Not even 24 hours after it was posted as rumor over at Deadline Hollywood, the ink is apparently now dry on David Slade’s contract to direct the third film in the “Twilight” saga, “Eclipse”. The news comes from “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment (the studio doing the “Twilight” movies) head honcho Erik Feig himself on the signing of Slade, who is most famous to genre fans as the director of “30 Days of Night”, a very bloody vampire movie from 2007. Slade’s “Eclipse”, we’re told, won’t be nearly as bloody as “30 Days”.
Via THR, author Stephenie Meyer said this about Slade:
“I am thrilled that David Slade will be directing ‘Eclipse,’ ” said Meyer. “He’s a visionary filmmaker who has so much to offer this franchise. From the beginning, we’ve been blessed with wonderful directorial talent for the ‘Twilight’ saga, and I’m so happy that ‘Eclipse’ will be carrying on with that tradition.”
Feig added:
“Stephenie Meyer’s ‘Eclipse’ is a muscular, rich, vivid book, and we at Summit looked long and hard for a director who could do it justice. We believe we have found that talent in David Slade, a director who has been able to create complex, visually arresting worlds.”
The third installment will probably commence production as soon as “New Moon” wraps. At least, if Summit wants to keep its June 30, 2010 release date. That will be just half a year after Chris Weitz’s “New Moon” premieres in November of ‘09, so Slade better get busy prepping the bad boy for production.
“Eclipse” catches up with Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) as she prepares to graduate high school, while at the same time contending with the ongoing vampire-werewolf conflict. Matters are not helped by mysterious killings that start bloodying up the Seattle landscape, causing Bella’s relationship with her vampire beau Edward to become slightly more … complicated. And you thought your biggest worry was the prom.
Not even 24 hours after it was 
