Chris Weitz to direct New Moon?

Hmmm. I would have thought that Summit would avoid the bad press, and find another woman to direct New Moon. Nikki Finke reports:

Yes, he's had tremendous success working with tweens and teens (About A Boy as director and writer, American Pie as producer and uncredited director). But Chris Weitz also did The Golden Compass (as writer and director), and my source says Summit Entertainment liked the look of that even if it didn't heat up the domestic box office (but did better overseas). I don't have official confirmation yet that this Twilight sequel offer has gone out to Weitz. But my insider says another reason it came down is because Weitz and Summit's president of production Eric Feig are longtime pals. The source tells me Weitz is "still considering" the offer to helm New Moon and possibly also Eclipse if the sequel and threequel movie adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's series of vampire books are made back-to-back.

I liked Golden Compass just fine, loved About a Boy, and American Pie was amusing, but it is disappointing that among the women directors who have done action films, they couldn't have found one. Word is that Catherine Hardwicke did not get on well with Summit Execs, and isn't it cozy that Weitz is best buds with Summit's prez.