Twilight Franchise Co-Opts Former Bauhaus Frontman Peter Murphy

11/06/09 12:56pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Will this give the Twilight franchise some goth cred? Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy will appear in Eclipse, the upcoming third installment of the Twilight series.

Billy Burke, who plays Bella Swan's (Kristen Stewart) father, Charlie Swan, revealed as much during an interview with MTV News this week. Filming recently wrapped up on Eclipse, and it's currently in post-production.

"[When I was young], I was a huge fan of a guy who does a cameo in 'Eclipse,' a guy named Peter Murphy," Burke said. "He used to be the singer of Bauhaus."

Of course, Bauhaus, along with The Cure, Siouxsie And The Banshees and Joy Division, are seen as the pioneers of "goth rock." Burke said Murphy plays a "vampire in a flashback sequence," which is evidence that Eclipse could be trying to expand the Twilight audience outside of its current crowd of 13-year-olds.

"[Murphy's role] started out as an old Spanish, sort of unrelated [to the Cullens or Volturis] vampire, in a flashback sequence," Burke told MTV News. "Billy Black's talking and telling the story of the werewolves, how they evolved, and how they met the vampires and stuff. [Murphy's cameo is] in a sequence that involves that."

David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days Of Night), who's known for making "bloody" films, has also been hired to direct Eclipse. His and Murphy's involvement have left some people wondering if this means Eclipse could be "darker and more violent" than Twilight and New Moon.

New Moon, the second film in the Twilight franchise, opens in theatres Nov. 20. Eclipse is due to open in theatres June 30.