Thursday, August 28, 2008

Just Confirmed Panelist, Twilight and Showtime series Dexter writer, Melissa Rosenberg

The Austin Film Festival is delighted to announce Melissa Rosenberg as a confirmed panelist for the 2008 Festival and Conference, Oct. 16th-23rd.

Seamlessly transitioning from television to the silver screen, Melissa Rosenberg is proving to be one of Hollywood’s most versatile and sought-after writers.

Rosenberg wrote the screenplay for the highly-anticipated vampire romance "Twilight." Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and based on the best-selling novel by Stephenie Meyer, "Twilight" tells the story of a high school girl named Bella (Kristen Stewart) who finds her soul mate in the stunning vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson). The film will be released by Summit Entertainment in December 2008.

With her extensive background in teen-related drama, Rosenberg seemed a natural fit for the adaptation of "Twilight", a task she was given only six weeks to complete. She was more than happy to sign on. “You get to be inventive with these pieces,” Rosenberg said. “I can live the high school experience I never had, because on film, anything can happen.”

The novel is currently #1 on the New York Times Bestselling series and has built a huge fanbase with over 100 websites dedicated to "Twilight". The novel has also won many acclaim honors, including: New York Times Editors Choice, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, Teen Peoples Hot List Pick, The Library Associations Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults and has been translated to over 20 languages.

Entertainment Weekly did a cover story in the July 14th issue about this cultural phenomenon and it's transistion into film. "Not since Harry Potter has a book-to-film journey inspired so much enthusiasm — or so much anxiety," according to the article and it also explains that the adaptation follows the book closely and pleases the fans. Read the whole article here.



More about Rosenberg:
Rosenberg is set to return to television as both head writer and co-executive producer of the Showtime original series "Dexter", which begins its third season this September. Her work on the show helped earn it the prestigious Peabody Award, an Emmy nomination, and a Writer’s Guild of America award nomination. “On this show, I’m allowed to take risks, with the character development, as well as the story,” said Rosenberg. “When you’re doing 22 episodes a year for network, you may not get the time you need to do your best work. On a cable show, doing 12 episodes, I have the time to develop my thoughts, to connect all the dots and make a strong, well-rounded story.”

Rosenberg launched her screenwriting career with the box-office smash "Step Up". A trained dancer herself, Rosenberg was perfect to the write the film, an urban romance between a naturally gifted troublemaker (Channing Tatum) and an upper-class ballerina (Jenna Dewan). Released in 2006, the film has earned over $114 million worldwide and launched Tatum into Hollywood heartthrob status. Rosenberg was no stranger to writing for the teenaged set; before signing on to write "Step Up", Rosenberg wrote several episodes of Fox’s series "The O.C."

Inspired by character-driven projects, Rosenberg’s other credits include "Ally McBeal", "Party of Five", "Boston Public", "The Outer Limits" and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman". Although she appreciates her start in network television, she feels she has found a comfortable niche in cable programming.

Rosenberg earned her B.A. in dance and theatre from Bennington College in Vermont, with a goal toward becoming a choreographer. When Rosenberg moved to Los Angeles, she pursued a different avenue: writing. While working as an assistant to a television producer, Rosenberg went on to earn an MFA at the University of Southern California, through the Peter Stark Producing Program at the School of Cinematic Arts.

No comments: