Fictional hottie Edward Cullen has managed to suppress his instinctual desire to tear humans apart and feast on their blood. "Twilight" fans, however, aren't always so well-behaved.

Perhaps keeping that in mind, David Slade -- the newly appointed [article id="1609830"]director of the saga's third film, "Eclipse"[/article] -- apologized Tuesday (May 5) in a letter to fan site Twilight Lexicon for past statements that mocked the franchise.

Over the weekend, [article id="1610529"]an old interview with Slade[/article] resurfaced, causing some outrage among the "Twilight" community. Speaking with a Washington, D.C., radio program, Slade admitted to dissing the franchise via Twitter. "Yesterday we were trying to find a movie to see, and we'd seen all the good ones," Slade explained, recalling his Tweets. " 'Twilight' drunk? No, not even drunk. 'Twilight' on acid? No, not even on acid. 'Twilight' at gunpoint? Just shoot me."

In his apology letter, however, the director apologized for letting the backlash against the pop-culture phenomenon contaminate his opinion before he'd even watched the movie. "When I made these comments, I had neither seen the film nor read the books," he wrote. "I was promoting a comedy short film that I had made for Xbox, and every pop-culture subject was seen as a possible comedy target.

"I was being silly," he added. "None of the statements were from the heart."

Continuing with his apology, Slade spoke directly to the Twilighters, promising that he has since familiarized himself with the franchise and become a fan. "Of course, I have since seen the movie and read the books," he assured them. "And [I] was quickly consumed with the rich storytelling and the beautifully honest characters that Stephenie Meyer created."

Slade is currently in pre-production on the third film in the "Twilight" series and said he is eager to prove his devotion to the fans. "I would like to reassure everyone involved that I am invested in making the best film that I am humanly capable of and that I am acutely aware of the power of the original books we serve," Slade promised. "Please be assured this statement is absolutely from the heart."

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" is targeting a June 30, 2010, release.

Will the vampires grab more trophies than the slumdog? What was the year's ultimate onscreen WTF moment? It's up to you to decide the winners of the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. Vote now, and tune in on May 31 at 9 p.m. ET, when the big show airs live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

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