Is 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' director Chris Weitz giving up on Hollywood?According to an interview in MovieMaker Magazine, the producer-director-writer is unhappy with the Hollywood system, particularly after his experience with 'The Golden Compass' in 2007.
"I really wanted that to be my masterpiece," Weitz said. "And by that I don't mean work of genius, but rather the piece that you do that says to your peers that you're ready to stop being a journeyman and start being an actual craftsman. Unfortunately, the edit was taken from me and whatever chance I had at that was also taken from me, which is kind of sad."
Weitz and his brother Paul burst on the scene in 1999 with 'American Pie,' and Chris has had a hand in a host of Hollywood smashes. But, according to the interview, he's had more on his mind than box office success. "I love David Lean and I love Kurosawa," he said. "Every time I refer to those guys, I feel a bit sheepish because they are gods and I am mortal ... Those are the guys who I aspire to evoke ... Having said that, I don't consider myself worth mentioning in the same breath."
Chris' next project is 'The Gardener,' which he sees as an homage to Vittorio De Sica's 'The Bicycle Thief,' and which may well be his swan song. "I'm always looking for my last film, where I can put the brush down, and this is the one."
What will he do after that? "You know, it sounds ridiculous, but I'd really like to be a better surfer," he said. "I'd like to learn to speak Spanish fluently; I'd like to travel around, live in Italy; I'd like to learn kung fu ... It's nice to make movies, but it's also really hard."
Let's see how he feels after the reviews (and dollars) flow in this weekend for 'New Moon.'
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