Is there anything more beautiful than a celebrity couple’s adorable love story? We bet there isn’t! While many of us may have been sad to see Twilight go, it seems that its most famous star is feeling the same way. Robert Pattinson recently opened up about his regrets on Twitter and it seems that his comments about the franchise are more than just a cute confession — they may also indicate that he has some serious doubts about the final installment.
The Twilight series has accomplished a lot. In just over a decade, it has become one of the most successful film franchises of all time with a staggering $13 billion at the box office and more than 100 million DVDs sold. It also made its mark on pop culture, inspiring such fashion trends as the “Twilight fever” and “mortality complex.” Perhaps most impressively, Twilight won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, proving that even the most beloved children’s books can be turned into a successful film.
However, despite all of this, Twilight may not be as perfect as we thought. Thanks to an unlikely source — Twitter user @Kaya_Yap — we may finally be able to piece together the truth about what happened behind the scenes of Twilight. We may not like what we learn, but that’s a topic for another day.
The Making of Twilight
In 2007, Summit Entertainment and the BBC teamed up to give the world The Making of Twilight. A five-part documentary that followed the production of the first three Twilight films back-to-back, the movie shed light on the production team’s behind-the-scenes battles, story decisions, and most importantly, its most iconic moments. It even gave us our first hint of Bella’s “vampire” transformation, which would go on to become one of the most iconic scenes in pop culture history.
Many fans may have viewed this as the holy grail of Twilight films. If you’ve never seen it, it’s not hard to understand why. We’ll give you a moment to prepare yourself for what’s about to come…
The Making of Twilight made its mark on history for many reasons, but a few things stand out. While watching the movie can still feel like an amazing experience even 20 years later, it’s clear that things haven’t stayed the same. The special features on the DVD make it clear that a lot has changed even since the first film was released.
For one, Jacob is now a full-fledged teenager and he and Bella have developed a relationship that seems a lot more… mature. The two spend a lot of time together — both literally and mentally — and while there’s no denying that this is a cute story, it’s also one that feels more appropriate for adults. It’s also interesting to see the differences in the way the films were made compared to how they look today.
One of the most interesting parts of The Making of Twilight is its frank discussion of controversial topics like religion and gender. The film opens with an interesting exchange between director Catherine Hardwicke and actor Billy Burke. In it, Hardwicke wonders if it was right to cast a transgender woman in the role of Renée. In the movie, Renée is given the name Charlie and plays a crucial role in the development of Jacob’s character. While some fans may see this as a groundbreaking step for Hollywood, it was actually quite the opposite. It was a decision made to better reflect society and the times in which we live. Director Catherine Hardwicke remarked that she wanted “to make sure that [she] didn’t whitewash” the film industry and that it was “time to bring the world the truth about who we are.”
It’s not just gender and religion that made headlines in 2007. Summit and the BBC also discussed the controversial topic of animal cruelty in the context of the film’s “beast” scene. According to the production notes, the scene was initially going to be much longer, but it was eventually whittled down to what we see today. In the scene, Jacob comes across a bear cub stuck in a trap and saves it, only to be confronted by the bear’s wild parents. This is when the real carnage begins. While it’s a crucial scene in the evolution of Jacob’s character, it’s also something that many animal rights activists find upsetting. For those who feel that animals shouldn’t be harmed, it’s one of the most disturbing scenes in the entire series.
Why Did Robert Pattinson Regret Working On Twilight?
While many celebrities may have had their moment of regret after working on Twilight, it seems that Rob has been burdened by this project his entire life. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he remarked, “I was really sad that my film got pigeonholed as a kid’s movie. It’s funny because I have a kid’s heart, but people always think of me as a teenager. It was a mistake.”
The pressure to live up to Twilight’s massive success may have been too much for Rob. Despite it being considered one of the most important films of his career, he eventually withdrew from public life, shut himself away in his mansion, and devoted himself to his health and wellness. While it wasn’t all bad, it’s clear that Rob wasn’t meant to be in front of the cameras for much of 2014. And from what we’ve heard, it seems that his participation in the final season of David Lynch’s famous television series, Twin Peaks, may have been the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.
The desire to prove himself to be more than just an iconic face may have led Rob to push himself too far. In an interview with Parade, he said, “[Twilight] became bigger than me. I was a young actor trying to prove myself, and I became so absorbed in it, it took over my existence. It was as if I were a different person. I felt powerless.”
Twilight Is Unique
It’s been eight years since Twilight was released, and aside from being arguably one of the most important films ever made, it also changed the way we look at cinema. Thanks to advances in technology, special effects, and most importantly, storytelling, the film stood out from the rest of the pack. It was both technically and artistically groundbreaking and established a new standard for films.
While many sequels were made after Twilight, none of them really came close to matching its original magic. If anything, they seem even more of a pale imitation. One of the reasons why Twilight remains one of the most significant films of all time is because it changed what we expected from a movie. It broke the fourth wall and told us as viewers that we were seeing this story through the eyes of its young protagonist. Even today, after all these years, it’s still one of the most stunning examples of cinematic magic we have today.
Why Do We Still Care About Twilight?
If there’s one thing that Twilight is known for, aside from being one of the most important films of all time, it’s the “will they or won’t they” love story between Bella and Jacob. This dynamic duo’s romance has transcended time and continues to fascinate audiences across the world. While their love may not be “epic” as Victoria and Albert’s was, it’s still one of the most popular pairings in fiction. This iconic love story inspired a massive “Twilight fandom,” defined as “the community of people who have an inexplicable and possibly unhealthy obsession with Twilight,” and we’re seeing a lot of this these days. But why? Why do we still care about this film so much?
Thanks to an unlikely source, we may have an answer. While talking to Vanity Fair, Summit Entertainment CEO Peter Levin remarked, “I think what makes Twilight different is that it’s not just about love. It’s about this whole other side of life that people can relate to.”
For Levin, this certainly may be true. While many may see Jacob and Bella’s romance as simply “cute,” it was something more. This was a story about two people who were “different,” something that many people could identify with. Even now, 8 years after the premiere of Twilight, fans continue to relate to this charming young couple’s struggle to be accepted by their fellow man. Thanks to its powerful message about identity, many people continue to see Twilight as a liberating film. This is in stark contrast to the many years that followed, when it seemed that the world was simply enjoying itself too much to notice or care about the struggles of others.