Breaking Dawn Broken In Two?

Twilight fans are waiting with baited breath for the official word to be announced for Breaking Dawn and while they are waiting the sources unofficial word is that Breaking Dawn will be coming in two parts. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer is a four book series chronicling the life of one human girl in love with one vampire boy and friends with one shape-shifting boy/wolf. Twilight (2008) grossed $390 million worldwide and to date The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) has grossed $474 million worldwide -- Summit Entertainment knows they have a good thing going and want to give the fans what they desire.

According to sources at Variety, Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote the first three screenplays, has been asked to write the fourth installment but is on hold while the decision is being finalized for one script or two. Summit will have to reenter negotiations with Meyer and gain her approval for Breaking Dawn to be split. Summit will also have to reenter negotiations with the core cast members. Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Kristen Stewart are all signed for a four movie franchise but if Breaking Dawn is split, they will have to negotiate the fifth installment.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling’s final book in the Potter series was broken down into two movies with negotiations culminating into nice paychecks for the key stars. The franchises success is what made the decision that much easier for Warner Brothers, although a large part of the reason lies in the final book being such a hefty volume. Harry Potter will be released November, 2010 and July, 2011.

While an official offer has not been made to Chris Weitz, the highly successful director of New Moon, he is definitely the frontrunner. Weitz took a $50 million budget and made a movie that has grossed eight times the budget, stayed true to the actors’ visions, and made fans very happy. There could be a potential hold up for Weitz, however. He spoke about directing a movie, The Gardener. Summit is in discussions to fund the movie but may be holding up the discussions to push Weitz into a commitment for Breaking Dawn. Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner all gave Weitz high praise.

Pattinson told Entertainment Weekly, "He's very calm and he's very, very focused. You never feel pressure, but the ball's always rolling. Nothing ever feels held up. It's been a real pleasure working with him." Lautner seconded, "Chris is amazing ... Flawless. He's so relaxed, and he really cares about our opinions, and he truly cares about this project. He cares about the books, he cares about the series."

The inevitable finale will come and rumor has it by the end of 2011 we will see it hit the big screen. When do you think Summit will release Breaking Dawn and will it come in one installment or two? If the movie is split in two, where will the break lie?