VARIETY: SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT LOOKS PAST ‘TWILIGHT’ SEQUELS

In a great new article from Variety, we’re given a look at Summit Entertainment’s past success, their future projects, and how the firm is looking past the Twilight sequels. Below are some bits and pieces of the article:

When Summit Entertainment hit it big with “Twilight,” it followed up almost immediately with plans for three more films based on the Stephenie Meyer novels, with the sequels seen as a good bet for a B.O. windfall.

But even amid its heavy investment in the teen-friendly saga, Summit is trying to avoid the temptation to turn its slate into all vampires, all the time.

The mini-studio is sticking to its original strategy of releasing and distributing 10-12 films per year, including eight inhouse productions, with a focus on the mid-range films that the majors are less likely to greenlight.

The company is mindful of the pitfalls of shifting an overall strategy for the sake of quick success.

“History’s great for that reason,” says Rob Friedman, who heads Summit along with Patrick Wachsberger. “There are bodies buried everywhere in Hollywood from places that changed their focus once they had some success.”

Before Summit released “Twilight,” it had a string of five consecutive disappointments. But the company’s approach got another recent boost with the success of Nicolas Cage starrer “Knowing,” proving, says Wachsberger, “we’re more than just a one-trick pony.” Another reason for this stick-to-their-guns approach has to do with the message Summit is trying to send to the Hollywood community: “Our idea was to eliminate the silos and involve the various disciplines in all of the decisionmaking,” Friedman says. “Studios are great, but as you stay at a studio, you wind up doing more administering than anything else. So we’re telling people that they’ll be able to do more of the creative work that made them fall in love with the business in the first place.”

Summit is keeping its pipeline going with an eclectic mix, mostly in the $20 million-$50 million budget range. Aside from the third “Twilight,” the most likely projects to hit the screen in 2010 and 2011 include a rebirthing of the “Highlander” franchise; DC Comics adaptation “Red”; romantic fare including “Memoirs” and “If I Stay,” the latter directed by “Twilight” helmer Catherine Hardwicke; comedies like Steven Brill’s “Parental Guidance”; the time-travel sci-fier “Arena”; a remake of Korean thriller “Seven Days”; and a Harry Houdini biopic.

Friedman admits that Summit got a big break last summer when Warner Bros. decided to delay its sixth Harry Potter pic from November to July — turning “Twilight” into the de facto youth event movie of the fall season.

In its first weekend, “Twilight” grossed $69 million, more than the combined gross of all other Summit films. The pic has grossed $191.5 million domestically and is nearing $400 million in worldwide grosses.

“I anticipated it would do maybe $100 million domestically,” Wachsberger admits.

Read the full article here.

I really enjoyed reading this article. I think it’s very cool that Summit isn’t getting too wrapped up in Twilight and that they are proving, as Mr. Wachsberger stated, that they are “more than just a one trick pony”. I haven’t seen Knowing, but that’s one I’ve been really anxious to see and I’ve heard nothing but great things about. Beyond that, I am very much looking forward Memoirs and If I Stay. Summit has been consistently committed to bringing the Twilight saga to life as best as possible for us as fans, and I think we should return the favor with our support of their other films.

What did you think of this article? Did the statistics surprise you? What Summit films have you seen in the past and which do you intend on seeing in the future?