The Twilight Saga: New Moon facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chris Weitz
Produced by	Wyck Godfrey Karen Rosenfelt
Screenplay by	Melissa Rosenberg
Starring	Kristen Stewart Robert Pattinson Taylor Lautner Ashley Greene Rachelle Lefevre Billy Burke Peter Facinelli Elizabeth Reaser Nikki Reed Kellan Lutz Jackson Rathbone Anna Kendrick Michael Sheen Dakota Fanning
Music by	Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography	Javier Aguirresarobe
Editing by	Peter Lambert
Studio	Temple Hill Entertainment Maverick Films Sunswept Entertainment
Distributed by	Summit Entertainment
Release date(s)	November 16, 2009 (2009-11-16) (Los Angeles premiere) November 20, 2009 (2009-11-20) (United States)
Running time	130 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$50 million
Money made	$709.8 million

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (often called New Moon) is a 2009 American romantic fantasy film. It was directed by Chris Weitz and written by Melissa Rosenberg. The movie is based on the 2006 book New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.

This film is the second part of The Twilight Saga film series. It follows Twilight (2008). The main actors, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, play their roles again. They are Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black.

Summit Entertainment announced the movie on November 22, 2008. This was after Twilight became very popular. Filming started on March 23, 2009, in Vancouver, Canada. It finished on May 29 in Montepulciano, Italy.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon first showed in Los Angeles on November 16, 2009. It came out in U.S. theaters on November 20. Even though many critics didn't like it, the movie earned $709.8 million worldwide. It was the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2009. It broke records for midnight openings in the U.S. and Canada. It made $26.3 million, but its sequel, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, later beat this. It also had the highest single-day earnings on its opening day, with $72.7 million. This record was later broken by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).

The movie was also the widest independent release, showing in 4,024 theaters. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse later beat this record too. New Moon was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 20, 2010. By July 2012, the film had made $184.9 million from DVD sales in North America. It sold over 8.8 million copies. Four million of these were sold in its first weekend. This was more than Twilight's 3.8 million units in its first two days.

The film had three sequels: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011), and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012).

Story of the Movie

Bella's Birthday and a Dangerous Moment

On her eighteenth birthday, Bella Swan has a dream. She sees herself as an old woman, but her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen, is still young. Edward's family throws a birthday party for her. While opening a gift, Bella gets a small paper cut. Edward's foster brother, Jasper, smells Bella's blood. He tries to attack her but is stopped. Edward believes he and his family are putting Bella in danger. So, he ends their relationship, and the Cullens leave Forks.

Bella's Sadness and New Friends

Bella feels very sad and lonely for many months. Her worried father, Charlie, wants to send Bella to live with her mother. Bella says no. She promises to spend more time with her school friends. After seeing a movie with Jessica, Bella goes near some tough-looking bikers. This dangerous moment reminds Bella of a time Edward saved her. She imagines seeing and hearing him. She realizes that exciting activities make her think of him.

Jacob's Help and a Big Secret

Bella's Quileute friend Jacob Black helps her feel better. He does many fun things with her. Jacob mentions that many of his friends follow Sam, another Quileute. While watching a movie with Bella and Mike, Jacob suddenly leaves. He seems upset and has a fever. Bella drives to his house when he avoids her. Jacob has cut his long hair. He now has the same Quileute tattoo as Sam and other tribe members. He tells Bella to stay away from him.

Wolves, Vampires, and a New Threat

Bella hikes to a meadow she and Edward used to visit. There, she meets Laurent, a vampire friend of Victoria. Just as he is about to kill her, a pack of wolves appears and attacks him. Bella later finds out that Jacob and the other tribe members are giant werewolves. Their old enemies are vampires. However, the Cullens and the tribe have a peace agreement. Jacob's pack is now looking for Victoria. She is a vampire who wants to get revenge for her mate, James. Edward killed James to protect Bella.

Edward's Mistake and a Trip to Italy

Jacob is busy learning about his new shape-shifting powers. Bella feels alone again. She goes back to doing risky things. She doesn't notice Victoria is nearby. Because of some misunderstandings, Edward thinks Bella has died. This happens after Edward's sister Alice sees a vision of Bella jumping off a cliff. Edward is very upset. He travels to Italy to ask the Volturi to end his life. The Volturi are a powerful group of vampires who act like rulers. They refuse his wish. So, he plans to show himself as a vampire to humans during a big festival. Alice returns to Forks. She is shocked to find Bella is still alive.

Facing the Volturi and a Big Decision

Alice and Bella go to Italy to save Edward. They arrive just in time to stop him from showing he is a vampire. Edward is so happy Bella is alive. He says he left Forks to keep her safe. He promises never to leave her again. Edward tries to protect Bella from Felix, one of the Volturi. The Volturi do not let humans know about vampires. Edward is easily beaten. As the Volturi are about to kill him, Bella asks them to kill her instead.

The Volturi are impressed that a human would sacrifice her life for a vampire. They decide that Bella, since she knows about vampires, must either be killed or turned into one. Alice shows her vision of Bella as a vampire to Aro. Aro is a Volturi elder who can read thoughts by touch. Aro lets them go. But he makes them promise that Bella will be turned into a vampire later. After returning to Forks, Bella asks the Cullens to vote on her becoming a vampire. Edward and Rosalie are not happy, but everyone else votes yes.

Jacob reminds Edward that their old treaty will be broken if a Cullen bites a human. But Bella tells Jacob it is her choice, not the Cullens'. In the meadows, Edward says he will only turn Bella into a vampire if she agrees to marry him. Bella first says no, but then thinks about it. This leads to the story for the next movie.

Meet the Actors

Kristen Stewart plays Bella Swan. She is a teenage girl who feels very sad after Edward Cullen leaves her. Her friendship with Jacob Black grows as she realizes he can help her feel better.
Robert Pattinson plays Edward Cullen. He is Bella's vampire boyfriend who suddenly leaves town to keep her safe.
Taylor Lautner plays Jacob Black. He is a cheerful friend who helps Bella deal with losing Edward. He tells Bella that he is part of a pack of werewolves. Their main goal is to protect her from the vampires Laurent and Victoria.
Ashley Greene plays Alice Cullen. She is a member of the Cullen family who can see parts of the future. She becomes a close friend to Bella.
Rachelle Lefevre plays Victoria Sutherland. She is a fierce vampire who wants to get revenge for her lover, James. This was her last time playing the character. Bryce Dallas Howard took over the role in the next movie.
Billy Burke plays Charlie Swan. He is Bella's father and the Chief of Police in Forks.
Peter Facinelli plays Carlisle Cullen. He is the leader and father figure of the Cullen family.
Nikki Reed plays Rosalie Hale. She is a member of the Cullen family.
Kellan Lutz plays Emmett Cullen. He is a member of the Cullen family.
Jackson Rathbone plays Jasper Hale. He is a member of the Cullen family. He gets very thirsty for Bella's blood after she gets a paper cut. He can also control people's feelings.
Anna Kendrick plays Jessica Stanley. She is Bella's friend who cares a lot about herself.
Michael Sheen plays Aro. He is the leader of an old Italian vampire group called the Volturi.
Dakota Fanning plays Jane. She is a guard of the Volturi. She can make people feel pain just by thinking about it.
Elizabeth Reaser plays Esme Cullen. She is Carlisle's wife and like a mother to the Cullen family.
Edi Gathegi plays Laurent Da Revin. He is a vampire who wants to kill Bella because he is thirsty for her blood.
Noot Seear plays Heidi. She leads tourists into the Volturi's room. Her special power is to make herself attractive to anyone.
Michael Welch plays Mike Newton. He is Bella's friend who likes her. He joins her on a date with Jacob.
Chaske Spencer plays Sam Uley. He is the leader of the Wolf Pack.
Tyson Houseman plays Quil Ateara.
Kiowa Gordon plays Embry Call.
Alex Meraz plays Paul Lahote.
Bronson Pelletier plays Jared Cameron.
Graham Greene plays Harry Clearwater. He is a Quileute elder and Charlie's friend.
Gil Birmingham plays Billy Black. He is a Quileute elder and Jacob's father.
Christian Serratos plays Angela Weber. She is Bella's shy but caring friend.
Justin Chon plays Eric Yorkie. He is Bella's friend and Angela's boyfriend.
Tinsel Korey plays Emily Young. She is Sam's fiancée, whom he accidentally hurt once.
Jamie Campbell Bower plays Caius. He is a Volturi elder who is very strict about vampire rules.
Christopher Heyerdahl plays Marcus. He is a Volturi elder who can see the connections between people.
Justine Wachsberger plays Gianna. She is the Volturi's human secretary.
Cameron Bright plays Alec. He is Jane's brother and can make people lose their senses.
Charlie Bewley plays Demetri. He is a Volturi guard who is a skilled tracker.
Daniel Cudmore plays Felix. He is a Volturi guard who has great strength.

Making the Movie

How the Movie Was Planned

Director Chris Weitz at The Twilight Saga: New Moon event in Paris, France, in November 2009

In November 2008, Summit Entertainment got the rights to make movies from the rest of the Twilight book series. These books were New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. On November 22, 2008, just one day after Twilight came out, Summit said they would start working on New Moon. Author Stephenie Meyer said she had a very good experience with Summit Entertainment.

In December 2008, it was announced that Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke would not direct the sequel. She said she didn't have enough time. On December 13, 2008, Chris Weitz was chosen to direct New Moon. Weitz told fans he would "protect the characters, themes, and story they love." He added that he would work hard to make a beautiful film.

Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg started working on the script before Twilight was released. She finished the script for New Moon during Twilight's opening weekend in November 2008. Rosenberg worked on the script from June to October 2008. She spent weekends writing New Moon while also working on the TV show Dexter. She and Meyer stayed in touch during this time.

Choosing the Actors

Jacob Black's character changes a lot physically between Twilight and New Moon. So, Chris Weitz thought about replacing Taylor Lautner. He wanted an actor who could better show "the new, larger Jacob Black." To keep his role, Lautner worked out a lot and gained about 30 pounds. In January 2009, Weitz and Summit Entertainment announced that Lautner would stay as Jacob. Kristen Stewart, another actor, said Lautner's change was amazing.

In March 2009, Summit Entertainment announced the actors who would play the "wolf pack" with Lautner. Rene Haynes, a casting director, chose the rest of the Quileute tribe actors. She had worked on movies with many Native American actors before. A casting call was also held in Vancouver in February 2009. They specifically looked for "any first nations/aboriginal actors and actresses between the ages of 15 and 25."

Filming Locations and Style

Work on New Moon began in December 2008. Filming was planned to start on March 23, 2009, in Vancouver. However, it began a few days earlier. Weitz wanted the movie to have warm colors. This was different from the first Twilight film, which had many blue tones. He used golden colors, inspired by Italian paintings. This color choice guided the crew's work. They also used specific colors at certain times. For example, Jacob's house is red, but the color becomes very strong at the end of the movie.

They used film cameras instead of digital ones. This made the movie feel "old-fashioned." They used two main Panavision cameras, a fast Arri 435 camera, a Steadicam, and VistaVision cameras for special effects. Different cameras and ways of shooting helped tell the story. When Bella was with Edward, the camera moved in a straight line. This showed how their relationship was "perfect." When Bella was with Jacob, the Steadicam made the shots feel smooth and natural. When she was with her school friends, a handheld camera was used to show a more casual style.

Filming in Vancouver instead of Portland was a big decision. They needed to match the places shown in the first movie. Vancouver was chosen because it offered better production value. It also had beautiful forests and gray weather. However, they had to rebuild key sets from the first film. For example, the outside of Forks High School was filmed with a greenscreen. This helped it match the original school steps. David Thompson Secondary School was used for the inside school scenes.

The Cullen house was a big challenge to match. The original house in Portland had a unique design. The team found a house in Vancouver that looked similar inside. It had high ceilings, glass walls, and was surrounded by forest. To keep the original house's design, some parts of the story in New Moon were moved to different areas of the house.

Jacob's house as seen in The Twilight Saga: New Moon

The team decided to rebuild the Swan house on an empty lot. They made the outside look just like the first movie. For the inside, they measured the Portland house. Then, they built parts of it on the lot and on a stage in Vancouver. The second movie also tried to show Bella's room more clearly. In the first film, it looked like it was at the front of the house. But it was actually on the right side. The Portland house was repainted after Twilight came out. This made it look different. So, the team used the first film on Blu-ray to help them rebuild the house.

Weitz also got to film in new places. The Quileute reservation and Jacob's house were important. The team put Jacob's house at the edge of the territory, not in the main community. This was because Jacob was connected to the wolves. For Weitz, Jacob's house was a gateway to the forest world, where the werewolves' secret is hidden. The production designer faced a challenge with a barn. The book said it was red, but the real barn they found was green. They decided to paint the barn, make it look old, and change its outside. This design fit Jacob's character well.

The team looked at over twelve places to film the scenes in Volterra, Italy. They chose Montepulciano. They felt it best matched Meyer's description in the book. Filming there happened from May 25 to 29. For the fight between the Volturi and Edward, they wanted a bigger scene. At first, it was a huge battle with vampires flying everywhere. But it became a one-on-one fight between Felix and Edward. Meyer approved this change. The idea was to show Edward as a normal person caught in a bad situation. For Bella, it was important to show her feeling trapped among fighting vampires. This scene also needed special effects, stunt work, and ways to show vampires fighting very fast.

Special Visual Effects

Susan MacLeod was in charge of the visual effects for New Moon. She had worked with Weitz before. MacLeod hired Tippett Studio to create the computer-generated wolves. Prime Focus of Vancouver handled the vampire effects. To make the wolves look real, Tippett artists studied wolf behavior. They also made the wolves look strong and like human muscles by changing their size and height. In February 2009, artists visited Wolf Mountain Sanctuary near Los Angeles. They saw real timber and arctic wolves running in packs. This helped them understand the creatures they were creating.

One of the scenes Tippett Studio helped create

MacLeod said making the shape-shifting werewolves was hard. They had to shoot "plates." These are photos where computer-made things are added. The book said the wolves were as big as horses. So, they used life-size wolf cutouts made of aluminum and board. These helped actors and crew members see how big the wolves would be. Once the actors had a reference, the cutouts were removed. This allowed cameras to film the scene. To make the computer wolves match the live action, the team used match movers. This tool recorded the filming location's shape with reference marks.

They started with a 3D model of Jacob's wolf. This was the base for the others. A muscle system made it look like muscles were moving. Then, artists added fur, color, and groomed it. They also made the fur look wet in places. They perfected this look before passing it to the lighting and technical directors.

One challenge was showing Bella's sadness after Edward leaves. In the book, pages were filled with the names of passing months. In the movie, this was shown with a camera circling Kristen Stewart. The window in the original film didn't fit what Weitz wanted. So, the team built a new bay window when recreating the Swan house. This effect was one of 300 visual effects done by Prime Focus. It needed two camera shots. One filmed the actress in a chair. The other filmed the view outside the window from the rebuilt house. Using a greenscreen, Prime Focus added computer-generated leaves and falling snow to show the changing seasons.

Movie Music

Alexandre Desplat wrote the music for New Moon. Alexandra Patsavas, who also worked on the Twilight soundtrack, chose the other songs. The Twilight Saga: New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack came out on October 16, 2009. It was released by Patsavas's Chop Shop label and Atlantic Records. It started at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart. A week later, it reached number one. It sold 153,000 copies in its first full week.

Releasing the Movie

Promoting the Film

In February 2009, it was announced that the movie series would be called The Twilight Saga. The book's title would be added after a colon. However, the title shown on screen is simply New Moon. The first poster was released on May 19, 2009. On May 31, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner showed the first movie trailer. This happened at the MTV Movie Awards. After the trailer, two scenes from the film were shown at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con.

A short preview of the second trailer came out online on August 12, 2009. The full trailer was shown before the movie Bandslam in theaters. The movie's third trailer was shown at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, 2009. Spike TV also showed a new trailer at the 2009 Scream Awards on October 27, 2009.

American Idol finalist Allison Iraheta hosted an 8-minute show before the movie in over 1,200 theaters. She talked about her upcoming album and played some songs. Also, before the movie came out, author Stephenie Meyer appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to promote the film.

Movie Release

Many movie showings sold out two months before New Moon's release date. The film broke records for early ticket sales. This made some theaters add more showings. The movie also sold the most advance tickets on Fandango. It sold more than Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. New Moon made up 86 percent of Fandango's online ticket sales the weekend before it came out. Its total morning ticket sales on November 20, 2009, were about $13.9 million.

Watching at Home

Many midnight release parties were held for the movie's DVD and Blu-ray Disc release. It came out on March 20, 2010, in the United States and on March 22, 2010, in the United Kingdom. Special features included comments from director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert. There was also a behind-the-scenes documentary and music videos. The Ultimate Fan Edition DVD had a 7-minute sneak peek at the next movie, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. In its first weekend in the U.S., the film sold over 4 million units. This was more than Twilight's 3.8 million units sold in its first two days. In North America, the film has made over $185 million from DVD sales. It has sold more than 8.8 million copies.

Next Movie

In February 2009, Summit Entertainment planned a movie based on Eclipse. This is the third book in the Twilight series. It was set to be released on June 30, 2010. Chris Weitz could not direct the third film because he would be finishing New Moon. So, David Slade was confirmed as the director of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on April 22, 2009.