TA TALKS BACK: ARE TWILIGHTERS BEING TOO HARSH ON BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD?
For today’s TA Talks Back, TAer Rebecca writes in about a heated topic: the replacement of Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria in Eclipse. She breaks down the details of the replacement and wonders if Twilighters are being too harsh on Bryce Dallas Howard.
We’ve all heard about Bryce Dallas Howard replacing Rachelle Lefevre in ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’, but are the Twilighters being too harsh on Bryce?A lot of the Twilight online universe has turned against Bryce Dallas Howard for replacing Rachelle Lefevre and has vowed not to see the movie, but is it really Bryce’s fault? Did she have a personal vendetta against Rachelle Lefevre that made her want to take over as the character, Victoria?
Some are saying that Rachelle IS Victoria, but we’ve only seen her with a small part in ‘Twilight’ and we have yet to see her as Victoria in ‘New Moon’. Is Rachelle really Victoria or is it that the Twilighters don’t like the change and has nothing to do with which actress portrays Victoria?
Should we really judge Bryce’s performance as Victoria before we’ve even seen it, in fact before she’s actually filmed any of her scenes? Did Bryce personally go to Summit and say ‘I want to replace Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria’, not that we know of she didn’t. I believe Bryce saw a good opportunity to be involved in such a global phenomenon and took it. So is it Bryce’s fault that Rachelle was replaced? I don’t think it was. It was Summit who decided to replace Rachelle and I very much doubt that Bryce had anything to do with it. Summit replaced Rachelle for whatever reasons. We will probably never get the full story as to why. Despite what’s been said recently about Bryce being offered the role of Victoria in ‘Twilight’ prior to Rachelle being cast and turning it down because it was a small role. Which it was, Victoria is only seen in ‘Twilight’ in a few scenes. So does it really matter that Bryce turned it down first? When Summit decided to recast the role, doesn’t it only seem right that they would go back to the first actress they initially wanted to play Victoria?
Yes, most of us love Rachelle’s portrayal as Victoria in ‘Twilight’ and we will probably love her portrayal as Victoria again in ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’. But what’s done is done. There’s no way that Summit is going to go back on their casting decision this close to filming. As much as the fans say they will not be going to see ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’, does it really matter? There will be other millions and millions of people all over the world that love the saga no matter who plays Victoria and will be lining up at midnight waiting to see the movie!
I for one will be reserving my judgement on whether Bryce Dallas Howard is a good Victoria until I have seen the movie.
So, Twilight fans, what do you think? Are Twilighters being too hard on Bryce Dallas Howard? Talk back to us…
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i think that twilighters “like myself” need to go beyond who they’re “used to” in the movies and see the overall picture. bryce will be a phenomenal victoria, much much better than rachelle could ever be because she’s an incredible actress. rachelle is okay. i love rachelle as much as the next person but we need to see the big picture and realize that the film will be better for it. period.
I don’t think it really would have mattered who the actress replacing Rachelle is, it is mostly the fact that she has been replaced. But then there’s the history with BDH…
The fact that Victoria isn’t seen often in Twilight doesn’t really matter to me. The point is that she was a member of the original cast, she has been at so many of the fan events and has been an incredible representative of the Saga. Maybe it was a small part, but Rachelle took it, and she ran with it. She didn’t turn her nose up at the “small” part. What’s the saying, “There are no small parts, only small actors”?
Add to that the fact that BDH is a Hollywood kid, and you get a plot rife with conspiracy theories.
I will reserve my judgment on BDH’s acting skills (although I’ve never been particularly impressed with her chops before), but I have every right not to like that she stepped into the role that she turned down previously…after it became a commercial success, of course.
Other than that though, Twilighters should be directing most of their ire at Summit itself. Summit behaved poorly when they dismissed Rachelle the way that they did. Don’t forget that their announcement came late at night, and that they had not informed Rachelle. How would you feel if you got to work one morning and someone else sat in your place? Or if your significant other walked in with another and said “Oh, by the way…”.
Whatever comparisons you make or don’t make, there was definitely a betrayal on the part of Summit here. Don’t forget, many fans feel that they were betrayed too.
No matter how cool the new girlfriend is, you don’t want to like her. There has to be a certain amount of healing time, and on top of that, the new girl had better be one hell of an awesome chick. So the challenge has been issued to BDH…she’d better do a damn good job. But Rachelle is still my Victoria, BDH will only ever be “the second Victoria” in my book.
I like Bryce. I saw her in Spider-Man 3 and I was obsessed with it so if she got the part in Twilight, I would’ve definitely approved. But Rachelle got the part and she was amazing as Victoria. And now when when Rachelle really would’ve had the spotlight in Elipse, she gets replaced by Bryce. I’m sure Bryce will do great but not too many people like it when actors are replaced in movie sequels (myself included).
Any twilighter who has a problem with BDH as Victoria needs to stop! take a breath, and remember what everyones reaction was to Robert getting the roll of Edward. Enough said.
Rachelle was an amazing Victoria in Twilight, (as I am sure she is in New Moon), and yes it hurts me in a way to see her go, but Eclipse is the last one you see her in so it really doesn’t matter. In any event, I reserve my judgement until I see her in the movie potraying this character. As long as they keep the essential characters, it really doesn’t matter to me that much. Even though I do Love Rachelle and her energy that she gives off. But, people, this is how the industry is. They do whats good for business. And anyone who enters the show business should know that it’s not an easy business , and these things happen a lot of the times. So I think, if you are a true Twilight fan, no matter who they get to play Victoria in this movie, you will go and see it just becasue it’s a Twilight movie and u love the story. Like Rebecca said, it’s not Bryce’s Fault so Twilight fans should not bash at her for something she has no control over. She was trying for a role like any other actor or actress. The Same thing could be said about how people still don’t agree with Daivd Slade being a Director. I reserve all judgements until I see the final product.
>> i think that twilighters “like myself” need to go beyond who they’re “used to” in the movies and see the overall picture. bryce will be a phenomenal victoria, much much better than rachelle could ever be because she’s an incredible actress. rachelle is okay. i love rachelle as much as the next person but we need to see the big picture and realize that the film will be better for it. period. > THE FANS
okay, i’m angered at this. BDH better be good! Rachelle’s great, and this wz going to be HER movie, and then Summit replaced her. that’s not fair. Rachelle IS Victoria, and now BDH is nothing but a “replacement” she’s not the real Victoria, and BDH better remember that.
Now, there’s Team Rachelle, or Team Summit/ Bryce Dallas Howard
GO TEAM RACHELLE, CUZ SHE’S THE REAL VICTORIA!!!!!!!!
As disappointed as I am with Summit’s decision, I will not miss Eclipse. Don’t know BDH as an actress, I guess I’ll find out. Whether she had a hand in Rachelle being replaced or not, it doesn’t matter now, we have no choice but to move on. It is about the betrayal, in my opinion. Rob is Edward to me, Kristen is Bella to me, Taylor is Jacob to me, Peter is Carlisle, ETC. Not that it would ever happen, but would we like anyone else to be Edward on that screen? Or anyone else be Bella? Or Jacob?
We have to accept what Summit did, but Summit and BDH also need to understand and accept the fans’ reaction as well. It goes both ways. We won’t be so accepting and just say this is for the best if any of those 3 main stars got replaced. Yes they are what we got used to, but it is Rachelle that we also got attached to. And compared to other films, Twilight happens to affect most of us on a much personal level than your average films. Maybe we’ve been just gotten so emotionally involved with this film adaptation that we just tend to forget that underneath it all, it is a corporation run by people that we do not know and do not know us. But life goes on and so will the films. As for being too harsh on BDH, well if she was smart, and with her family geneology she should be, I doubt she was expecting less scrutiny.
I’ll be there june 30, 2010 for Eclipse, but BDH better make a hella good Victoria, that’s the fan in me talking. As for Summit’s side, we can lash out all we want, they know, but they’ll still go on and make sure Eclipse is there as well on june 30, 2010.
I find it very sad that Summit replaced Ms. Lefevre. Especially since Eclipse is in fact the last time we see Victoria. Being someone who’s worked with films before I can say that Summit deciding not working with Ms. Lefevre schedule lapse is not unheard of. It can be as simple as a violated clause in her contract, or just that Summit didn’t want to risk not releasing Eclipse on time. None of this has anything to do with Ms. Howard. Its just big business.
In my personal opinion, the moment filming schedules clashed Ms. Lefevre should have opted out of the other film. Asking Summit to halt filming and push everything back in order to re-negotiate contract (its a whole legal process) so she could re-schedule her on set times is ridiculous, ONLY because how tight the New Moon / Eclipse film schedule is. Again Ms. Howard has nothing to do with any of this. The only action she has taken is accepting a role that will surely boost her career. Smart cookie if you ask me.
Are Twilight Fans being too hard on BDH?
Yes, we probably are…but..if we are, it’s Summits fault, mostly,… I think, because of how they handled it.
We identified Victoria with Rachelle, like it has been said in other comments,, she was there from the beginning and even before, she was a fan herself. She poured herself into that part and into the Twilight world. She went above and beyond to help promote the saga and loved meeting her fans.
I just wish that that took precedence over other projects with her, and that Summit did whatever they could to meet her scheduling needs.
We won’t get her back, we have to face that fact and having someone replace her in Eclipse will just make us wonder how she would have played the part and how she would have met her end at the hands of Edward. BDH has shoes to fill and I hope she brings it to the part.
Eclipse is my favorite book and I really want to see it all in that movie, every emotion in every scene.
I still feel bad about what happened, but I do wish BDH luck.
It’s not about BHD as an actress or as Victoria unseen - it’s about how the role was too small for her when she was first offered the part and the preferred actress for the role of Victoria. But it wasn’t big enough so she turned it down.
Mysteriously she now has the role while Rachelle has been ousted. We don’t know all the details but just watching Catherine Hardwicke in the interview discussing (briefly) Bryce turning down the role says it all. Now that there’s money and the films are world renowned NOW suddenly it’s a “scheduling conflict” for Rachelle with just 10 short days and yet CAM’s schedule filming Twilight was worked around when they had no clue that the movie was going to be as explosive as it is.
If it looks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck. Something devilish occurred and we may never know the truth but we will always feel it.
The only reason I would not see the rest of the saga is if they replaced Kris and or Rob. I would really be upset if any of the original cast were replaced. I too wish Rachelle would be playing Victoria. We have no choice, if we are going to see Eclipse, but to accept BDH. I do think she is a good actress. I too will reserve judgement.
I won’t judge until I see the movie but for right now I cant even stand seeing pics of Bryce with the rest of the cast. Rachelle is totally Victoria to me….and I will probably be even more anti-Bryce after I see Rachelle in New Moon.
I do like Bryce as an actress…..just not as Victoria.
honestly, it’s not as much how well rachelle portrayed victoria (which, in the small parts we saw, she did) as much as it was her enthusiasm for the character and for the movie saga as a whole. rachelle was always so excited about everything, and really wanted to do the best she could with what she was given. it just seems sad to me.
i don’t hold any grudges towards bryce for being cast in the part-it’s not my decision. i’m just not entirely sure how she fits into the big picture, if that makes any sense.
well I agree with u we must give a chance to bryce I’m sure she’ll do not a better job but a good one there’s no room for comparisons here.Like I said Rachelle being replaced won’t stopped me from watching Eclipse no matter how much I don’t like changes and I think that’s the decision everybody has made I can’t think of some1 who won’t watch the movie cause the reeplacement.
that being said I find it so unfair that Bryce turn down the role in Twilight and now that the movie is such a global success she takes the role! I find it very unfair really I mean everybody in the Twilight cast I mean EVERYBODY!!make a lot of press for the movie(tours,malls,inteviews,events they were everywhere) and that for sure helped to have a success in the box office. My guess is that if the movie weren’t that succesful bryce would still turn down the role
I don’t feel I’m being hard on Bryce, she didn’t take the role of Victoria because she thought the role small and Twilight a total sleeper. I feel that Summit should have worked around Rachelle’s schedule just as they did for Robert P. Instead, they fired her on some small technically, which they would have overlooked with Robert P. and Kristen S. Summit may have offered the role to Bryce again, and being no fool, she took it. She should have taken the role from the beginning and there would have been no problems. Bryce can do whatever she wants with Rachelle’s role as Victoria, but it will never be Bryce’s. Sure I’ll watch the movie and take large satisfaction when her role is torn apart and burned. I would have felt sorry with Rachelle, but not with Bryce.
You did not mention Rachelle’s dedication to Summit. She went above and beyond attending publicity events. She was dedicated to the fans and it showed in her demeaner. She was one of the few left in the cast who did not hide her face when cameras were present. What Summit did to her was wrong.
Bryce, I tend to believe the rumors that she turned down the part because it was too small. This doesn’t say much for her character as a person.
I’ll view the rest of the saga, but after it is over, Summit won’t see anymore of my money.