Salary Disputes Plague Twilight’s Breaking Dawn

“Twilight 5” Progress Hindered By Salary Disputes

The studio that produces the “Twilight” vampire saga seems to be suffering from a lack of enthusiasm for getting the 4th installment signed.

Summit Entertainment is ready to finalize deals with Kirsten Stewart (Bella Swan), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), and Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black). Director Bill Condon is already signed to complete the “Breaking Dawn”. Both films are scheduled to be shot back-to-back beginning in the Fall, to be released in November 2011 and Summer 2012 by latest accounts.

Salary negotiations seemingly have slowed the announcement of “Breaking Dawn” while the studio tries to finalize the contracts. The deal’s for Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen), Billy Burke (Charlie Swan) are finalized, the deals with the Cullen kids however are not going as well. With the huge success of the vampire love saga, even the small players see they are worth much more than the original deals signed for the 4 movies. Then the idea to split the last novel into 2 movies spurned some of the lesser seen cast members into a unified front. Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen)and Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen) have asked the studio for a reported $4 million a piece for the final two installments of the vampire series. The actors current contracts only cover 4 movies, having the final novel set for 2 movies has given these 2 actors plenty of room to get a little more of the “Twilight” pie. The popularity of the series has even the smallest players in the saga becoming widely sought after. Greene and Lutz play minor roles in the series. Greene portrays Alice Cullen is Edward’s sister who sees into the future and is the closest friend to Bella in the Cullen family. Lutz plays older brother Emmett Cullen, his part being minor. Originally Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone were also part of the hold out, but Reed has backed out and is in talks for $750,000 – $1 million per film. No comment has been made as of yet buy Rathbone’s rep as to any signings that have or will be occurring in the near future regarding the “Twilight” series.

This rebellion may cost one of the actors their final place in the cast. Rumors of cast changes are already circulating all over, one source has said “We may have a situation where one of them is thrown out on the street to make a point,”. Lutz would be the obvious choice as Green’s Alice is much more instrumental and it is likely fans would be far more outraged than if Lutz’s Emmett is replaced.This wouldn’t be the first time Summit stood their ground with a demanding member of the series. Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria) was in part, fired after her reps tried to finagle more cash out of her deal with the success of “Twilight” and “New Moon”.

The studio decided it was time for a change and Lefevre was replaced. Lafevre has said she was stunned by the studios decision, the studio has maintained that there were too many scheduling conflicts. Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of Ron Howard, will be replacing Lefevre as Victoria in “Eclipse”. So as Stephanie Meyers works furiously to split her final novel the cast and crew of the beloved series wait on. Recasting may be in the stars for these “Twilight” holds outs just yet.