If you’re a fan of The Twilight Saga, you might be interested to know that there’s a new show on Netflix called Sexify that explores the phenomenon from a more in-depth perspective. Launching on April 24, 2020, the show is hosted by comedian and author Graham Norton and focuses on the actors and directors who worked on the various films in the vampire-loving series.
The show kicks off with a visit from the immensely talented Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen in the film series. After chatting about his experiences working with the talented crew of Sexify, the inimitable Mr. Pattinson reveals some interesting tidbits about the making of his two Twilight Saga films.
The Making Of ‘Twilight’
The first season of Sexify focuses on the making of the Twilight (2008) and New Moon (2009) films starring Robert Pattinson. The series follows the ups and downs of the production as it navigates the choppy waters of Hollywood.
The director of the series, Peter Berg, elaborates: “One of the great things about this show is that we get to explore the making of these incredible films from the inside. Everyone who has worked on these films in some way has been a part of changing Hollywood as we know it.”
Indeed, as the show opens, we see a montage of clips from the various Twilight and New Moon screenings held all over the world. From the breathtaking opening credits sequence to that brutal fight scene in the Rainforest, everything about this series screams prestige.
The opening titles for the first season of Sexify list some of the film’s ‘top moments.’ These include a playful fight sequence between Bella (Kristen Steward) and Edward (Pattinson) in the woods that ends with a passionate kiss, Bella’s epic entrance at the Voltaire Ball, and the film’s ultimate cliffhanger: the shocking revelation that Bella is pregnant.
These moments represent some of the most iconic scenes from the Twilight films. But did you know that there are actually things fans can discover about the making of these scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut?
Take, for example, the playful fight scene between Edward and Bella in the woods. The filmmakers originally shot this scene using an elaborate set. However, after viewing the dailies, it became apparent that there was something off with the action. The camera was following a slightly wrong path and wasn’t capturing the right angles. So the scene was redone and the fight was rewritten to make more sense in the context of the narrative.
Or take the scene where Edward fights to the death with Victoria’s (Deborah Levy) werewolf pack. For some reason, the directors decided to cut to a close-up of Edward’s face when he faces off against the wolves. But this close-up didn’t ultimately make the final cut, so we are left wondering what happened to Edward after he faced off against the vicious creatures.
The reason these scenes were changed is because they didn’t fit with the story that the script was trying to tell. And that’s a major takeaway from watching Sexify. Even though the footage looks fantastic and was probably the most expensive thing ever made at the time, it wasn’t necessarily what the filmmakers wanted the audience to see.
This is quite different from the way Hollywood typically makes films. The vast majority of scenes in most big-budget productions are carefully crafted to fit within the narrative of the story. Even if that means throwing out elaborate fight scenes that don’t necessarily make sense in the context of the story but serve the purpose of driving the narrative forward.
The Trouble With Remakes
One of the things that makes Sexify unique is that it focuses not only on the making of the two Twilight films but also on the entire phenomenon of the vampire movie. As the series progresses, we see different clips and behind-the-scenes footage from other films in the vampire movie genre, including Let Me In, Let The Devils Take Eve, Near Dark, and Twilight’s famous poster girl, Selena Gomez.
And what’s interesting about this iteration of the Twilight phenomenon is that while the first two films were massive hits and started a trend that continues to this day, the later films have largely been seen as failures, with Let Me In and Let The Devils Take Eve considered among the worst of the trilogy. Twilight was the biggest movie of 2008 and the tenth biggest of all time. New Moon was the biggest movie of 2009 and the eighth biggest of all time. After that, the films struggled to make an impact at the box office and both of the subsequent films in the trilogy were surprisingly unseen at the theaters when they were released.
Even more remarkably, none of the films in the Twilight Saga have ever been remade or rebooted. And that’s unusual for Hollywood, especially considering that this franchise spans three decades and has been one of the most successful film series of all time. This level of devotion to a series is unprecedented in the history of Hollywood. For some franchises, it might be several seasons before we see another film. But not for the Twilight Saga.
This could be attributed to several factors. First, the films have remained popular since their release, which is highly unusual considering this is usually the case with most films after their initial release. Second, the source material is arguably the best ever written, featuring some of the greatest vampire characters ever put to film. But perhaps most notably, the success of the Twilight films is credited to the fact that they are actually good. Better than good. Really good.
The later films in the Twilight franchise aren’t perfect, but they are a whole lot closer to being perfect than their predecessors. The first two films are a mix of clichés and bad writing. The dialogue is poorly delivered, mostly consisting of one-liners and clichés, and it’s extremely hard to suspend disbelief when watching those movies.
Let Me In is a bit of a mess, with heavy-handed symbolism and jump scares that don’t work that well together.
New Moon is the worst of the films. The dialogue is bad, the story is completely inconsequential, and there are several plot holes, inconsistencies, and mistakes. Plus, it ends with a major cliffhanger that makes no sense whatsoever in the context of the story.
But everything changes with Twilight, which is easily one of the greatest pieces of literature ever adapted into a film. It doesn’t hurt that screenwriter Stephenie Meyer is one of the most prominent paranormal romance authors of all time and brought her talents to bear on the screenplay. The dialogue is natural and feels like it could have been uttered by the characters in real life.
If you’re a big Twilight fan and have been wondering about the making of these films, then this new show is for you. Aside from giving you a glimpse into the production process, we also get to see famous faces like Robert Pattinson and Graham Norton, as well as some spectacular visuals that will bring the films to life again for you. It’s like getting a peek behind the curtain and being able to relive some of the most iconic scenes from one of the most iconic series of all time. Or, at the very least, watching a funny, thoughtful, and informative show about a Hollywood trend that has continued to this day. And yes, the show is on Netflix, so you know it’s good.