It’s that time of year again. The sun is setting earlier, shops are closing down, and temperatures are plummeting. Is this the return of Fall? I think so!
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is currently in theaters around the world and we’ve seen some pretty incredible box office numbers. The midnight screenings have already begun to fill up and it seems like people are in an entirely different mood this time around. Perhaps it’s the melancholic air that hangs over the city as twilight turns into night or maybe it’s the fact that we’re finally going to see the much anticipated birth of Robert Pattinson’s and Kristen Stewart’s first child. Whatever the reason, it’s definitely an interesting phenomenon.
The final installment in the Twilight Saga was released in theaters on October 4th and since then, moviegoers have been eagerly flocking to see it. The midnight shows are already sold out, and some theaters are continuing to give tickets away for the remaining screenings. Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is currently the 4th highest grossing film of all time, just behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The film has received rave reviews from critics around the world and it’s been hailed as the perfect swan song to the Twilight Saga. For the first time in the history of cinema, it seems that a movie based on a book didn’t earn as much money as the book that it was based on.
Robert Pattinson’s Career To This Point
If you’ve been following celebrity news for the past year, you’ll know that Robert Pattinson’s had something of a comeback. He started off the year with the biggest hit of his career with the critically acclaimed film, The Rover. The film was such a huge success that it went on to earn over $500 million worldwide. Since then, he’s continued to gain more and more fans as he appears in increasingly more high-profile projects, often alongside A-list celebrities. He recently starred in the Netflix original series, The Get Down, which recently concluded its first season. Most recently, he can be seen as the male lead in the much anticipated indie film, Mad Max: Fury Road. Though he’s spent a large portion of his life in the public eye, it seems like Robert Pattinson has almost exclusively worked with high-profile directors and producers. His upcoming projects include the Woody Allen-directed comedy, Everything Must Go and the action thriller, Bad Kids Go to Hell. The latter film was written and directed by David M. Goyer, the writer of The Dark Knight Trilogy. Goyer is best known for co-writing (with Nolan) the Dark Knight films and their subsequent cinematic prequels. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Briga Heelis, and Michelle Monaghan.
Breaking Dawn – Part 2: The Sequel That Almost Didn’t Happen
In 2009, the Twilight Saga was at the height of its popularity. The highly anticipated fourth installment was in theaters, selling out multiple showings and drawing in big crowds of fans. Though we were ecstatic that Breaking Dawn – Part 2 was finally going to happen, it almost didn’t. The script was not very good, and it was originally going to be a five-part miniseries that would have wrapped up Twilight. After having a falling out with New Moon director, Chris Weiser, over creative differences, the producers decided to rework the ending of Breaking Dawn – Part 2 into a standalone film. The producers and the director of the film, Bill Condon, found an amazing script, called The Knife, which was penned by Star Trek Into Darkness writer John Rogers. Rogers was able to craft an incredible script that would be perfect for the big screen and it would also finally bring Bella Swan’s story to a satisfying conclusion. Once Condon and the producers decided to move forward with Rogers’ script, they started auditioning for a supporting actor to play Charlie, Bella’s faithful canine companion. While they were looking through their list of candidates, they noticed that one of their auditions, Edward Cullen, had actually appeared in an earlier draft of Rogers’ script and he fit the bill perfectly. So, in a roundabout way, it was all thanks to Twilight that we got to experience Breaking Dawn – Part 2. But, I think it’s fair to say that we were all a little relieved that it wasn’t going to be a five-part film after all.
The Future of the Twilight Saga
Though Breaking Dawn – Part 2 was the crowning glory of the Twilight Saga and one of cinema’s greatest films, it’s far from the end of the story. In fact, there’s still plenty left to happen. If you’ve been following the saga at all, you know that Kristen Stewart recently got married to her longtime boyfriend, Vince Vaughn. Though the wedding was incredibly beautiful and a wonderful ceremony, it didn’t stop Stewart from filming the highly anticipated sequel, On the Road. The film will arrive in theaters in January of 2016, just in time for the holidays. Fans are already campaigning for Stewart to don the crimson robes once more.
The other main character that we haven’t seen in a while is Emma Watson. Though she’s mostly stayed out of the limelight since her Harry Potter days, she’s maintained a very active social media following. Recently, she announced that she would be taking a break from her busy schedule to focus on her mental health. This comes after years of working tirelessly on projects like He For She, which fights gender inequality. In 2021, she’ll be participating in the global movement against climate change by touring the world with her concert series, Turn Up the Volume, performing songs from the golden era of Hollywood to raise awareness about climate change and inspire people to become more Eco-friendly. Though her future as a solo artist is still uncertain, she hasn’t ruled out a possible return to acting. For now, she’s taking a step back and focusing on her music and her humanitarian work.
The Twilight Saga isn’t over yet. It will continue through the anniversaries of both the first and second novels in 2022. Though it may be winding down, it will never really disappear as long as there are still Twilight fans out there. Why? Because when it comes to young adult literature, the zeitgeist is always shifting and evolving. Writers come and go, but the stories always seem to have new chapters written every few years. Thanks to the Internet, fans can continue to follow the adventures of Bella, Jacob, and their family far beyond the limits of a traditional book.