Actors come and go. Musicians rise and fall. Celebrities come and go. But there are some actors whose presence is felt for years to come. As time goes by, our perception of these special individuals changes. We begin to realize that some of these stars were more prominent for a brief moment in time, but their legends live on long after their appearances in a single film. Robert Pattinson is one of these modern-day gods. He is mostly renowned for playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight Saga. But he has appeared in several other big-name films since then. So, while we all focused on the incredible success of the Twilight films, we should have also recognized that Robert Pattinson was doing some bigger and better things than we thought. We can see this now. He is truly an amazing actor and will continue to amaze us for years to come.
Pattinson’s long-lived persona is best illustrated by the existence of this iconic image of Edward from the Twilight Saga. It is arguably one of the most recognizable film poster designs of all-time. The image itself is a classic: Edward is wearing a black t-shirt, the sleeves of which are rolled up. His arms are folded across his chest, displaying his muscular biceps. We can see that he is wearing a white collar with just a small red blotch on it. We can also tell that there is a thin layer of snow on the ground. Underneath the snow, we can see some dark bushes. Together, these elements combine to form a wintery yet majestic view. Indeed, this is a prime illustration of the enduring appeal that the Twilight Saga has had since it first burst into the public’s consciousness. It encapsulates the perfect blend of breathtaking cinematography and powerful acting. It seems that every generation has been swept up in this cultural phenomenon.
The fact that this image became an instant worldwide icon for young people was no accident. The designer of the poster, Kyle Davies, has a history of creating film poster designs that are instantly recognizable. These days, Davies mostly works for Studio Hualalai in Hawaii. He took his inspiration for this particular poster from the work of Swiss artist H.R. Giger. Davies explained to The New York Times in 2014 how he was fascinated by Giger’s use of light and color in his artwork. So when he designed the poster for the 2006 movie V for Vendetta, he translated that sense of visual intrigue into a graphic image that would later become associated with a swathe of other movies. “Giger was a bit of a strange character,” Davies explained. “He was a painter, but a really strange one. He did these masks and he used a lot of different materials to paint with. So I thought it would be interesting to use his images to see how other directors and artists had used his work to influence their own posters.”
It is difficult to believe that this incredible design was only used once for the movie poster of V for Vendetta. Many other filmmakers have since emulated this wintery scene. The 2017 movie Threepenny Opera, for example, featured a similar design as its poster. So it seems that the Twilight Saga has inadvertently provided us with a lasting symbol of Robert Pattinson’s stardom. We can see that this image has transcended the years. And although Edward is now 43 years old, he continues to feel the pull of this wintery landscape in the form of multiple movie poster designs.
The Making Of The Twilight Saga
It is rare for a film to achieve classic status almost immediately upon its release. But that is exactly what happened with The Twilight Saga. It was a box office success upon its US release in 2012 and has gone on to become one of the biggest movie franchises of all-time. The movies became so popular that they inspired fans to create their own outfits based on the characters. Indeed, it was so successful that it even convinced many that vampires were once again cool. But it was not just the movies that appealed to audiences. The books on which they were based were also phenomenally successful, selling millions of copies worldwide and being translated into dozens of languages. Even now, three years after its premiere, people are still captivated by this world of werewolves and vampires. So it seems that the fans won’t let go of their beloved saga, even if the stars do. The films were shot in the United Kingdom and Croatia, with the exteriors of the vampire palace in Italy and an ocean front mansion in Hawaii. The series’ most recognizable locations include the Venice Beach Boardwalk in Los Angeles and the streets of New York City, which were featured in the movie adaptations of both Twilight and its sequel, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. The success of The Twilight Saga proved that vampires could again be popular, based on the films alone. But it was not just about the bloodsuckers. The entire franchise exposed us to an entirely new world of monsters and fantasy, one that had previously been restricted to novels and comics. This was an exciting time for all horror and fantasy fans, not just those who enjoy dressing up as their favorite characters from the films.
Riding The Wave Of Popularity
Pattinson has not only been immortalized in film poster art, he has also been able to parlay this fame into a successful acting career. He got his big break in 2009 when he was cast in the lead role in a film adaptation of the bestselling Pride And Prejudice. He played Mr. Darcy, the arrogant and aloof heir to a large estate who charms Elizabeth Bennet (played by Keira Knightley) into a matrimonial relationship. Pride And Prejudice became one of the biggest box office successes of all-time, earning over $500 million worldwide. It also became one of the first big-budget British films to be released in IMAX. In 2011, he followed this up with another critically acclaimed performance in Young Adult. Based on the author Suzanne Collins’ bestselling series of novels, The Hunger Games pitted teams of young adults against one another in a battle to the death. Much like his previous films, this one became yet another commercial and critical success.
The praise that followed Pattinson was unprecedented. He was hailed for his ability to play complex and contradictory characters with ease. Indeed, it seems that Hollywood finally realized that they had found a gem in Pattinson. He was quickly offered several high-profile roles, including the titular character in the eagerly awaited film adaptation of John Wick. The film will be released in theaters on February 22nd, 2019, a few weeks after this article is published. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact this high-profile role will have on the 41 year-old actor’s career. But for now, we can take solace in knowing that Hollywood has finally noticed his considerable skills and are throwing all of their weight behind him. Even now, nearly five years after the premiere of The Twilight Saga, fans continue to be obsessed with this world of monsters and magic, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of this image and the dozens of similar designs that have been created in tribute to the stars of this incredible saga.