To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first book’s release, all five movies in the “Twilight” series will be rereleased in theaters. From Oct. 29 through Nov. 2, fans can see the iconic vampire saga on the big screen.
The four-book series, written by Stephanie Meyer, first hit shelves in 2005 while the movie interpretation, starring Kristen Stewart as protagonist Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as sparkling vampire Edward Cullen and Taylor Lautner as werewolf Jacob, was released in 2008.
Despite being a strange concept — a teenage girl who must choose between a vampire and a werewolf — the stories were a massive success, especially among young girls and women. Due to the original story’s popularity, Meyer wrote several other additions to the series, including “Midnight Sun,” told from Edward’s perspective, and “Life and Death,” a gender-bent version of the story.
Although the series is set in Forks, Washington, dedicated Louisiana fans know that most of the interior shots for “Breaking Dawn: Part 1” and “Breaking Dawn: Part 2” were filmed at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There are even a couple New Orleans shots that made it into the final cut, including a French Quarter alley and the back of Café du Monde.
Critical discussion about the “Twilight” series has abounded since its initial release. Many disparage it as a badly written piece of teen-girl trash, while others continue to sing its praises. However, stiff acting and bad haircuts aside, the series was a commercial success whose effects on pop culture cannot be denied. Most people under the age of 35 probably know the title and the basic plot, regardless of whether they’ve seen the films or read the books.
The astounding success of the series inspired several cultural trends, including an early 2000s wave of young adult vampire media such as “The Vampire Diaries” and “Vampire Academy,” as well as the popularization of the ordinary-girl-centered love triangle — see “The Hunger Games” and “The Mortal Instruments.” Author E. L. James even admitted that her popular erotic fiction series “Fifty Shades of Grey” started out as “Twilight” fanfiction.
Around 2021, the series enjoyed a resurgence of popularity online with many reminiscing on their young adulthood memories and deeming it to be “so bad it’s good.” Many brands cashed in on this boom, releasing clothing, perfumes, makeup palettes and other merchandise inspired by the epic love story.
Due to Meyer’s past Mormon faith, sexuality in the series was relatively downplayed and postponed until after the main couple got married. However, the entire story is driven by Bella’s romantic and sexual desires; the main plot is dependent on what she wants, a refreshing change for young women used to consuming popular coming-of-age stories that revolve around boys’ experiences.
Another part of “Twilight’s” continued appeal to young audiences is the well-curated soundtrack. Even before the movies, Meyer herself published playlists of songs she associated with the series, explaining that writing was a “movie-like experience” for her and that the playlists were a sort of soundtrack to the books. The movies, like much teenage media, reflected, or perhaps shaped, the music taste of their young Hot Topic-bound audiences.
Featuring artists like Paramore, Bon Iver and Bruno Mars — although notably missing My Chemical Romance, partly the inspiration for the story, who refused to be included — the soundtrack continues to resonate with many viewers.
Despite being continuously deemed a frivolous, girly franchise, the “Twilight” soundtrack also included artists that were, and still are, claimed by male-dominated circles such as Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie and Muse — whose “New Moon” feature made “Supermassive Black Hole” their most popular song, despite being almost synonymous with the iconic Cullen baseball scene. Exposure to these artists helped girls discover that they could, and did, like male-dominated interests.
These factors led many female viewers to feel empowered by the story. “Twilight” tells young girls that they can like cool things and still be girly, and that they can write their own stories. It might not be considered classic cinema, but the story has solidified its place in film history with its bizarre but resonant concept and resounding impact.
Catch the “Twilight” rereleases in theaters now until Nov. 2 to relive the glory days of vampires, werewolves and a little feminism.