No sooner had Summit announced Bryce Dallas Howard as Rachelle LeFevre's replacement as Victoria in the third installment of the Twilight Saga, Eclipse, and the banter began.

"Rachelle brought Victoria to great screen life, and Bryce will bring a new dimension to the character," said Erik Feig, president of worldwide production and acquisitions for Summit Entertainment. "The franchise is lucky to have such a talented actress as Bryce coming in to fill the role."

Summit cited scheduling conflicts between Rachelle and her new film Barney's Version, starring opposite Dustin Hoffman. The indie film is set to begin filming Aug. 17, the same day as Eclipse, across Canada in Quebec.

Rachelle followed up the announcement with a statement of her own:

"I was stunned by Summit's decision to recast the role of Victoria for Eclipse, said Lefevre. "I was fully committed to the Twilight saga, and to the portrayal of Victoria. I turned down several other film opportunities and, in accordance with my contractual rights, accepted only roles that would involve very short shooting schedules.

Summit responded with a bulleted letter, among which stated:

"Contrary to Ms. Lefevre's statement, it is simply untrue that the Studio dismissed her over a ten day overlap. It is not about a ten day overlap, but instead about the fact that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is an ensemble production that has to accommodate the schedules of numerous actors while respecting the established creative vision of the filmmaker and most importantly the story. The fact remains that Ms. Lefevre's commitment to the other project- which she chose to withhold from Summit until the last possible moment - makes her unfortunately unavailable to perform the role of Victoria in THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE."

We've been fortunate thus far; the Cullen family has remained intact. As the franchise mushrooms, however, salacious tiffs such as the one with Rachelle are heartbreaking, though not surprising. Regardless, Rachelle will be mourned by Twilighters worldwide as Eclipse filming commences in August.