MTV“Twilight” fans are notoriously fickle when it comes to the actors chosen to bring their favorite Stephenie Meyer characters to life. In fact, it’s now the stuff of “Twilight” legend that following the announcement that Robert Pattinson would be portraying brooding vampire Edward Cullen, online petitions circled feverishly, decrying the British actor’s participation in the saga. A similar uproar occurred last July, when just weeks before production was to begin on the third “Twilight” installment “Eclipse,” Bryce Dallas Howard replaced Rachelle Lefevre as villainous vampire Victoria due to scheduling conflicts. Howard revealed to MTV News that the prospect of taking over the role Lefevre originated in both “Twilight” and “New Moon” was a bit daunting.

“It was actually a really unfortunate circumstance where the actress who everyone really cared deeply about, who has done an amazing job in this role, was unavailable,” Howard said, explaining her last-minute casting. “They were looking for someone to fill that slot. It was right before production actually happened, so of course there was intimidation there and feeling a huge responsibility to do my best.”

In the ensuing days, both Lefevre and Summit Entertainment released separate statements detailing their sides of the story. But despite the drama behind the scenes, Howard insists the cast was nothing but welcoming.

“[They] were really lovely,” Howard said. “And yes, it’s an incredible group of people. I have so much respect for them. There’s so much frenzy surrounding them, and they’ve remained grounded, and their friendships are so genuine. I felt very lucky to work with such a good group of people.

“They love these books — all these actors,” Howard continued. “They’re fans themselves. It was a great energy on set — that people are so passionate about bringing these characters to life.”

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