'Twilight' Director Catherine Hardwicke Signs with Manage-ment (Exclusive)

Catherine Hardwicke

Director Catherine Hardwicke has signed with Manage-ment, the Westwood-based management firm.

Hardwicke directed the first film in the Twilight series, which opened in November 2008 and went on to gross $393 million worldwide. It opened to $70 million in the U.S., the biggest opening ever for a female director.

Her other credits include Thirteen (2003), Lords of Dogtown (2005), The Nativity Story (2006) and Red Riding Hood (2011).

THR reported in February that Hardwicke is slated to direct Plush, an erotic thriller set in the Los Angeles music world. Hardwicke co-wrote the script for the project, which would star Evan Rachel Wood, whom Hardwicke directed in Thirteen. That film was controversial for its portrayal of teenage drug use and garnered for Hardwicke an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best first feature.

The director continues to be represented by CAA and Sloane Offer Weber & Dern.

Manage-ment has also signed Lucy Alibar, co-writer of the Sundance Film Festival hit Beasts of The Southern Wild. The film won the festival's narrative grand jury prize in January. Alibar co-wrote the film with director Benh Zeitlin, adapting it from Alibar's play, Juicy And Delicious. Beasts will be released by Fox Searchlight in theaters June 29.

Alibar continues to be represented by Gersh.

Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com

Twitter: @DanielNMiller