Should 'Twilight' fans stop posting photos of Kristen and Robert in 'Breaking Dawn'?

Steven Zeitchik at Latimesblogs: Leaked images of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in sultry positions on the in-production "Breaking Dawn" have zinged around the Web faster than a vampire practicing Celerity.

But while the image sent fans into lupine delight (that's not it on the left, incidentally; the one here was given to The Times for a story in January), the creators behind the franchise were less enthused. The property's author, director, producer and studio got together to issue an unusually direct plea this afternoon.

"As some of you may know, pictures and screen grabs of 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn' as a work in progress have leaked on the Internet," began the statement, which was signed by author Stephenie Meyer, director Bill Condon, producer Wyck Godfrey and Summit.

It continued, "We are extremely proud of this film and also extremely heartbroken to see it out there at this stage. The film and these images are not yet ready or in their proper context. They were illegally obtained and their early dissemination is deeply upsetting to the actors, the filmmakers and Summit who are working so hard to bring these movies to fruition to you in November 2011 and November 2012.

"Please, for those who are posting, stop. And please, though the temptation is high, don’t view or pass on these images. Wait for the film in its beautiful, finished entirety to thrill you."

It's a nice and justifiable plea, although the likelihood of some sites taking down the photo is about as likely as James' coven joining forces with the Cullens. And the image is probably not going to affect ticket sales much. Nor is it as if the images -- at least to our lay eyes -- offer any major revelations. [Update, 5:24 p.m.: Several readers note that a number of the images do reveal key plot points. We stand corrected.]

Still, it does highlight that too much fan interest can be a dangerous thing for a studio. And it raises the question of to what extent a fan not involved in the initial leak has a responsibility to refrain from posting and oohing over a photo.