Chris Weitz talks about Rob to THR

The Hollywood Reporter: Why did you want to do a "Twilight" movie?
Chris Weitz: The tonality of the movie, which has a lot to do with heartbreak and longing, depression and reunion and ecstasy -- these were emotions that struck a chord in me. I really loved the cast; Kristen (Stewart) and Rob (Pattinson) both are exceptionally talented. And I wanted to get my hand back in the game. There were a lot of things in this movie that I knew how to do: A combination of telling a character-based story but also handling special effects and working with young actors.

THR: Speaking of Italy, how have you dealt with the problem that your heartthrob is gone for most of the book?
Weitz: There are two heartthrobs in this movie, not just Rob but Taylor Lautner. Part of the point was that Edward was away. Readers of the book know this and appreciate it. The story is about loss and heartache; he is present as an absence. Bella is always thinking of him and affected by him. His return to the film is really powerful and made more so by not having millions of "back at the ranch" scenes. And the middle of the movie is sustained by Kristen's amazing performance and by Taylor doing a lovely job as her best friend. There are people who would like nothing more that two hours of Rob Pattinson standing there, and I sympathize with them. But I think they'll appreciate getting him back after the second act.

THR: So you didn't alter the story at all?
Weitz: No. We didn't want to shoehorn him into the story. I did alter the visuals of the story in the sense that in the book, Kristen's character has aural hallucinations -- she hears his voice -- and we've built in a very beautiful subtle effect so that we see him as well. But those are brief, if impactful, moments. A lot of the film is sustained by her loss and Taylor's character bringing her back to life.

Read the rest of his interview at the source