Catherine Hardwicke is getting candid about the difference in how male and female directors are treated in Hollywood.
During a recent interview with The Guardian, the Twilight filmmaker recalled the gift she received from the film’s producers, Summit Entertainment, following the Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson-led movie’s surprise triumph at the box office. While Summit hoped it would gross at least $30 million during its run, Twilight went on to earn $408.4 million worldwide.
“I walked into a room with all these gifts, and everybody was congratulating the studio, and they gave me a box,” Hardwicke recalled. “I opened it up, and it was a mini cupcake.”
However, she said male directors might be gifted “a car, or a three-picture deal, or [getting] to do basically whatever you want” following a successful movie.
Hardwicke admitted that she realized the hard truths behind filmmaking quite quickly in her career. “No, people aren’t going to hire more women directors. They’re not going to give you the next job and let you do something great,” she said. “It was an earth-shattering reality right away.”
The Red Riding Hood filmmaker only directed the 2008 installment in the Twilight saga, with male directors taking over the reins for the remaining films, including Chris Weitz helming New Moon, David Slade directing Eclipse and Bill Condon overseeing Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Part 2.
Hardwicke previously told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, while looking back on Twilight on its 15th anniversary, that she chose to only direct the first installment because she “had the most inspiration and vision for the first book. Not so much, the other ones.”
She added that she felt proud to capture “a love that’s like a drug” that’s “just a head rush that makes you feel ecstatic” in the movie that’s still beloved and watched by fans today.
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