#SDCC: Twilight Saga: New Moon panel with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner

As reported here earlier today, Twilight fans practically took over San Diego Comic-Con in a desperate attempt to get to be seated for the Twilight Saga: New Moon panel. Thousands of fans, many of them screaming with excitement, camped out in the hopes of being in the front row when the stars of the film, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner took the stage. Place-holding in line has become a huge controversy, and there were reports of minor scuffles over such disagreements  as anxious fans worried about where their place in the panel might be. The convention allowed the campers to come in a freshen-up in the morning, and many had high hopes of being spotted in the crowd by their favorite heartthrob. There are even reports of moms offering cash to people seated toward the front in exchange for switching seats with their daughters. By all accounts, the hours leading up to the panel could only be described as Frenzy, and New Moon has been a top trending topic off and on all day on Twitter. Right before the panel, many heartbroken fans were tweeting their sadness at not being able to get into the panel.

Earlier in the day, there was a press conference where the actors were asked questions about the upcoming film. As press pictures were released, flamewars began as some fans became catty about the seating order and appearance of the stars (check out some of the comments at this site).All of the stars seemed to be slightly bewildered by the the full media onslaught of the press conference. Pattinson described the convention as “terrifying” but was reportedly more talkative than at last year’s con. When asked about their new-found fame, Lautner replied “None of us saw it coming, and this past year has been a ride for us.”

In the hour prior to the panel, a rumor began to circulate that Robert Pattinson would not be in attendance at the panel. The Twitterverse did a collective sigh of relief when he was apparently spotted with some guards about 15 minutes before start time. Once the panel began, sites seemed to be crashing from overload left and right. The second someone posted a link to an alleged live feed, that site was overloaded with fans hoping to get a peek at what was going on. All accounts were likening the screaming crowds to the cacophony of fans at early Beatles concerts.

Once the panel got underway, one of the first questions asked was
about the transformation Taylor Lautner’s character Jacob goes through
in the film. His reply was “He transforms
mentally and emotionally, but the hardest was the physical
transformation.” Shortly thereafter, there was a movie clip. The
attendees were not allowed to broadcast during the clip, but afterward,
it was told that Jacob removes his shirt and there are hallucinations
of Edward, and the crowd went wild. Fans were allowed to ask questions,
and a few things were revealed about the actors: Robert Pattinson isn’t
sure if he can be witty, but thinks open mic nights are good for the
soul, Kristen Stewart didn’t really ride a motorcycle in the film, and
Taylor Lautner in real life is more like his character’s
pre-transformation side.

Fandom for the films is
worldwide, and apparently, there were logistical issues when filming in
Italy because of exuberant fans. The cast was asked about filming in
different climates, and Lautner mentioned that it was sometimes cold,
but made a point of letting the fans know he was dedicated to making
them happy by saying things like “I’m doing it all for you guys!” and, earlier in the panel, “I
hope you’re pleased when you see the results.” Judging by the online
reactions during the panel, the fans are going to be pleased.

The
actors enjoyed working with their new director, Chris Weitz, and they
described him as laid-back and peaceful. There were no major injuries
or deaths during the filming, though Kristen Stewart did hurt her
ankle. Taylor Lautner does as many of his own stunts as the insurance
companies will allow. All of the actors seemed to agree that the movie
stuck pretty close to the book. Ashley Greene said that she was much
more comfortable and less nervous doing this film.

Before closing
the panel, another clip was shown.  this was a scene filmed in Italy
where Bella rushes to save Edward.  there was much online excitement
about the yellow Porsche, and fans were going berserk both online and
at the panel over Edward Cullen sans shirt. The fans are revved up and
happy, and are now anxiously awaiting the projected November release of
the film. I am sure that squeeing can be heard all over the planet
right now as everyone dishes about the panel.

And if you are looking for a great fan-perspective of what happened at Comic-Con, check out https://x.com/twilighterz