The battle of the Breaking Dawn directorial candidates could be coming to a close. According to Deadline, Bill Condon is number one on Summit Entertainment’s list to get behind the lens for the final two installment of The Twilight Saga. Condon has yet to sign on the dotted line, but is supposedly in the midst of negotiations.

‘Several strong meetings’ put Condon at the top of the list assembled by the studio and author Stephenie Meyer, beating out Gus Van Sant, Sofia Coppola and Fernando Meirelles. I was hoping Van Sant would get the job, but Condon seems like a fine choice as well. He’s the man behind Dreamgirls, Kinsey and Gods and Monsters. Save for Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh he’s had a pretty solid run in the director’s chair.

Condon currently has Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said on his hands, but odds are those will take a back seat if he’s offered a double dose of Twilight. Whether that happens or not, it’s a fantastic sign that the studio is taking the selection process so seriously and into such prestigious territory. Chris Weitz dragged the franchise into the ground for any moviegoer lacking an affinity for Robert Pattinson with fangs. Of course, non-Twihard enthusiasm for Breaking Dawn will depend heavily on the quality of Eclipse, but I’ve got faith in David Slade, especially after checking out the sneak peak included on the New Moon DVD.

Shooting is supposedly set to commence in the fall with both films being made back-to-back.