

How do they feel different to you?

Well, one is Bella as a human -- first a newlywed, and then pregnant. It's about Bella surviving that, but also staying true to her choices. The other one is completely different. The world has totally changed from her. She's now this strong, unbreakable vampire who finds out that she has some extraordinary gifts. They're actually really different stories in a lot of ways.

Pages: 1 2