The Twilight Saga will end with Breaking Dawn, Pt. 2 on Nov. 16, 2012

It appears the summer release experiment for “The Twilight Saga” was not as successful as Summit Entertainment had hoped.  The studio announced today that “Breaking Dawn, Pt. 2″ will be released on Nov. 16, 2012.  That’s a full year after the debut of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt. 1″ on Nov. 18, 2011.

After releasing both “Twilight” and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” in November of 2008 and 2009, Summit made the seemingly smart move of moving “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” to a June 30, 2010 release date.  This was because of both fervent interest from the franchise’s fanbase and the expectation that opening in the summer would allow for a larger gross due to the fact many teenagers would be out of school and able to see the film numerous times during the work week.  Instead, “Eclipse” has grossed less than the previous chapter, “New Moon,” with only $288.1 million domestic and a total of $644.8 million worldwide so far.  “New Moon” ended up with $296 million domestic and $709 million worldwide and it’s hard to see “Eclipse” matching that total as its grosses have slowed considerably.  Considering “Eclipse” received universally better reviews than the previous two chapters and was the most action packed (i.e., male friendly) of the series this has to be something of a disappointment for Summit.  Granted, there is no need to shed any tears as the studio and series creator Stephenie Meyer are still swimming in profits as the picture only cost $65 million.

In hindsight, however, the shouldn’t have come as that much of a shock even if it seems to go against conventional wisdom.  The “Harry Potter” series has also released a number of chapters during the summer months and found mixed results.  After the first two installments debuted in Nov. of 2001 and 2002 respectively, 2004′s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” debuted in June and is actually the worst performing picture in the franchise with just $249.4 million.  “The Order of the Phoenix” and “The Half-Blood Prince” have performed much better with their July releases, but some of that can be credited to increased ticket prices as well as IMAX ticket costs.  It’s somewhat telling “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1″ will open in Nov. of this year.

As for “Breaking Dawn,” production is expected to begin this Nov. with shooting split between Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Vancouver, British Colubmia.  Oscar winner Bill Condon is at the helm and the entire cast will return including the trifecta of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner.

via The Twilight Saga will end with Breaking Dawn, Pt. 2 on Nov. 16, 2012 – HitFix.com.

Blaine- Kurt Hummel’s New BF in Glee

Blaine is a student at a rival school who develops a special relationship with Kurt. It was stated that Blaine is a “out-and-proud student” and would be a mentor figure for Kurt. It is rumored that this character will be a love interest for Kurt Hummel. Glee creator Ryan Murphy stated, “ Darren has a major, major arc…He sort of becomes Kurt’s mentor and then maybe love-he had to leave his own school because of bullying and goes to an all-boys academy and finds acceptance because that school has a no-bullying, zero-tolerance policy. So Kurt really admires him and respects him. He plays someone who’s one year older than Chris’ character, so he’s the old pro.”

In an interview on October 28, 2010, Darren Criss stated: “The character Blaine himself is such a cool guy, and I really hope he ends up being a really positive role model and source of strength for a lot of people, gay or straight—for any teen, really.

[Blaine's] a guy that is really, he’s seen some hardship and where we meet him he’s a very strong, collected guy, and he’s really analyzed the things that have happened to him and has defined himself because of those things and a lot of the struggle that other characters go through, he’s found a way to empower himself through that. Having a character like that show up where we are in the show and where we are in our society is pretty cool.

So to answer your question he’s kind of an out-and-proud student at another school, at a private all-boys school called Dalton, and he meets Kurt, befriends him and imparts whatever knowledge that he feels he can benefit Kurt with.”

via Blaine – Glee Wiki.

‘Breaking Dawn’ Casts Mackenzie Foy As Renesmee – MTV Movie News| MTV

After practically years of suspense over who would play vampire-human child Renesmee in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” it was author Stephenie Meyer who finally got to break the news on Wednesday night.

“Very excited about our new Renesmee, Mackenzie Foy,” she wrote on the “Twilight” Facebook page. “She’s an amazing young actress and I’m excited to work with her. I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer!”

Rumors that newcomer Foy would be cast in the role had been circulating for the past week. The 9-year-old actress has a limited résumé, with just a few TV appearances to her credit so far on the shows ” ‘Til Death” and “FlashForward.” She has also appeared on the cover of the Garnet Hill clothing catalog and in Gap ads and Burger King commercials. She will take on the role of Edward and Bella’s daughter, one of the meatier parts in the second half of the “Breaking Dawn” saga.

Fans will, of course, have a while to wait before they get their first glimpse of Foy, since the first chapter of “Breaking Dawn” hits screens on November 18, 2011, and the second half will roll out on November 16, 2012. It’s not known exactly where the book will be split into two, but since Renesmee is born about halfway through the story, she’s not likely to appear in the first movie.

When Foy was first mentioned for the role, Entertainment Weekly immediately wondered how the angelic-faced newbie will be able to portray her rapidly aging character. According to unnamed sources, “Dawn” director Bill Condon “will employ similar digital effects to those used by David Fincher in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ where Foy’s face would be digitally transferred onto the face of a younger child. It’s also probable that the studio will hire a younger child in some capacity too.”

The response from Twihards on Facebook was overwhelmingly positive. “Thanks for dropping in Stephenie,” Ronnie M. wrote. “So excited that MacKenzie was cast; she seems like she’ll do a great job. You all thought it would be hard to cast the ‘Perfect’ Edward and I’m sure you thought the same for Renesmee, but once again you guys have outdone yourselves. Can’t wait for ‘Breaking Dawn’!”

via ‘Breaking Dawn’ Casts Mackenzie Foy As Renesmee – MTV Movie News| MTV.

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Today is Kevin’s Birthday! I made pumpkin pie for him from scratch, and it turned out amazing! That’s right, no pre-made mixtures or anything! We cut the pumpkin in half, took out all the strings and seeds, and put both halves in the oven for an hour and a half. We were lacking many ingredients necessary, so for the hour and a half, we got on our bikes and rode to Ralph’s in Westwood. There, we spent half-an-hour trying to find cloves, nutmeg, ginger, sweetened condensed milk, and pie crust. Then, we drank our breakfast (that sounds unpleasant!) at Coffee Bean. We rode back home and took the pumpkin out of the oven, then scooping the mushy parts out. We combined all the ingredients, poured the mixture into the crust, and set it in the oven to cook. My sister and I went to watch his soccer game while it was cooking. I had to call my mom to turn off the oven, otherwise it would over-cook. The soccer game was great! The highlight of his game was an awesome water fight my family had. The crowd yelled their ooh’s and ah’s, making our fight even more amazing! Kevin’s team won with a three-point lead, and he was very happy. We went home, took out the pumpkin pie, and devoured it after each taking a taste. It was delicious!! Happy birthday Kevin! I love you!!

Mandy’s 3rd Birthday

It’s Mandy’s third birthday today! We are celebrating tonight at Cheesecake Factory, on Beverly Drive. Mandy insists on having pizza and red velvet cake! The fragrance is wonderful. The music can’t be heard over the loud conversation of my overwhelmingly large family. Mandy is overjoyed about the presents she got from my uncle, my grandma, and myself. Happy birthday Mandy! I LOVE YOU!

My Half-Birthday

It’s my half-birthday!! Usually, I forget this mark between my earlier birthday and the one coming up. Today, however, I am 15 and a half, which means I can now get my permit! Now THIS is a day I remember. See you on the streets!

A Song for Haiti

Hope is lost. Feels like the end of life. Fear is near. The devastation is severe.

Smile like you mean it, laugh like a child, feel like an angel, be brave and be wild.

Fight for a breath. Struggle for survival. Kick out the obstacles. We’ll help with revival.

Smile like you mean it, laugh like a child, feel like an angel, be brave and be wild.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

United, we are. Together we stand tall. Believe in your power when you don’t want to fall.

Smile like you mean it, laugh like a child, feel like an angel, be brave and be wild.

Song by Shannon Larian

Glee Season 2 Premiere

*SPOILER ALERT*

The Glee premiere was amazing! The new girl, Sunshine, has an amazing voice. Rachel, in her efforts to remain best singer, sends Sunshine to a crack-house instead of the real audition site. She then auditions for Glee, gets in, but is recruited to New Directions instead. The new guy, Sam, is super-cute AND has a really great voice as well! Finn gets him to sing with the other Gleeks, and he decides to try out for Glee Club. Coach Beiste, burly and tough to the public, is actually very sensitive. That makes what Sue and Will do that much worse. Santana got a boob-job, which is against Cheerio rules, and gets demoted to the bottom of the triangle. Who takes her place as head Cheerio? None other than Quinn, who obviously does not look like she gave birth to a baby. Finn tries to help his physically disabled friend Artie get a spot on the football team. Coach Beiste takes this as an insult, and kicks Finn off the team. Sam gets his spot as the new quarterback of the football team, and because of a number of things (including the fact that Finn wasn’t a quarterback anymore, and as a result, was not cool), Sam decides not to try out anymore. All in all, this was a great start to the new season. Can’t wait for the next episode, guest-starring Britney Spears and featuring her songs!

Bears, Moose, Sea Lions, and Bald Eagles in Alaska

My family and I took a trip to Alaska this Summer. We stayed there for ten days, and had an amazing trip overall. We took a plane to Anchorage, AK (with a stop in San Francisco). We stayed there for the night, then took a glass-topped-train to Denali National Park. We enjoyed the park for three days. We went hiking, ATV riding, and river rafting. While we were ATV riding, we stopped and saw a moose that was about 9 ft tall, which was very cool. We then took a motorcoach to Seward, AK where we took a cruise tour and went dog sledding! On the cruise tour, we saw sea lions, lots of fish, and even Bald Eagles. This is also where we saw this stuffed bear that was 10 ft tall. We took the train back to Anchorage, stayed there for the night, then headed home on a plane. Alaska was cold and rainy every day, and it was light every day and night. It was always quiet there, away from all the noise of the city. All in all, it was the adventure of a lifetime, one that I am glad I experienced.

Charlie and Bella

What adorable dogs! I am a total dog person. I love when they lick me, jump on me, and especially when they roll over to let me rub their bellies.

The puppy on the right is Charlie. He is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He is big for his breed. My mother, my sister, and I were at a dog store in a mall. Charlie had been there for about five months already. He immediately caught my attention because of his scrunched up, wrinkled face and the beautiful color of his fur. We asked to play with him in one of their closed booths. He was amazing. Charlie was very lively, and happy to play. He was also a very sweet dog. My mom called my dad and asked is we could get a dog. We all spoke fondly of this dog, and my dad realized Charlie had already made a place for himself in our hearts. Thirty minutes later, we walked out of the store with Charlie on the leash and many new supplies and toys for him. Charlie is amazing. We love him and his sweet personality.

The puppy on the left is Bella, a seven-and-a-half month old black Labrador Retriever. I got her when she was only two months old. My family and I were on a road trip to Las Vegas, as we have family in Henderson. It was the day before my fifteenth birthday. We made a stop for lunch at In-N-Out. As my dad was getting our burgers, fries, and milkshakes, we conversed with three people (two men and one woman) who looked like they were in their twenties. They had a black Labrador puppy with them, one which was extremely cute. The puppy shied away from me when I tried to pet it. Still, I fell in love. I had finally found the one birthday present I truly wanted. I didn’t want a party, I wanted a puppy. It took a while, yet I finally got my parents to agree to my request. We got back on the road, burgers in hand. Because of the anticipation, I could not eat! After about thirty minutes, we got to the house with the puppies. There was a large silver cage set on a patch of dirt. Five puppies played, ate, slept, and sat in this cage. The mother was also a black Lab, and the father was a white Lab. The puppies were let out of their cage by the owner of their parents. The owner also had a wife, mother in law, and two daughters who accompanied him outside to greet us. The puppies all looked the same, except for one. She was slightly bigger than the rest, and she had a few white hairs in a spot on her neck. The biggest difference, though, was that when I picked her up, she did something peculiar. She gnawed at my earrings, my necklace, and my bracelet. I immediately knew this shiny-loving puppy was the one. I told my parents, and after some consideration, they agreed. After we bought her, I thanked the owners and started out the door. However, I heard silent cries, and I turned back. The two girls, the owner’s daughters, were sitting on their couch and tearing. The owner explained that this puppy that I had chosen had touched all their hearts, and that they loved her. I comforted the little girls and let them hug the puppy once more. Then my family, the new puppy, and I made our ways into the car and toward Henderson. After choosing and re-choosing names, we came up with Bella and it fit perfectly. Bella has touched all our hearts.