Last month, word dropped that three Oscar-nominated directors were on Summit Entertainment's short list to helm "Breaking Dawn," the yet-unannounced final installment of the "Twilight" franchise: Gus Van Sant ("Milk"), Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation") and Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls").
Now, it appears Condon has established himself as Summit's top choice for the gig, according to a Deadline.com report. No deal is yet in place, but several meetings have led to negotiations between the director and the studio.
What's more, citing unnamed sources, Deadline reports that "Breaking Dawn" will be split into two films (as has long been rumored) and will begin shooting in the fall. The director search kicked off after "New Moon" director Chris Weitz declined the chance to return to the franchise.
MTV News' request for comment has not yet been returned by Summit.
As made clear by the eight-time Oscar-nominated "Dreamgirls," Condon has experience taking established source material and churning out a visually dramatic box-office success. He's also dabbled in supernatural subject matter with "Gods and Monsters" (about the real-life director of "Frankenstein") and horror genre material with 1995's "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh." "Breaking Dawn" prominently features horror-like elements, including a bloody, supernatural birth scene.
Condon already has two projects lined up: an adaptation of the novel "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," starring Colin Firth, and a Richard Pryor biopic, starring Marlon Wayans. Both films would be delayed if Condon works on the potential two films of "Breaking Dawn."
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, meanwhile, have already come out in support of Van Sant hopping into the director's chair. "It's all about teenage love and obsessions," Pattinson said of "Breaking Dawn." "I think Gus Van Sant would be great."
