The upcoming reboot of The Twilight Saga has the chance to improve upon some scenes from the movies and books with more artistic interpretations, brought to life through animation. Twilight is one of the most recent fantasy franchises to announce a TV show reboot in the works. This format will theoretically allow the writers and producers to further develop the story and avoid the shortcomings of the previous movies.
However, with the surprise update that the Twilight TV show is going to be animated, key moments from Twilight will possibly be re-envisioned to suit the animated medium. If they do it right, stylized animation can be used to elevate the story. With more artistic 3D animation taking off thanks to movies like the Spider-Verse series and shows like Arcane, it would not be surprising if Twilight followed suit. Different art styles could be used to expertly highlight Twilight’s characters, settings, and lore.
The Sparkling Vampires
The sparkling vampires in Twilight are widely made fun of, but maybe the show could do better.
The aspect of Twilight’s world-building wherein vampires bursting into flames in the sunlight is replaced with them sparkling is mocked with endless memes. However, the right animation could be used to make this moment beautiful enough to redeem the plot point. Bella is in awe the first time she sees Edward step into the sunlight, a reaction which is hard for the audience to buy into with the movies’ bad CGI and stilted acting. However, this could come across better with something along the lines of Elsa’s magic in Frozen, and that was done with basic 3D animation.
Forrest Scenery Surrounding Forks
Animation could make the forest setting of Forks what Twilight wants it to be.
Twilight paints the forest weaving through and surrounding Forks as a place of mystery and magic. The color pallet is muted, especially in the first movie. However, this scenery would look even more mystical as a painting; the animators could even layer a pastel or watercolor-style background with regularly animated characters. With the animated medium, the production designers have the chance to create the darkly whimsical setting that Twilight imagines itself having but perhaps doesn’t have the same impact in live action.
Bella Fainting In Class
Bella’s aversion to blood is removed from the movies but could be captured with animation for the show.
One of the Twilight book moments the movie failed but the show can fix is the ironic plot point of Bella’s aversion to blood, even small amounts that are not her own. This results in her fainting during a blood typing biology class, after which she insists to Edward that she can smell the blood, leaving him skeptical. If the writers and animators are shamelessly dramatic about it, this could actually be a good moment in the animated show. They could take inspiration from almost any scene involving blood in Arcane or Castlevania.
Alec’s Gift
A key member of the Volturi could appear much more threatening animated.
Jane’s twin brother Alec’s gift is quickly explained in the last Twilight movie and doesn’t look great on screen. He is seen sending tacky black clouds toward other characters, which is only briefly explained to rob someone of all their senses. Bella’s exposition in the movie doesn’t properly convey how much of a threat Alec is, while his ability isn’t really suited to live action. It has the potential to look a lot better and more dramatic when animated, which, accompanied by a little more dialogue, could create some beautifully terrifying scenes.
The Final Battle With Victoria
The fight between Edward and Victoria is interesting in the movie but could be even better in the show.
The final fight between Victoria, Riley, and Edward is very visually interesting in the Eclipse movie, as they are all up in the mountains surrounded by pure white snow. The white contrasts with Victoria’s red hair, as well as the blood from Bella cutting her arm to distract the vampires for a moment, giving Edward the advantage. This stands to be one of the most visually stimulating moments to recreate with animation if they decide to stick with the snowy setting, and pending what techniques they use to emphasize color and create the motion of the vampires’ fight.
Alice’s Visions Of The Future
Alice Cullen’s glimpses of the future offer unique opportunities for animation.
Alice’s visions of the future pose an opportunity for additional artistic styles to be used in the animation. It would be particularly effective if these scenes had a subtly fractured style, since Alice’s premonitions are not set in stone. In particular, this is demonstrated by the notorious fake final battle in Breaking Dawn Part 2.
