The announcement that acclaimed writer/director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) had signed on to helm the popcorn blockbuster that is The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn was met with some derision ("He knows he won an Oscar, right?").  But Condon has handled pre-production with the utmost class, kicking things off with a thoughtful letter to the fans.

Five months later, Condon followed up with another note to Twihards with an update on the crew he is assembling.  They include:

  • Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro (Pan's Labyrinth)
  • Costume designer Michael Wilkinson (300, Watchmen)
  • Makeup designer Jean Black (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
  • Production designer and frequent Condon collaborator Richard Sherman (Kinsey)
  • Visual effects supervisor John Bruno (Avatar)

You can read the full letter after the jump.

Courtesy of the official Twilight Saga Facebook page:

Hello fans!

Has it really been five months (and a day) since my last dispatch?  In my defense, they've been five months spent immersed in the world of TWILIGHT - something I'm sure you can all appreciate.  We're in the thick of pre-production now, juggling everything from casting to storyboarding to location scouting, getting it all ready to go, but I do want to take a moment to announce to you exclusively a few of the amazing production team members who are hard at work alongside me, bringing these movies to life.  I hope you'll be as excited about them as I am:

Guillermo Navarro, who won an Academy Award for the beautiful PAN'S LABYRINTH, is our cinematographer.  Guillermo and I have been painstakingly planning each shot, with a team of very talented storyboard artists.

Michael Wilkinson, our costume designer, is bringing his brilliant vision to the styles of all your favorite characters.  Michael's created fantastic looks for 300, WATCHMEN, and the upcoming TRON: LEGACY - just wait 'til you see his take on the vampire witnesses who come to Forks from around the globe.

Jean Black, our makeup designer, has worked extensively with the Coen Brothers and David Fincher, most recently making exquisite, award-winning contributions to THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON.  I'm honored to be working with her.

Richard Sherman, with whom I made GODS AND MONSTERS and KINSEY, is on-board as our production designer.  Richard's one of my oldest collaborators and a terrific designer, and you may be interested to know that he also happens to be a lifelong vampire aficionado.

Our Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor John Bruno has been responsible for some of the most memorable special effects ever, with his groundbreaking work on display in everything from POLTERGEIST to AVATAR.  He and his team are working intensely to develop solutions to the host of special effects challenges that Stephenie created for us in BREAKING DAWN, including that remarkable kid...

Wonderful, imaginative people all and very exciting, intense times for us.  Even with the months of work we've already put in, we're barely underway on the journey, and I do hope to get back to you much sooner next time with more news.  Until then, thanks for your warm reception and continued support!

Very best regards,

Bill

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An impressive crew, and further indication that this is more than just a paycheck for Mr. Condon.  This is an odd feeling, getting excited for a Twilight film.  I like it.  There's a slight tingle in my left kneecap.

Breaking Dawn will be broken into two parts: Part I hits theaters on November 18th, 2011, Part II drops a year later on November 16th, 2012.  Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and the rest of the Twilight gang will be joined by the following new cast members: