Melissa Rosenberg Talks Breaking Dawn and Rob and Kristen

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TheFabLife Earlier this year Rob Pattinson revealed to Vanity Fair that he was adapting a Lillian Hellman story for the big screen. “It’s a secret,” he later told reporters while promoting Water for Elephants, refusing to divulge details about his writing. The actor has long been modest about his other creative talents and intellectual interests, which he often mocks in interviews. “I sound like such a snobby little shit,” he said to VF, after discussing his passion for Japanese films.

We like Rob’s smart side, and have long wondered what was up with his secret screenwriting project. We asked Melissa Rosenberg, writer of all five Twilight movies, what she thought about Rob’s pursuits on the page. Turns out she had no idea she’d been working with an aspiring screenwriter for four years. “Is he really?” she said, after we filled her in. “I wish him luck, it’s tough work.” When asked what advice she would offer Rob, Rosenberg passed along these sage words. “Just understand the craft, understand structure. You can have the talent, but do you have the craft? That’s always the challenge.”

But the former Dexter head writer clearly thinks he can handle it. “He’s certainly been around film and studied film enough,”she said, “that I’m sure he can figure it out.” We definitely agree with Rosenberg’s assessment and hope that Rob takes some time in between acting projects to finish his screenplay. And might we suggest that if he ever produces his work, he cast his lovely life partner Kristen Stewart in the lead role?

Celebuzz Here is what Melissa Rosenberg had to say about part one, vampire sex, and Rob and Kristen’s journey:
Congrats! Breaking Dawn is our favorite film yet. Everyone is talking about the wedding, the honeymoon, and the birthing scene. Which of the big three did you feel the most pressure to bring to the big screen?
Certainly the wedding. A little bit the honeymoon. Really, the three main things are the wedding, the sex, and the birthing. Those are the big three. You deliver those or you go run screaming.

Are you nervous about the fans reaction to one in particular?
Honestly, I feel like those really delivered. Those are pretty satisfying scenes. I was satisfied by them! You’ll be shocked at all the things they can be disappointed by, and they will be: [laughing] Edward didn’t wear a tan shirt and in the book, he clearly had a tan shirt. I appreciate their passion though. It’s so much fun!

About that sex scene…everyone is blaming Kristen for the almost R rating!
I thought it was Bill [Condon]’s fault! I told [Rob and Kristen] to go for it- and they did! I thought ‘this is fantastic!’ When I saw early cuts I was like don’t you change a thing. They were like well…we have to a little bit.
I mean, can you blame the girl for getting into it?
Seriously! No way.

How have Rob and Kristen evolved from Twilight to Breaking Dawn?
Well the characters have gotten older. It’s a very different story of a high school girl showing up at a high school for the first time as the new girl, and a woman deciding to choose to have a child that might kill her. They are very different themes.

Do you think the fact Rob and Kristen have grown up helped them portray this?
I think this is the best I’ve ever seen them. They show such craft and skill in this, and are so comfortable with each other.

This franchise has allowed you to work with many great directors. What is something different Bill Condon brought to the table?
Changing directors isn’t too new for me coming from television, but Bill- an academy award winning screenwriter himself- we speak the same language. I think first and foremost he’s a storyteller. He understands character, and theme, and emotional complexity. That’s what he thrives on, that’s what he loves! That’s why he was almost more interested in the fourth movie than the fifth, and I was more interested in the fifth than the fourth. I was like, ‘I want to see all the action!’ He was like ‘I want to see the really dark character story.’ So he really pushed me deeper with every draft.

What can you tell us about the fifth? What is everyone going to be talking about this time next year when Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 comes around.
The thing I’m looking forward to is seeing Bella as a vampire. It’s a very different character. The fidgeting, the stuttering, the insecurity, the awkwardness- it’s gone. I’m looking forward to that. I’m also looking forward to seeing vampire sex versus human sex [laughing].

Um, that makes two of us! So what’s the difference?
We’ll see! But I think it’s more aggressive. It’s physical. Even gymnastic!

If you could work with anyone in the cast again, who would it be?
Billy Burke for sure! Anna Kendrick. I love these two. Anytime I get to write something for Anna it’s tons of fun. Elizabeth Reaser and Peter Facinelli- I mean look at Peter’s range. Nurse Jackie to this.

Speaking of range, when I talked with Rob and Kristen Thursday I brought up the idea of doing a romantic comedy together. Do you think they could pull it off?
You know, honestly they could do anything. I would love to see them in another film together. Comedy is a very different animal, so I don’t know. I’d love to see it though!