Although Stephenie Meyer is undeniably the creator of Twilight, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg shepherded the book series to the screen just as much as Meyer: she adapted all four books into now five films, and helped audiences see what they only imagined on the page.

Even for audiences skeptical of the films, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is a surprisingly satisfying finale for the franchise, offering both a rousing, action-packed climax and a decidedly quieter, more romantic payoff. Gratifyingly, Rosenberg came up with that ending working directly with Meyer, who at one point wasn’t even sure if she wanted Breaking Dawn to be brought to the screen.

Rosenberg spoke with Celebuzz earlier this week via phone to talk about their collaboration, and to reveal the ideas and inspirations that helped her wrap up one of the most successful and famous film series in recent memory.

Celebuzz: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 really felt like it existed so much to satisfy the fans who had been waiting so long to see Bella and Edward get married and go on their honeymoon. What sort of challenge was there to really indulge that and then to know that you were really going to have to accelerate things to create this really epic finale?

Melissa Rosenberg: The second half was actually a great deal less challenging than the first because it is very languid and it didn’t have a lot of a story engine to it — it’s very much a character piece and a relationship piece. It was trying to bring conflict, to really dramatize conflict within the story of the character piece. Whereas in the second one there’s so much story and so much drive in that storytelling that it just really sort of naturally lends itself to a great, action-heavy, fun movie.

CB: I think that the twist, which I will not spoil, is so fantastic.

MR: Oh, I’m so glad. I’m so glad. When Stephanie and I came up with that we were at a steak dinner in Vancouver. Neither of us really knew how to end Four and she was debating whether or not she would even let the book be optioned, and we started talking about the end and it was one of those sort of great conversations where we just batted around some ideas and I’m not even sure who came up with it. But it was that moment of inspiration — we both kind of went, “Wait a minute. Is that good?” “I think so.” And we were both really afraid that audiences would feel sort of tricked by it as opposed to taken along for the ride.

CB: The thing about that finale is that it’s so intense, and the series has obviously been sort of delicate about the particulars of vampirism and werewolves. How careful did you have to be in conceiving that? Did you come in with a very specific idea of how much would be shown or how much could be followed through on without either compromising the rating or turning the film into like a straightforward horror movie?

MR: I learned this from Dexter — you don’t need to show buckets of blood in order to evoke that. But when I was writing it, it was no holds barred for me. I mean, I just sort of looked at it as, “Okay, what would be the most dramatic thing to happen?” And after that first thing, all hell breaks loose. So I just sort of started telling people and then it was certainly up to Bill and our stunt and effects people to make sure that it was not pushing the boundaries. But I still think it was pretty violent, wasn’t it?

CB: One of the things that this movie actually does really cleverly is it seems to address or embrace some of the things that have become iconic in the Twilight series, like Jacob going to Charlie and taking off his clothes, and things like that. How deliberate was all that and how careful did you have to be not to either make fun of either the people in the movie or what the fans respond to?

MR: That scene with Charlie and Jacob was probably one of my favorite scenes ever to write, and it was exactly that — that sort of play on the fact that he’s always got his clothes off. I loved that. It was probably the most fun moment in the movie for me to write, because the books are all told from Bella’s point of view, so as a screenwriter I get to actually write that scene and that’s a really fun territory to play in. And yeah, the Bella slouching and all that, I may actually have gone a little bit further with it the script. I think Bill pulled that back so much, but I was just having so much fun with it.

CB: How much did you orchestrate the evolution of these characters as each film came along? I know the idea is to think about them individually as films, but at a certain point when these films were made it became a foregone conclusion that they weren’t going to stop making these movies before the books were all adapted.

MR: Well, the one who has the largest part is Bella. The movies are all kind of driven by her pursuit of her own desires and her pursuit of her own self-realization. And the fifth movie is really the embodiment of that, and her final battle to seek to achieve her goals, which is to be a vampire, to be with Edward, to experience her power. It’s like who she is and what her power is and how to use it. I mean, it’s literally an empowerment movie, and that’s a very distinct arc throughout all five movies. I mean, she just gets stronger and more specific about what she wants as each one goes along.

CB: Ultimately, what is maybe the most meaningful thing that you feel like you’re taking away from this? Is it how you have come to understand these characters? Is it satisfying the fans? Is it just being a part of a cultural phenomenon?

MR: The thing that was the most significant for me was the creative collaboration with Stephanie, with our producers and with the studio Summit, which I’ve done six movies and they’re always fun and with Eric Fry, who is president of it. And with the directors, you know, particularly Bill Condon. It’s just like those kind of creative collaborations don’t happen all the time. The chemistry and the work style, it’s just a really rare thing in our business. So that’s what I’m going to miss the most.

Watch Celebuzz‘ video review of Breaking Dawn — Part 2 below.

For the first four films in the Twilight saga, Edward and Jacob battled for the hand of Bella — but in Breaking Dawn – Part 2, that conflict is finally over.

Edward and Bella are married, and Jacob has imprinted on none other than their first-born child, Renesmee. And after mining so much drama from that love triangle, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg confessed that it was especially tough in the series’ final installment to make sure that Jacob was still integral to a story that focused on a relationship of which he was no longer a part.

“It really was a challenge actually to keep him as a solid part of the story,” Rosenberg told Celebuzz. “He is out. This movie was the first movie that was not about a triangle.”

Rosenberg said that the shift in the series’ focus from romance to the sweep of an massive confrontation actually gave her plenty to work with in terms of moving Jacob’s story forward.

“It’s really about an epic battle, an impending battle and gathering the troops,” she observed. “He really is equal parts in that, actually, because his troops are the wolves and, you know, his job is as protector of Renesmee. So I was really glad to see there is a real sense of him throughout the movie.”

She also said that Taylor Lautner’s interpretation of Jacob provided her with a strong foundation to ensure that everything she did write for him to do made an impact.

“He’s just so much fun,” she said of Lautner. “He has such great comedic timing and I really play lines off of him — he’s just a really strong presence in the movie.”

Meanwhile, Edward Cullen has now obtained the one thing that means the most to him – Bella’s heart. Rosenberg explained to us that there are two key moments in Breaking Dawn – Part 2 which reveals how much he’s grown over the course of the series and, in a way, how the torture of being the world’s prettiest vampire has given way to him regaining something he thought was lost forever: his humanity.

“He starts off at the very beginning of the series just really with an enormous amount of self-contempt, and that continues on throughout his journey, even well into the last movie,” she said. “And so it was a great moment to find that moment when he says to Bella, ‘I have a bad habit of underestimating you.’ He sort of embraces her power, which is such an important moment in the relationship.”

“But then there’s also his final realization that he actually is going to be living the dream,” she added. “He’s going to be find happiness. But having something to fight for, that’s a big arc for him.”

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 opens in theaters nationwide Nov. 15. Watch below Celebuzz’ black carpet coverage of the film’s premiere, including an interview with Robert Pattinson.

As the films in the Twilight series have steadily improved in quality since the 2008 original, it’s not only appropriate but completely gratifying that Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is by far the best yet.

After the plodding fan service of Breaking Dawn – Part 1, which turned 10 minutes of story into a two-hour tribute to Bella and Edward’s relationship, Part 2 moves (comparatively) briskly towards a sweeping climax that not only brings the franchise full circle but delivers a rousing adventure that should appeal even to non-fans.

Picking up immediately after the events of Breaking Dawn – Part 1, Bella (Kristen Stewart) was transformed into a vampire in order to save her life during childbirth. Equipped with superhuman strength and speed that exceeds even that of the Cullens, Bella tries to get her new abilities under control, even as she embarks on motherhood with newborn Renesmee.

Much to Bella and Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) dismay, Jacob (Taylor Lautner) imprinted on Renesmee — he formed an indelible bond with the child — and vows to protect her at any cost. But when Renesmee is mistaken for a deadly immortal child, the newlyweds are forced to enlist him — and anyone else they can find — to stop Aro (Michael Sheen) from sentencing her and the Cullens to death for harboring what they believe is the most dangerous creature in the vampires’ world.

As a single-serving film and a finale for the series, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 fully satisfies. Compared to its predecessor, which languished in the minutiae of Bella and Edward’s wedding and, of course, consummating that marriage, it’s a gauntlet of activity, throttling through the set-up of the Volturi’s vendetta against the Cullens and wrapping up with a truly epic battle, and one made even more spectacular because it’s absolutely violent as hell.

Moreover, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and director Bill Condon stage a confrontation that manages to have real emotional stakes. As rousing as is the proposition of literally ripping people’s heads off — which happens a lot – the emotional dimensions of each triumph or tragedy are always accurately pinpointed and maximized. And especially fans will find themselves on a roller coaster of surprise and shock as the fates are determined for characters they both love and hate.

Even as the ensemble cast seems to quadruple in size — if only to provide more background action in the final fight — Pattinson, Stewart, and Lautner do their best work of the series, as if seeming to save their effort in order to leave the best impression upon their fans, not to mention the annals of cinema.

That said, Lautner still struggles to differentiate between the petty sniping of adolescence and a more mature, well-intentioned sarcasm. But Stewart embraces Bella’s sense of empowerment as if it’s her own, and Pattinson wisely steps out of the way to allow his co-star the full berth of a transformation that will completely thrill fans as much as it (partially) redeems her character to critics.

While I won’t spoil any of its surprises, the final act of this film ranks among the most surprising and satisfying of 2012, and that’s no small feat. Further, Condon has really pulled off something with this final installment that seemed previously impossible — namely, making a real movie, or the closest thing to it, not just a Twilight movie.

Ultimately, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is richly rewarding — a thrill ride that will resonate with fans, and remarkably, connect even with non-fans — and it leaves behind a legacy that deserves to be remembered by both.

Watch the Celebuzz interview with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 director Bill Condon below.

The scene where Bella Swan gives birth to Renesmee is perhaps the most infamous scene in Breaking Dawn. And as production for the big-screen adaptation draws closer, it’s also been one of the most hotly contested: Will it be gory enough? Too gory? In 3D? Will it even be included at all?

Luckily, with the clock ticking, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and director Bill Condon appear to be reaching an accord on the matter: Yes, it will be “intense.” But “intense” doesn’t necessarily translate to “graphic.”

Rosenberg tells E! Online that she’s been meeting with Condon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana—where BD will be filming—to work on script rewrites and reveals,

“[W]e’re working on it to be as intense as it is in the book…I don’t think it’s about the amount of blood you show. It’s about the intensity of it. It’s on their faces. It’s all from Bella’s point of view when you’re seeing what’s going. It should feel visceral. I think it’s going to be pretty intense.”

Given that Breaking Dawn begins lensing in November, Rosenberg and Condon better figure things out in a hurry.

Which would you prefer for Breaking Dawn‘s birthing scene: Graphic and gory, or somewhat tasteful and implied? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Fear not, Twi-hards; when Breaking Dawn hits the big screen, it will probably include the most infamous scene from the book it was based on.

Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg caused ripples of anxiety throughout Twi-hard nation recently, when she suggested that she might leave Breaking Dawn‘s notoriously gory birth out of the script. Luckily, Rosenberg has now clarified her stance on the matter, stating that she believes the birth scene should be included, although perhaps in not such a graphic manner:

“The childbirth… should be on screen. I think perhaps what I was referring to was, would we actually see Edward’s teeth through the placenta? I don’t think so. I don’t think we need to see that, and if someone needs to see that, I think they should take a look at that [laughs]. I believe it will be implied, but I don’t think we’ll see teeth in the placenta.”

Well, there goes the crucial teeth-in-the-placenta moviegoer demographic. But something tells us that Breaking Dawn will do just fine at the box office with or without them.

Are you relieved at Rosenberg’s clarification, or do you wish they’d go full gore with the birth scene? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Well Twihards, the long wait for some sexy scenes between Kristen Stewart‘s Bella and Robert Pattinson‘s Edward may finally be over.

According to Melissa Rosenberg, the screenwriter for the Twilight Saga films, fans will get to see some serious skin in the upcoming Breaking Dawn films:

You will see sex – Yes! [...] Will it be pornographic? – That, I do not know [laughs] I don’t know if it has to be R-rated, but it has to be what the book is, which means more skin. … I will definitely be writing more skin.

Do you think you can handle a sexy, skin-baring love scene between RPattz and KStew, Twihards? Oh, what are we saying, of course you all can handle it.

For more Twilight awesomeness visit The Forks Report.

As Celebuzz is well aware, there are millions of you Twi-hards out there who think the Twilight movies are, like, the greatest thing ever. Oddly enough, Melissa Rosenberg doesn’t seem to be one of them.

Rosenberg, the screenwriter responsible for penning the scripts for The Twilight Saga, delivered an odd moment of candor in a recent interview, admitting that the movies she penned aren’t anything particularly special:

“Is it high art? No. But it’s not trying to be.”

So why does Rosenberg spend so much time and effort on something she considers to be dreck? Apparently, an unceasing hopefulness that, somehow, the Twilight series will develop into something beyond the utter mediocrity that he currently believes it to be:

“The key to success is delusional optimism. Some people call it resilience. You’re lying there bleeding on the ground and you basically have to say, ‘Maybe tomorrow will be better.’”

Rosenberg, many will recall, is currently weighing whether to include the infamous birth scene in the upcoming Twilight sequel Breaking Dawn. Maybe if she’d go for it and put a little edge in her scripts, she might not feel so ho-hum about the results. 

For all things Twilight-related, make sure to check out The Forks Report.