Dreamgirls Condon to Take on Twilight

Director Bill Condon (pictured at right) is in negotiations to direct the final two installments of The Twilight Saga, Deadline's Nikki Finke is reporting.

Condon, who directed Dreamgirls and won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Gods and Monsters, is reportedly Summit Entertainment's first choice to direct the films. The gay director is among a string of A-list directors rumored to have been considered for the films, including Gus Van Zant and Sofia Coppola.

Condon would be the fourth director to tackle the Twilight franchise. Catherine Hardwicke directed the first installment and was replaced by Chris Weitz for the sequel, New Moon.

He opted out of the third film, which was directed by David Slade and is scheduled for release this summer.

The choice of Condon would prove interesting to gay fans of the franchise, some of whom have expressed frustration with book author Stephenie Meyer and her support of the Mormon Church, which helped fund the fight to pass Proposition 8, California's same-sex marriage ban.

The final two installments of Twilight are expected to begin shooting later this year.