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The Twilight Saga is a series of romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four Twilight series novels by the American author Stephenie Meyer, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. The series has grossed over $1 billion in worldwide receipts, when not adjusted for inflation, and consists, to date (2009), of two motion pictures. The first installment Twilight was released on November 21, 2008[1], and the second installment, The Twilight Saga: New Moon followed on November 20, 2009, breaking box office records as the biggest midnight screening and opening day in history, when it grossed an estimated $72.7 million in its first day of release.[2]
The series was in development since 2004 at Paramount Pictures, during which time a screen adaptation of Twilight which differed significantly from the novel was written.[3][4] Three years later, Summit Entertainment acquired the rights to the film. After Twilight grossed $35.7 million on its opening day,[5] Summit announced they would begin production on New Moon; this after they had acquired the rights to the remaining novels earlier that same month.[6] The third installment, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is scheduled for release on June 30, 2010[7] and is the first Twilight film scheduled to be released in IMAX[8], and a two-part adaptation of Breaking Dawn is projected to begin shooting in the fall of 2010.[9]
Twilight
Twilight was directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Melissa Rosenberg. It focuses on the development of a personal relationship between human teenager Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen, and the subsequent efforts of Edward and his family to keep Bella safe from a separate group of hostile vampires.
The film was released theatrically starting on November 21, 2008. It grossed $35.7 million on its opening day,[10] and has come to gross US$384.9 million worldwide. The DVD was released on March 21, 2009 and grossed an additional $181 million from sales.[11]
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The Twilight Saga: New Moon was directed by Chris Weitz and written by Melissa Rosenberg. The film follows Bella Swan's fall into a deep depression, until she develops a strong friendship with werewolf Jacob Black. Jacob and the other werewolves in his tribe must protect her from Victoria, a vampire seeking to avenge her mate James' death, by killing Bella. A misunderstanding occurs, and Edward Cullen believes Bella is dead. Edward decides to commit suicide in Volterra, Italy, but he is stopped by Bella, who is accompanied by Edward's sister, Alice. They meet with the Volturi, a powerful coven of vampires, and are released on the condition that Bella be turned into a vampire in the near future. Bella and Edward are reunited, and she and the Cullens return to Forks.
The film was released theatrically starting on November 20, 2009 and set numerous records. It is currently the biggest advanced ticket seller on Fandango,[12] and has the biggest midnight opening in domestic (United States and Canada) box office history, grossing an estimated $26.3 million.[13] It grossed $72.7 million on its opening day domestically, becoming the biggest single-day opening in domestic history,[2] and is the third highest opening weekend in domestic history with $142,839,137.[14]
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is directed by David Slade and written by Melissa Rosenberg. It is scheduled for release on June 30, 2010[7] and is the first Twilight film scheduled to be released in IMAX[15]
Production and development
Twilight was in development for approximately three years at Paramount Pictures, during which time a screen adaptation which differed significantly from the novel was written.[3][4] When Summit Entertainment reinvented itself as a full-service studio in April 2007, it successfully acquired the rights to the novel.[16] The company perceived the film as an opportunity to launch a franchise based on the success of Meyer's book and its sequels.[17][18] Catherine Hardwicke was hired to direct the film. Melissa Rosenberg wrote a new screenplay shortly before the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike and sought to be faithful to the novel's storyline.[19]
Rosenberg developed an outline by the end of August, and collaborated with Hardwicke on writing the screenplay during the following month.[20] Some characters from the novel were not featured in the screenplay, whereas some characters were combined into others.[21] Hardwicke suggested the use of voice over to convey the protagonist's internal dialogue[20] – since the novel is told from Bella's point of view – and she sketched some of the storyboards during pre-production.[22]
In early November 2008, Summit announced that they had obtained the rights to the remaining books in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.[6] On November 22, 2008, one day after the theatrical release of Twilight, Summit confirmed that they would begin working on New Moon. Melissa Rosenberg had been working on adapting the novel prior to Twilight's release[23] and handed in the draft for New Moon during Twilight's opening weekend in November 2008.[24]
In early December 2008, it was announced that Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke would not be returning to direct the sequel. Hardwicke cited time restrictions as the reason behind her leaving the project.[25] Instead, Chris Weitz, director of The Golden Compass and co-director of American Pie, had been hired to direct The Twilight Saga: New Moon.[26]
In early 2009, Summit confirmed that they would begin working on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Since New Moon director Chris Weitz would be in post-production for New Moon when The Twilight Saga: Eclipse began shooting, he would not be directing the third film.[27][28] Instead, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse will be helmed by director David Slade, with Melissa Rosenberg returning as screenwriter.[29]
Though Summit has not yet officially greenlit Breaking Dawn to be made as a film, stars Robert Pattinson and Ashley Greene stated that there are plans for a Breaking Dawn film and that production is expected to begin after the completion of the series' third installment, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[30][31] Wyck Godfrey, producer of the previous films in the series, said, "We're shooting New Moon, prepping Eclipse, doing all the marketing—it's a little overwhelming to really think in a detailed manner of how we're going to crack this, but we have every intention to [make Breaking Dawn]."[32]
Meyer stated in her Breaking Dawn FAQ that if a film were to be created, she thought it would have to be made into two movies because "it's hard to imagine it fitting into ninety minutes. The book is just so long! I can't imagine how to distill it—if I could, the book would be shorter."[33] She also believes it may be impossible to film due to Renesmee, writing that an actress could not play her because she is a baby but has complete awareness, and that "the one thing that I've never seen is a CGI human being who truly looks real"; however, she went on to state that "they develop amazing new technologies everyday, and we've got a little time left."[33]. It has also been questioned if the studio will be able to keep a PG-13 rating due to the mature and explicit nature of "Breaking Dawn".[34] According to Variety, the studio is considering splitting the 754-page book into two films, along the same lines as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.[35] They are also hoping that New Moon director Chris Weitz will return to helm both pictures.[35] If two films are made, Summit will have to negotiate new deals with the main cast, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, since they are only under contract for four films.[35] When talking about Taylor Lautner's next film for Summit Entertainment, producer Wyck Godfrey stated, "Lautner will reprise his role of Jacob in Breaking Dawn beginning in late 2010, and it is likely that the final book will be divided into two films that will shoot back-to-back."[9] Godfrey has further stated that he is looking to shoot in the fall of 2010 in Vancouver and that all three main stars are signed on to the film. Regarding Chris Weitz helming the film, he said "I think everyone would be happy and excited if he came back, but I don't think it's going to happen." Melissa Rosenberg, who's penned all the Twilight movies, is currently working on the Breaking Dawn script(s).[36]
Cast
Kristen Stewart was on the set of Adventureland when Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the director.[3] Hardwicke did not initially choose Robert Pattinson for the role of Edward Cullen, but after an audition at her home with Stewart, he was selected.[3] Meyer allowed Pattinson to view a manuscript of the unfinished Midnight Sun, which chronicles the events in Twilight from Edward's point of view.[37][38] Meyer was "excited" and "ecstatic" in response to the casting of the two main characters.[39] She had expressed interest in having Emily Browning and Henry Cavill cast as Bella and Edward, respectively, prior to pre-production.[40]
When they told me Rob was probably the one, I looked him up and thought, "Yeah, he can do a version of Edward. He’s definitely got that vampire thing going on." And then, when I was on set and I got to watch him go from being Rob to shifting into being Edward, and he actually looked like the Edward in my head, it was a really bizarre experience. [...] He really had it nailed.
Twilight author Stephenie Meyer[4]
Peter Facinelli was not originally cast as Carlisle Cullen: "[Hardwicke] liked [him], but there was another actor that the studio was pushing for."[41] For unknown reasons, that actor was not able to play the part, and Facinelli was selected in his place.[41] The choice of Ashley Greene to portray Alice Cullen was the subject of fan criticism to some extent due to Greene being 7 inches (18 cm) taller than her character as described in the novel. Meyer had also stated that Rachael Leigh Cook resembled her vision of Alice.[42] Nikki Reed had previously worked with Hardwicke on thirteen, which they wrote together, and Lords of Dogtown. Kellan Lutz was in Africa shooting the HBO miniseries Generation Kill when the auditions for the character of Emmett Cullen were conducted. The role had already been cast by the time that production ended in December 2007, but the actor who had been selected "fell through"; Lutz subsequently auditioned and was flown to Oregon, where Hardwicke personally chose him.[43] Rachelle Lefèvre was interested in pursuing a role in the film because Hardwicke was attached to the project as director; there was also "the potential to explore a character, hopefully, over three films"; and she wanted to portray a vampire.[44] "[She] thought that vampires were basically the best metaphor for human anxiety and questions about being alive."[44] Christian Serratos initially auditioned for Jessica Stanley, but she "fell totally in love with Angela" after reading the books, and successfully took advantage of a later opportunity to audition for Angela Weber.[45] The role of Jessica Stanley went to Anna Kendrick, who got the part after two mix-and-match auditions with various actors.[46]
Due to major physical changes that occur in the character of Jacob Black between Twilight and New Moon, director Chris Weitz considered replacing Taylor Lautner in the sequel with an actor who could more accurately portray "the new, larger Jacob Black."[47] In an attempt to keep the role, Lautner weight-trained extensively and gained approximately 30 pounds.[48] In January 2009, Weitz and Summit Entertainment announced that Lautner would continue to play the role of Jacob in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.[49]
In late March 2009, Summit Entertainment released a list of the actors who would be portraying the "wolf pack" alongside Lautner. The casting for the rest of the Quileute tribe was headed by casting director Rene Haynes, who has worked on films with large American Indian casts, such as Dances with Wolves and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.[50]
In mid-2009, it was announced that Bryce Dallas Howard will be replacing Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria for the third Twilight film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Summit Entertainment attributed the change to scheduling conflicts, and Lefevre responded that she was "stunned" and "greatly saddened" by the decision.[51] Jodelle Ferland was cast as the newly turned vampire, Bree.[52] Other new cast members for the third film include Xavier Samuel as Riley,[53] Jack Huston as Royce King II,[54] Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria,[55] Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater,[52] and BooBoo Stewart as Seth Clearwater.[52]
Soundtracks
Twilight
The Twilight Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was chosen by music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas.[56] The album was released on November 4, 2008 by Patsavas' Chop Shop label, in conjunction with Atlantic Records. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, having sold about 165,000 copies in its first week of release, 29% of which were digital downloads.[57] Twilight is the best-selling theatrical movie soundtrack in the United States since Chicago.[58]
Twilight: The Score was composed and orchestrated by Carter Burwell over a 9–10 week period, and was recorded and mixed in about 2 weeks in late September 2008.[59] Burwell began the score with a "Love Theme" for Bella and Edward's relationship, a variation of which became "Bella's Lullaby" that Robert Pattinson plays in the film, and that is included on the Twilight Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.[59] The original theme is featured throughout the film, and serves to "play the romance that drives the story".[59] Another theme Burwell composed was a "Predator Theme", which opens the film, and is intended to play Edward's vampire nature.[59] Other themes include a bass-line, drum beat and distorted guitar sound for the nomadic vampires, and a melody for the Cullen family.[59] Twilight: The Score was released digitally on November 25, 2008 and in stores on December 9.[60][61]
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The score for The Twilight Saga: New Moon was composed by Alexandre Desplat[62] while Alexandra Patsavas returned as music supervisor for the rest of the soundtrack.[63] Weitz has a working relationship with Desplat, who scored one of his previous films, The Golden Compass.[62] The The Twilight Saga: New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album was released on October 16, 2009[64] by Patsavas' Chop Shop label, in conjunction with Atlantic Records.[63] The Twilight Saga: New Moon: The Score was released on November 24, 2009.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Twilight grossed over $7 million in ticket sales from midnight showings alone on November 21, 2008.[66] It grossed $35.7 million on its opening day.[67] For its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, Twilight accumulated $69.6 million from 3,419 theaters at an average of $20,368 per theater.[68] The film has made $192.7 million in the United States and Canada, and a further $192.2 million in international territories for a total of $384.9 worldwide.[69]
The film was released on DVD in North America on March 21, 2009 through midnight release parties, and sold over 3 million units in its first day.[64] It has continued to sell units, totaling 9,967,919 as of January 2010, making $181,028,196.[11]
New York Press critic Armond White called Twilight, "a genuine pop classic",[70] and praised Hardwicke for turning "Meyer's book series into a Brontë-esque vision."[71] Roger Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "I saw it at a sneak preview. Last time I saw a movie in that same theater, the audience welcomed it as an opportunity to catch up on gossip, texting, and laughing at private jokes. This time the audience was rapt with attention".[72] USA Today gave the film two out of four stars and Claudia Puig wrote, "Meyer is said to have been involved in the production of Twilight, but her novel was substantially more absorbing than the unintentionally funny and quickly forgettable film".[73]
The Twilight Saga: New Moon set records for advance ticket sales, causing some theaters to add additional showings.[74] It is currently the biggest advanced ticket seller on Fandango, surpassing Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.[75] The film set records as the biggest midnight opening in domestic (United States and Canada) box office history, grossing an estimated $26.3 million in 3,514 theatres, before expanding to 4,024 theaters.[13] The record was previously held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which grossed $22.2 million domestically during its midnight premiere.[13] The film grossed $72.7 million on its opening day domestically, becoming the biggest single-day opening in domestic history, beating The Dark Knight's $67.2 million.[2] This opening strongly contributed to another record: the first time that the top ten films at the domestic box office had a combined gross of over $100 million in a single day.[76]
The opening weekend of The Twilight Saga: New Moon is the third highest opening weekend in domestic history with $142,839,137.[77] The film also has the sixth highest worldwide opening weekend with $274.9 million total.[78]
Robert Ignizio of the Cleveland Scene described The Twilight Saga: New Moon as an "entertaining fantasy", and noted that it "has a stronger visual look [than Twilight] and does a better job with its action scenes while still keeping the focus on the central love triangle."[79] Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post gave the film two and half stars out of four, praised Kristen Stewart's performance in the film and wrote, "Despite melodrama that, at times, is enough to induce diabetes, there's enough wolf whistle in this sexy, scary romp to please anyone."[80] The Seattle Post-Intelligencer gave the film a "B" grading and said, "the movie looks tremendous, the dialogue works, there are numerous well placed jokes, the acting is on point."[81] Mick Lasalle from the San Francisco Chronicle responded with a more mixed review, stating, "[E]xpect this film to satisfy its fans. Everybody else, get ready for a bizarre soap opera/pageant, consisting of a succession of static scenes with characters loping into the frame to announce exactly what they're thinking."[82] Roger Ebert gave the film 1 star out of 4 and said that it "takes the tepid achievement of Twilight, guts it, and leaves it for undead."[83] The release of the movie has also inspired feminist criticism, with Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly making light of the claim that Edward Cullen is little better than a stalker.[84] In any case, the influx of female viewers into the theaters indicates the increasing importance of the female demographic in dictating Hollywood's tastes.[85]
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