For the 20th anniversary of the release of its book counterpart, “The Twilight Saga” movies return to theaters this October and November for all bloodsucker-obsessed fans, whether they are just discovering the cheesy romance movies or have been loving the story since its debut.
In 2005, Stephanie Meyer added on to the many interpretations of vampires by releasing her very first novel, “Twilight.” The story follows a 17-year-old girl, Bella Swan, who moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. On her first day at her new high school, she meets a boy, Edward Cullen, who is later revealed to be a 104-year-old vampire.
The story then spirals into more than just a cheesy romance, adding on a heated love triangle, complex vampire covens and a theme of the importance of family.
As she states on her official website, the story idea came to Meyer in a dream. Little did she know, her dream would ignite the flames of love for vampires among young girls and older women alike years later, with not only the novel’s release but also following the movie adaptation’s premiere in 2008.
When the film hit theaters, so did a boom of fanatic obsession over vampires across the country. Edward’s sparkling complexion and his werewolf rival Jacob Black’s countless shirtless scenes captured the hearts of girls and women, so much so that it coined the term “Twilight Mom.” The obsession took hold of the older population arguably more than the younger population.
As all franchises do, “Twilight” birthed many different forms of merchandise. From T-shirts to blankets to even board games, the fans could not get enough of boys who sparkle. Due to the pressure of fans having to choose between “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob,” almost all adorned pins stating which side they chose.
Even though the film harbored an aesthetic more towards the indie movie genre and the storyline was iffy towards a general audience, its earnings proved fruitful to the masses with its numbers.
During its opening weekend, “Twilight” grossed over $69.6 million at the box office. Over its lifetime gross, it surpassed over $192.7 million. The film ranked eighth for its overall earnings in the domestic box office for 2008.
Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Swan allowed for many viewers to see themselves in her, but Robert Pattinson’s role as Cullen only fueled the desire to actually be Swan. It could have been his mysterious demeanor, cold stare or even just Pattinson’s appearance, but it was very clear why many women flocked to the film.
While the diehard fans (or Twi-hards) love the film and its franchise wholeheartedly, there have been just as many critics over the years.
Some criticize the cultural portrayal of the Native American Quileute tribe, Cullen’s controlling actions or Black’s manipulative nature. However, the more trivial issue most people cite as the reason for their hate is how “cringe” the movie series is. This criticism is drawn from the questionable acting choices of the cast and the odd storylines.
Due to this criticism, there came a general consensus, especially on the internet, about how “Twilight” is cringey and only appealing to teenage girls. The film and its four sequels were then placed in a sort of limbo, where they leaned out of the public eye for a while.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a “Twilight” resurgence occurred in 2020 and 2021 on none other than TikTok. From users attempting to emulate the aesthetic through their outfits and makeup to curating memes out of lines from the films, “Twilight” attracted younger audiences once again.
The franchise’s killer soundtracks helped its popularity as well. “Twilight” includes hits such as “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse and “Eyes On Fire” by Blue Foundation. Pattinson even makes a vocal appearance with the song “Never Think.” The series’ second movie, “Twilight: New Moon,” includes one of the biggest lyrical hits across the films: “Roslyn” by Bon Iver and St. Vincent.
With all this talk of “Twilight,” one can only wonder: Is it 2008 again? It seems more and more so recently, especially because of the “Twilight” merchandise hitting Hot Topic’s shelves almost two decades later. Though it seems this new wave of memorabilia is stronger than ever because there is now Swan and Cullen perfume, eyeshadow palettes and Vampire glitter spray.
Fans can even book a stay at the official Swan house from the “Twilight” films, where the owners even replicated the look of her room as well as placed cardboard cut-outs of the characters in the house.
If bookings are full or fans don’t want to spend the money, they can always visit Oregon to see the multiple filming locations, such as the Carver Cafe, where Bella couldn’t get ketchup out of the bottle, and La Push Beach, which the Cullens never visit.
Starting Oct. 29 and lasting through Nov. 2, “The Twilight Saga” returns to theaters across America to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first novel. “Twilight” will be shown on the first day of the re-release, with each day showing the following film in the franchise, ending with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.”
In Baton Rouge, fans can buy tickets for the re-release at Cinemark in Perkins Rowe, AMC Mall of Louisiana 15 and AMC Baton Rouge 16.
The social media campaign for “The Twilight Saga’s” re-release uses an iconic tagline that captures the timelessness and love that fans hold for the films: “Forever begins again.”
