It’s been 12 years since “Breaking Dawn—Part 2,” the final film in Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment’s five-blockbuster adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” book series. But one thing about vampires is that they tend to live forever, especially if you’re a Cullen. In April 2023, news broke that Lionsgate Television is developing a “Twilight” series with Meyer involved. Now, the entertainment company confirmed that the series is moving forward as an animated project. “We’re going to go out with the ‘Twilight’ series, an animated series,” said Vice Chairman of Lionsgate, Michael Burns, during a media conference. “I think there’ll be a lot of interest in that.”
The project is still in the early stages, but Lionsgate’s other recent franchise revivals, including “The Hunger Games” and “Spartacus,” have us planning ahead for the return of “Twilight.” Here is everything we know about the upcoming animated series.
What is “Twilight” about?
Meyer’s novel series—which consists of “Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse,” and “Breaking Dawn”—kicks off as teenager Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington, from Arizona and falls in love with the mysterious Edward Cullen. Soon after, she learns Edward is not a fellow teen but a 104-year-old vampire. Throughout the four books, Bella fights off nomadic covens and vengeful vampire armies, befriends the werewolf Jacob Black, and (spoiler alert) becomes a bloodsucker herself to save her child with Edward.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson found international stardom when they landed the roles of Bella and Edward, respectively, for 2008’s “Twilight.” The film saga also stars Taylor Lautner as Jacob, Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale, Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen, Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale, Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen, and Elizabeth Reaser as Esmee Cullen. Other big names who appeared in the franchise include Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Sheen, Gil Birmingham, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
After directing the first film, Catherine Hardwicke stepped away from the franchise, with Chris Weitz leading “New Moon,” David Slade taking on “Eclipse,” and Bill Condon overseeing Part 1 and Part 2 of “Breaking Dawn.” The adaptations didn’t exactly receive critical praise (except for Hardwicke’s use of blue tones and her ability to make the first movie on such a low budget), but all five films of the “Twilight” saga were box office hits. Collectively, the adaptations grossed more than $3.4 billion worldwide, and they repeatedly set records for advance ticket sales and opening weekend grosses.
Melissa Rosenberg wrote the screenplay for all five feature films.
Who is developing the “Twilight” TV series?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sinead Daley is attached to write the script. Daley has a long and diverse list of credits, including Hulu’s “Tell Me Lies,” the limited series “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” and Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis’s musical drama for Netflix, “The Get Down.”
Lionsgate TV is the studio behind the adaptation. Former Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erik Feig—and Wyck Godfrey, whose Temple Hill production company produced the five “Twilight” films—are on as executive producers.
Meyer is also expected to be involved in some way, though it’s unclear if she’ll be a writer or work in a consulting capacity.
Who is in the cast of the new “Twilight” series?
The series hasn’t committed to a cast, but the notoriety of “Twilight” as a property could lead to high-profile names joining the project. On the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Hardwicke endorsed host Josh Horowitz’s suggestions of “Saltburn” star Jacob Elordi and “Wednesday” favorite Jenna Ortega for a modern-day Edward and Bella. Of course, neither Elordi nor Ortega are attached to the series (at least for now).
The series also offers the opportunity to start or boost the careers of a few up-and-comers. As mentioned, the franchise launched Pattinson, Stewart, and Lautner to new heights in their careers. All three performers have gone on to lead major projects because of (and maybe even despite) the original “Twilight” films.
Pattinson, the latest to take on the Dark Knight mantle in 2022’s “The Batman,” has garnered acclaim for performances in experimental films like “The Lighthouse” and blockbusters like “Tenet.” Meanwhile, Stewart earned an Oscar nomination for playing Princess Diana in 2021’s “Spencer” and received Sundance raves for A24’s romantic thriller “Love Lies Bleeding.” Lautner, who largely stepped back from the spotlight in recent years, remains one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment, as evidenced by his internet-breaking appearance at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
