Hardwicke to 'Stay' with Summit (SCR, VAR, TBP, HI)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Vialatte

Catherine Hardwicke and Summit Entertainment have mended fences and entered a deal for the "Twilight" director to helm fantasy-drama "If I Stay." Although "Twilight" was a huge success, the reins to the follow up, "New Moon," went to Chris Weitz. Now, as EW first reported rumors of in February, Hardwicke and Summit will re-team for "Stay," the adaptation of Gayle Forman's novel which is to be published this spring.

As The Big Picture reports, this sort of reconciliation is not so rare between big stars and filmmakers but reunions between filmmakers and studios tend to happen less often.

Yet, despite what played out in the media as an acrimonious parting between Summit and the director, Summit president of production Erik Feig said, "When we were thinking of the perfect director to capture the emotion, grace and passion of this beautiful book, one filmmaker became the clear and only choice: Catherine Hardwicke."

The book's story centers on Mia, a gifted classical musician, who must choose between her career and her rock star boyfriend and who faces an even starker choice between life and death when she is involved in a fatal car accident with her family.

Summit acquired the film rights to the book, whose foreign rights have been sold in 18 countries, in January.

Related Links

Catherine Hardwicke returns to Summit for If I Stay (SCR)
Hardwicke to direct 'Stay' (VAR)
Catherine Hardwicke: Back in action with Summit (TBP)
'Twilight' Director Back to Work With Her Old Bosses? (EW)