With the unexpected employ of David Slade behind the third Twilight film, Eclipse, plus the oddly violent and perverse subject matter of Stephanie Meyer’s fourth book, the potential for an honest adaptation with a strong director seems at once very possible and very doubtful.

Well, this is promising (if not slightly worrisome) news.

Crime auteur Michael Mann has expressed interest in taking control of the ever-popular vampire saga. He said as much in this quote to AICN yesterday:

“Having read the source material, there’s a place for digital cinema in these films that has not yet been utilized. I’ve been talking with David [Slade] about Eclipse and he feels very close to the story. We’re still in talks with Stephanie [Meyer], but finishing the Twilight saga right is certainly a goal of mine and David’s”

Though it’s surprising and, at first, slightly off-putting that Mann would take on studio fare like this, it’s also an extremely interesting fit when one considers how far both the director and franchise in question will be stepping out of their respective comfort zones.

No official word has been announced yet, but stay tuned for more in the coming days.

Would you like to see Michael Mann’s Breaking Dawn?