Film producing new passion for 'Twilight' author

NEW YORK (AP) - When Stephenie Meyer's name is mentioned, most people think of her "Twilight Saga" vampire books and films. But the author wants a new audience as a film producer.

Meyer produced "Austenland," starring Keri Russell and based on the novel by Meyer's friend Shannon Hale. The film, directed by Jerusha Hess, opens in limited release Friday.

Although Meyer was a producer for "The Twilight Saga-Breaking Dawn" films and the movie adaptation of her novel "The Host," this is the first time she's produced someone else's work. She said in a recent interview that she got to be "a little bit more hands-on, a little more dirty" with producing duties.

"Austenland" is a romantic comedy about a single 30-something woman (Russell) obsessed with Jane Austen novels who spends her life savings to visit a British Jane Austen theme park.

"We made a lot of mistakes and we learned a lot more because we are allowed to make mistakes," Meyer said of her "Austenland" crew, adding that she was "surprised that it all worked out so well."

Meyer said she enjoyed the "collaboration" and "socialization" of producing and found a "different kind of creative outlet."

She described writing as "a very solitary thing you do in a quiet room," while producing is "something you do in a room full of people shouting all the time."

Meyer has optioned the books "Down a Dark Hall" and "Anna Dressed in Blood" for film. She said it's a coincidence that she's turning back to the supernatural world with the two young adult ghost stories. "When you find a book that you're excited about you just act first and then realize you're stuck in a pattern," she said.

Meyer wants to continue to write but isn't planning any more "Twilight" novels. She says it is "possible," but that spending so much time on them "in some ways completely burned me out on that whole world."

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Online:

http://stepheniemeyer.com