The legendary Kristen Stewart has spent a lot of time over the years saying how much she loved acting and how grateful she was for all the roles she got to play. Well, it’s safe to say that she followed all of those years of acting dedication in full, as she is returning to the small screen for the first time in years, and it is for an extremely iconic role.
The film in question is none other than The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, where Stewart plays a key role along with her on-screen mother, Bella Swan, who she shares with co-star and on-screen father, Robert Pattinson, in one of the most anticipated releases of the summer.
So, with all the build-up and excitement, let’s dive into the details of this legendary reunion.
First Off, The Return To Acting
It all began with Stewart’s return to the small screen in 2017, with the premiere of the third and final season of the hit series, The Twilight Saga. In the series, Stewart plays Bella, a 17-year-old amateur vampire hunter who teams up with a teenage werewolf, Emmett, to save her town from a vengeful coven of witches. While The Twilight Saga was her first major return to acting since 2013’s Gone Away Big City, it wasn’t her first time acting in a TV series by any means. She had previously starred in the TV drama series, Snowfall, and had a small role in the 2012 film, Adventureland.
Stewart hadn’t been seen on screen in over three years at this point, but she didn’t exactly hide away from Hollywood either. She had released a statement in April 2016 saying that she had been working hard to find the right role and was excited about what was coming up in the near future. Little did people know at the time that she was referring to her return to acting in one of the most iconic and anticipated franchises of all time.
The Role
As we mentioned above, Stewart is coming back to play a major role in the highly anticipated sequel to The Twilight Saga. In fact, she is playing an integral part in the story, as it is revealed in the movie’s first trailer that her character plays a crucial role in the survival of Bella and the others. She is shown to be a special agent to Bella Swan’s father (played by Charlie Bishop), where she uses her special skills to help him navigate the dangerous world of vampires and werewolves. She is also shown to possess a great deal of courage, as she goes toe-to-toe with a shapeshifter, among other creatures, in what is being described as a real-life Lord of the Rings battle.
According to Variety, Stewart’s character is described as “a tough and resourceful government agent who goes toe-to-toe with the werewolves, displaying her scrappiness and determination in equal measure.” She is also said to bring some much-needed comic relief to the movie, as viewers will undoubtedly appreciate her quips and one-liners.
The Trailer
The trailer for Eclipse is now available, which you can check out below. In it, we are presented with a story of betrayal and tragedy, as Stewart’s character, Elizabeth, is seen fighting for her life while trapped in a cave full of savage creatures who wish to feast on her flesh. But, as you might expect, Eclipse is much more than your typical trailer bait. Besides showing us a glimpse of Stewart’s incredible talent, the trailer also teases several epic battles and some very emotional scenes. While Stewart’s character does die at the end of the trailer, it is certainly a scene that will have viewers emotionally invested in her survival.
The Eclipse trailer also confirms several previous reports that Stewart had a hand in the writing of the screenplay for The Twilight Saga sequel. She is one of a handful of writers who helped pen the screenplay for Eclipse along with director David Cronenberg and producer Kevin Feige. It is safe to say that The Eclipse trailer will whet the appetite of fans everywhere for this July 20th release.
Production
Principal photography on Eclipse began in February 2018 and wrapped just over two months later, in May, according to the New York Times. The film is expected to be released in theaters on July 20th, a little more than a month from now.
While we have seen glimpses of sets and costumes in previous Twilight Saga films, most fans will be looking forward to seeing the locations and sets that Stewart and Cronenberg have crafted for this final installment. Filming took place in Canada, as confirmed by Eclipse’s director of photography, Tim Seckman, on Twitter. During the production phase, Stewart kept herself busy by taking on several promotional duties, including appearing at Comic Con in San Diego and at Movie Night on the Gold Coast, Australia.
Post-Production
After wrapping production on Eclipse, Stewart returned to acting on the big screen, with the release of the highly anticipated Bumblebee in February 2019. Based on the famous G.I. Joe comic series (created by Jack Lehowski), Bumblebee pits Stewart’s volatile Joan Corday against a trail of revenge and ambition, as she tries to protect her son, Charlie, from a band of gun-toting businessmen.
This summer, Stewart made a rare appearance at a Comic Con as part of the cast for Bumblebee, and she also made a beeline to the popularity convention, D-Con, in Minneapolis, where she met with fans, promoted the movie, and signed autographs. She is also set to appear at several other comic conventions later this year.
While Bumblebee was a critical and commercial success, it was still only the beginning of Stewart’s 2019. Another major motion picture followed in the fall with The Outlaw Wife, starring Christina Applegate and Samuel L. Jackson, which also marks Stewart’s directorial debut. In late fall, she will appear in The Eerie Indeyeballer, a spin-off of The Eerie Archie comic series written and directed by Lisa Savage and starring Abby Wasserman as Archie’s granddaughter, Betty.
It’s been a busy year for Stewart, who has taken on several projects both big and small. While her work continues to be praised, it is unclear whether or not she will continue to have long breaks from acting.