Twelve years following the release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Lionsgate is going forward with a Twilight remake as a television series, but the studio’s plan for the show’s format is baffling. Summit Entertainment, owned by Lionsgate, first adapted Stephenie Meyer’s fantasy romance novels into a five-part film series, which grossed over $3 billion at the box office and is undoubtedly one of the most popular Young Adult franchises of the 2000s. Given its acclaim, it’s not surprising that the entertainment company would want to continue producing projects set in the Twilight universe.
Lionsgate announced that a Twilight television show was in development in April 2023, but the company didn’t release any other information surrounding the remake until almost a year later. Of course, casting rumors (including Jenna Ortega as Bella Swan) have spread throughout the internet. However, nothing concrete about the upcoming show’s cast, story, or format was made public until Lionsgate revealed more details about their plans for the series’ structure in March 2024, and the company’s comments are concerning, to say the least.
An Animated Twilight Remake Doesn’t Make Sense & Misses Its Appeal
Deadline reported that Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns discussed the upcoming Twilight television series during a Q&A at the Morgan Stanley media conference. Burns revealed:
“We’re going to go out with the Twilight series, an animated series, I think there’ll be a lot of interest in that.”
Most assumed that the Twilight remake would be a live-action show. However, it appears the plan from the beginning was to turn Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books into an animated series (which Lionsgate Television is reportedly currently shopping around to different platforms). Constructing the reboot as an animated project will certainly differentiate it from the movies starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Still, the decision to steer away from live-action is confusing.
Lionsgate rebooting the Twilight franchise shortly after the film series is unnecessary in and of itself. The movies are already so popular and beloved that it will be difficult to recreate (or surpass) their magic. It’s clear that Lionsgate is turning the story into an animated show to separate itself from the films. But there’s seemingly nothing that the company can do in animation that can’t be done in live-action. Twilight wouldn’t be more interesting in animation or benefit from the medium in any way. Plus, an animated format takes the fun out of fancasting the Twilight remake.
Why Is The Twilight Remake Animated?
As mentioned above, Lionsgate may have wanted to reboot Twilight as an animated television show to differentiate it from the movies. The Twilight Saga is already so popular and well-known that Lionsgate didn’t want to have to compete with it. Another possibility is that the budget for a live-action project was a source of concern, leading the company to turn to animation. Nevertheless, it’s an odd choice, and Lionsgate’s decision to make the Twilight remake animated leaves you wondering, “Who is this for?”
