There are some interesting comments online from director Gus Van Sant who reveals he was shortlisted to direct Breaking Dawn.

MTV got the scoop from the director while at the Cannes Film Festival. Says Van Sant:

“I’ve never met [Pattinson], but I think that’s where it started,” he said. “I had heard him mention [me directing] in the press. So I thought, ‘Oh, is that even actually a possibility? Would they even hire someone like me for this film?’ That’s how I got all involved in it. I told my agent, so I became one of the directors.”

The other directors being considered at the time were Sofia Coppola and Bill Condon. Each reportedly met with Summit Entertainment, with the job eventually going to Condon. Before he was passed over, however, Van Sant had what he called a very nerve-racking meeting with studio execs.

“I got very nervous,” he said. “There were, like, 15 people. I had never really auditioned or gone into a job interview in that way since maybe 1988 or ’87. I guess I was unprepared for it. Usually people just hire me.

It looks like Summit was really interested in making sure they found the perfect director for the film. We don’t blame them for such an intense interview process!