Looks like the sequel to "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" has literally turned to "City of Ashes." Late yesterday, reports claimed that the production to the highly-anticipated sequel has been shut down following "City of Bones'" disastrous box office run. Author Cassandra Clare, however, speaks up on the news. Here's what Clare had to say.

"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" was forecasted to become the next "Twilight" or "Harry Potter" in the book to film franchise. Yet, the meagre $14 million run at the box office wasn't enough to beat the numbers of "Twilight" and "Harry Potter." Despite the negative reviews here and there, fans of the novels still demand that the sequel to "City of Bones" be continued.

"City of Ashes," the second book in the series of six, was scheduled to begin shooting this month. However, rumour has it that the film might be scrapped off. Thousands of "Shadowhunters" were enraged by the news that Twitter blew up with the hash tag "WeWantCityofAshes." Clearing up rumours, the film will be delayed and not cancelled according to a Tumblr post by Author Cassandra Clare. For Clare, the delay might be good for the franchise in hopes of making the film better than its predecessor.

"Speaking for myself - and honestly, for readers and fans, too - I think a delay could be good. The draft of the screenplay I saw for the first time last week was very far from the book City of Ashes, and if they'd really started shooting in September there wouldn't have been time to change it. From the limited amount I know, it seems to me better to take the time to get it right than to rush ahead," wrote Clare.

"The Mortal Instruments" producer, Martin Moszkowicz shares the same sentiments as well.

"Constantin Film has a long tradition of adapting books to the big screen. Pushing back the start of production of City of Ashes was a decision we did not take lightly," said Martin, adding, "But after speaking with all of our partners on the creative and distribution side, it was clear that it will be beneficial to have more time to reposition the film in the current marketplace. The Mortal Instruments series has an incredibly loyal and ardent fan base and is a best-selling book series. While taking Cassandra Clare's vision to the screen we want to make sure to draw on the full potential of the franchise."

In summary, "City of Ashes" won't start shooting this month. As for fans hoping for a 2014 release for the sequel, it may be best to not expect a "Mortal Instruments" film by then.

RELATED STORIES