Team Twilight is ready to ratchet up the fright factor.
Juan Antonio Bayona, a protégé of Guillermo del Toro who's best known for the stylish Spanish-language scarefest The Orphanage, has been tapped to direct the franchise's third installment, Eclipse, Variety reports.
Although he's never directed an English-language film, Bayona's skilled way with the horror genre must have won over Summit Entertainment. Eclipse features an army of newborn vampires hunting down Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), culminating in a showdown with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and the werewolves.
After piloting Twilight, Catherine Hardwicke dropped out over producer Summit Entertainment's desire to rush production on the follow-up, New Moon, and Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass) signed on to direct the sequel, which is set to unspool in November.
Bayona had joined a list of possible directors that also included Drew Barrymore, James Mangold (Walk the Line) and Paul Weitz, brother of New Moon director Chris Weitz.
(Originally published March 11, 2009 at 8:40 a.m. PT)