Latest news with #Hardwicke
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Twilight' Director Says Studio Gave Her a ‘Mini Cupcake' to Celebrate Film's Success: Male Directors Get a ‘Car or a Three-Picture Deal or Whatever You Want'
'Twilight' director Catherine Hardwicke said in an interview with The Guardian that the studio gifted her a 'mini cupcake' as a congratulations when the vampire romance opened to an unexpectedly huge $69 million in November 2008. It was a blunt realization that no matter how successful her directing career could be, she would not be valued in the same way as a male director. 'No, people aren't going to hire more women directors,' she told interviewer Hanna Flint. 'They're not going to give you the next job and let you do something great. It was an earth-shattering reality right away.' More from Variety Catherine Hardwicke, Rick Carter Lead Jury for Mediterrane Film Festival Malta's Mediterrane Film Festival Sets Jury and Special Programming 'Twilight' in Concert to Tour 60 Cities This Fall (EXCLUSIVE) Whereas a successful male director with a franchise-launching huge opening weekend might be gifted 'a car, or a three-picture deal, or [the chance] to do basically whatever you want,' Hardwicke continued, she was given more or less a pat on the back. 'I walked into a room with all these gifts, and everybody was congratulating the studio, and they gave me a box,' she remembered. 'I opened it up, and it was a mini cupcake.' The director previously revealed on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast in 2023 that the studio always underestimated how big 'Twilight' could become. She was told by executives right before opening weekend that debuting to $30 million would be a relief. 'Twilight' earned $7 million from midnight ticket sales alone on its way to a $35 million opening day. The film generated $69 million over its opening weekend and would go on to earn $192 million domestically and $408 million worldwide. Hardwicke also said on the podcast that the studio questioned if Robert Pattinson had good enough looks to play the vampire Edward Cullen, explaining: 'They called me and go, 'Do you think you can make this guy look good?' I said, 'Yeah, I do. Did you see his cheekbones? We're doing a makeover on the hair and everything and he's going to start working out and he's going to be gorgeous.' But they didn't believe it at first. He like walked over there with a stained shirt or something. It was Rob.' Not only did Hardwicke get only a mini cupcake after the success of 'Twilight's' opening weekend, she also got dropped from the sequel. 'Twilight: New Moon' was directed by Chris Weitz. Instead, Hardwicke moved on to the fantasy movie 'Red Riding Hood' with Amanda Seyfried. But 'it was much more challenging' because 'it had a lower budget than we had on 'Twilight,' and it was all fantasy, so we couldn't shoot any real locations and had to build all the sets. They didn't give me much freedom.' Head over to The Guardian's website to read more from Hardwicke's latest interview. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Powys County Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Ghostwriter going for Princess of Wales's Stakes gold
Trainer Clive Cox considers the Princess Of Wales's Stakes as too good an opportunity to pass up with his stable star Ghostwriter. Although without a victory since the autumn of his juvenile campaign, the four-year-old has run some excellent races in defeat at the highest level since, last season finishing third behind City Of Troy in both the Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International. Having kicked off this year by finishing fourth in Dubai and then sixth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, Ghostwriter was sold for £2million on the eve of Royal Ascot and made a promising start in the colours of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation by picking up the bronze medal in the Hardwicke. REBEL'S ROMANCE wins The Hardwicke Stakes for Charlie Appleby. Congratulations to connections. — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2025 Cox recently raised next month's Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga as a likely target for the Invincible Spirit colt, but is more than happy to take in Thursday's Group Two feature at Newmarket on the way. 'It was an early entry that wasn't filling and it made perfect sense. It doesn't interrupt any plans already made, so I'm very happy we're in it,' said the Lambourn handler. 'He's come out of Ascot very well, I'm very happy with him and it doesn't impinge on plans to go to America at all. 'He's shown a very good level of course form – he won his maiden on the July course and has also won on the Rowley Mile, so Newmarket is a place he handles well and I'm looking forward to it.' Ghostwriter is set to renew rivalry with John and Thady Gosden's Palladium, who was one place and little over a length behind him in the Hardwicke, while Charlie Appleby saddles both Arabian Crown and El Cordobes. He told 'El Cordobes is coming back in distance from York, where we feel he did not stay the 14 furlongs. He has a bit to find on the book but, back at this trip, he should be competitive, and the quick ground will be no problem. 'Arabian Crown has been gelded since his last start and stepping back up to a mile and a half will suit. If he can recapture some of his earlier form, he is sure to be a player.' The quintet is completed by James Owen's Wimbledon Hawkeye, who was last seen finishing fourth in the King Edward VIII Stakes and lines up as the sole three-year-old in the field. 'He's very well, he's been training great. Everything has been very straightforward and we're really looking forward to the race,' said Owen. 'He's got a good amount of resolution, he's coming out of his races well and he holds his form. 'He's against the older horses but he gets a nice allowance for that, so it will be really interesting. 'Fingers crossed it's a nice opportunity for him.'
North Wales Chronicle
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Ghostwriter going for Princess of Wales's Stakes gold
Although without a victory since the autumn of his juvenile campaign, the four-year-old has run some excellent races in defeat at the highest level since, last season finishing third behind City Of Troy in both the Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International. Having kicked off this year by finishing fourth in Dubai and then sixth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, Ghostwriter was sold for £2million on the eve of Royal Ascot and made a promising start in the colours of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation by picking up the bronze medal in the Hardwicke. REBEL'S ROMANCE wins The Hardwicke Stakes for Charlie Appleby. Congratulations to connections. — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2025 Cox recently raised next month's Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga as a likely target for the Invincible Spirit colt, but is more than happy to take in Thursday's Group Two feature at Newmarket on the way. 'It was an early entry that wasn't filling and it made perfect sense. It doesn't interrupt any plans already made, so I'm very happy we're in it,' said the Lambourn handler. 'He's come out of Ascot very well, I'm very happy with him and it doesn't impinge on plans to go to America at all. 'He's shown a very good level of course form – he won his maiden on the July course and has also won on the Rowley Mile, so Newmarket is a place he handles well and I'm looking forward to it.' Ghostwriter is set to renew rivalry with John and Thady Gosden's Palladium, who was one place and little over a length behind him in the Hardwicke, while Charlie Appleby saddles both Arabian Crown and El Cordobes. He told 'El Cordobes is coming back in distance from York, where we feel he did not stay the 14 furlongs. He has a bit to find on the book but, back at this trip, he should be competitive, and the quick ground will be no problem. 'Arabian Crown has been gelded since his last start and stepping back up to a mile and a half will suit. If he can recapture some of his earlier form, he is sure to be a player.' The quintet is completed by James Owen's Wimbledon Hawkeye, who was last seen finishing fourth in the King Edward VIII Stakes and lines up as the sole three-year-old in the field. 'He's very well, he's been training great. Everything has been very straightforward and we're really looking forward to the race,' said Owen. 'He's got a good amount of resolution, he's coming out of his races well and he holds his form. 'He's against the older horses but he gets a nice allowance for that, so it will be really interesting. 'Fingers crossed it's a nice opportunity for him.'
South Wales Guardian
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Ghostwriter going for Princess of Wales's Stakes gold
Although without a victory since the autumn of his juvenile campaign, the four-year-old has run some excellent races in defeat at the highest level since, last season finishing third behind City Of Troy in both the Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International. Having kicked off this year by finishing fourth in Dubai and then sixth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, Ghostwriter was sold for £2million on the eve of Royal Ascot and made a promising start in the colours of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation by picking up the bronze medal in the Hardwicke. REBEL'S ROMANCE wins The Hardwicke Stakes for Charlie Appleby. Congratulations to connections. — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2025 Cox recently raised next month's Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga as a likely target for the Invincible Spirit colt, but is more than happy to take in Thursday's Group Two feature at Newmarket on the way. 'It was an early entry that wasn't filling and it made perfect sense. It doesn't interrupt any plans already made, so I'm very happy we're in it,' said the Lambourn handler. 'He's come out of Ascot very well, I'm very happy with him and it doesn't impinge on plans to go to America at all. 'He's shown a very good level of course form – he won his maiden on the July course and has also won on the Rowley Mile, so Newmarket is a place he handles well and I'm looking forward to it.' Ghostwriter is set to renew rivalry with John and Thady Gosden's Palladium, who was one place and little over a length behind him in the Hardwicke, while Charlie Appleby saddles both Arabian Crown and El Cordobes. He told 'El Cordobes is coming back in distance from York, where we feel he did not stay the 14 furlongs. He has a bit to find on the book but, back at this trip, he should be competitive, and the quick ground will be no problem. 'Arabian Crown has been gelded since his last start and stepping back up to a mile and a half will suit. If he can recapture some of his earlier form, he is sure to be a player.' The quintet is completed by James Owen's Wimbledon Hawkeye, who was last seen finishing fourth in the King Edward VIII Stakes and lines up as the sole three-year-old in the field. 'He's very well, he's been training great. Everything has been very straightforward and we're really looking forward to the race,' said Owen. 'He's got a good amount of resolution, he's coming out of his races well and he holds his form. 'He's against the older horses but he gets a nice allowance for that, so it will be really interesting. 'Fingers crossed it's a nice opportunity for him.'
The Herald Scotland
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Ghostwriter going for Princess of Wales's Stakes gold
Having kicked off this year by finishing fourth in Dubai and then sixth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, Ghostwriter was sold for £2million on the eve of Royal Ascot and made a promising start in the colours of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation by picking up the bronze medal in the Hardwicke. REBEL'S ROMANCE wins The Hardwicke Stakes for Charlie Appleby. Congratulations to connections. — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2025 Cox recently raised next month's Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga as a likely target for the Invincible Spirit colt, but is more than happy to take in Thursday's Group Two feature at Newmarket on the way. 'It was an early entry that wasn't filling and it made perfect sense. It doesn't interrupt any plans already made, so I'm very happy we're in it,' said the Lambourn handler. 'He's come out of Ascot very well, I'm very happy with him and it doesn't impinge on plans to go to America at all. 'He's shown a very good level of course form – he won his maiden on the July course and has also won on the Rowley Mile, so Newmarket is a place he handles well and I'm looking forward to it.' Arabian Crown is one of two runners for Charlie Appleby (Nigel French/PA) Ghostwriter is set to renew rivalry with John and Thady Gosden's Palladium, who was one place and little over a length behind him in the Hardwicke, while Charlie Appleby saddles both Arabian Crown and El Cordobes. He told 'El Cordobes is coming back in distance from York, where we feel he did not stay the 14 furlongs. He has a bit to find on the book but, back at this trip, he should be competitive, and the quick ground will be no problem. 'Arabian Crown has been gelded since his last start and stepping back up to a mile and a half will suit. If he can recapture some of his earlier form, he is sure to be a player.' The quintet is completed by James Owen's Wimbledon Hawkeye, who was last seen finishing fourth in the King Edward VIII Stakes and lines up as the sole three-year-old in the field. 'He's very well, he's been training great. Everything has been very straightforward and we're really looking forward to the race,' said Owen. 'He's got a good amount of resolution, he's coming out of his races well and he holds his form. 'He's against the older horses but he gets a nice allowance for that, so it will be really interesting. 'Fingers crossed it's a nice opportunity for him.'
