Director to publish book on making "Twilight"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Twilight" took moviegoers on a magical trip into the world of vampires, but director Catherine Hardwicke will pierce the film's fantasy bubble in a new book detailing how it was made.

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, the division of Hachette Book Group, will release "Twilight: Director's Notebook" on March 17, the company said on Wednesday.

The book is timed to take advantage of the hype surrounding the vampire romance movie as its DVD comes out on March 21.

In the book, Hardwicke reveals details about casting, location scouting, wardrobe and her favorite scenes. The book also has behind-the-scenes photos and storyboard sketches, and is designed to replicate the director's own personal notebook she kept on set.

Hardwicke has been replaced as director of the "Twilight" sequel "New Moon," which is due out November 20, from director Chris Weitz, who made fantasy "The Golden Compass" in 2007.

Independent studio Summit Entertainment took the film industry by surprise with its runaway success on "Twilight," which has made $341.2 million worldwide since its November 21 release, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.

The movie is based on a series of "Twilight" books popular with girls and young women from author Stephenie Meyer.

Little, Brown Books said that it will print 500,000 copies of "Twilight: Director's Notebook" on first printing.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)