The "Twilight" saga continues!
Lionsgate and Stephenie Meyer, author of the hit vampire romance novel series, announced Tuesday, Sept. 30, their plans to select five aspiring female directors to make short films based on characters from the "Twilight" universe. The shorts, which will be financed by Lionsgate and its production partners, will be released and shown exclusively on Facebook next year, The New York Times reported.
The campaign, called "The Storytellers - New Creative Voices of 'The Twilight Saga,'" will be a multiphase contest culminating in the selection of five aspiring female filmmakers to direct mini-movies based on "Twilight" characters, Comicbook reported.
The project has the backing of Women in Film, an organization devoted in part to ending a shortage of female directors.
The five winning short films will be produced and directed with the mentorship of an all-female panel, including the Meyer, actresses Kristen Stewart, Kate Winslet, Octavia Spencer and Julie Bowen; "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke; film producer Cathy Schulman; and "Frozen" co-director Jennifer Lee.
Contest details are still being finalized and will be released on Tongal, a crowdsourcing platform.
"Twilight" cast members are not expected to appear in the short films.
Through Facebook and Tongal, fans will help determine the best filmmaker, who will receive cash prize and career opportunities.
"More people than ever before are creating, discovering and engaging with videos on Facebook," said Facebook vice president of Partnerships Dan Rose in a statement. "This collaboration with Stephenie Meyer, Lionsgate and Women In Film is a great opportunity to engage Twilight's massive global audience on Facebook through an innovative premium video program."
Lionsgate's deal with Facebook reflects film studios increasing interest in nontraditional medium of distribution.
Just this Monday, Sept. 29, Netflix and The Weinstein Co. announced that they have reached a deal to release "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend," the sequel to Ang Lee's 2000 Oscar-winning martial arts film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," simultaneously on Netflix and in select Imax theaters around the world on Aug. 28, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
"We're delighted to expand our longstanding relationship with Stephenie and confident that her participation in the 'Twilight' short films campaign will add an exciting new dimension to the incredible world she has created as an author and producer," said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer and vice chairman Michael Burns in a statement. "Our partnership with Facebook and Women In Film underscores the opportunities for growing our franchises in exciting new directions, and we're pleased to introduce fresh creative talent to the 'Twilight' universe as part of our commitment to female empowerment in front of and behind the camera."
"This is the just the beginning - a template, if you will," Burns told The New York Times. "You can probably guess what might be coming next."