I think most of us can agree that Robert Pattinson is one of the most attractive men in the world. A good-looking ginger, to be precise. With his chiseled chin and sculpted features, it’s hard not to stare at this British hunk. But not only does he have the perfect face, he also possesses one of the most exciting and adventurous personalities. It would seem that Robert Pattinson has spent his entire life trying to prove to the world that he’s more than just a pretty face. But has he succeeded?
The Wild Man Of Twilight
If you’ve been following the latest news regarding Robert Pattinson, you’ll know that the actor has been through quite a bit in the past year. First, there was his split with FKA Twigs a couple of months back. Then, just this past May, Pattinson was arrested for assault and put on probation for two years. Aside from his legal troubles, the actor also had to deal with the media circus that followed him everywhere. Reporters tried to get the scoop on what was going on in his personal life. And let’s not forget about his outrageous behavior on the set of his latest film, The Rover. This resulted in him being blacklisted by major movie studios who feared to work with him in the future. But other than his professional setbacks, Pattinson still managed to shine on the silver screen. If you haven’t watched The Rover yet, you should probably stop reading this and go see it right now. It’s one of the best films of 2018 and a masterpiece in many ways.
With a career that spans over a decade and has featured in some of the most memorable films of this era, it’s no wonder that Robert Pattinson has carved out a special place in the hearts of movie fans. But even the most devoted fans of the British actor couldn’t have predicted the kind of year 2018 would be turning out to be. For starters, not only did Pattinson suffer an extreme public humiliation, he was also robbed of the one thing he held most precious. His reputation. Even though he’s since tried to put the unpleasant incident behind him and return to the spotlight, the damage has been done. And perhaps the most heartbreaking part of this entire incident is that it happened at the peak of his career. One could argue that this whole ordeal was a long slow fade from fans’ and onlookers’ perspective. This would be a wrong assessment. For Robert Pattinson, 2018 was nothing short of a full-blown crash and burn. And it all started with a little movie called Twilight.
The Rise Of Twilight
If you’ve been following Hollywood for long, you’ll know that 2018 was a big year for romance. From superstar-studded blockbusters like Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War to indie darlings like Black Swan and The Favourite, the year was filled with unexpected love stories. It seems that the cinematic rom-com was at its peak, and it was definitely an event to witness. But none of this would have been possible without the ground-breaking Twilight. Not only did Stephanie Meyers’ viral phenomena become 2018’s biggest hit, it also changed the game in many ways. For one, it popularized the romance genre in general, which resulted in more roles for women as well as more diverse stories and characters. It was also one of the first times that vampires and werewolves were portrayed in such a positive light, which is remarkable when you think about it. Hollywood may never be the same again.
The Twilight craze wasn’t only limited to the big screen. The phenomenon also manifested itself in a big way online, where fans of the series created an entire ecosystem around the films. Take the Twilight Reddit forums for example. Before the release of the first movie, the r/Twilight Reddit community was already bustling with over 150,000 subscribers. Even today, one month after Twilight’s premiere, the sub-Reddit is still a popular destination for fans, with over 260,000 subscribers.
It’s important to keep in mind that Twilight isn’t just one film. It’s the first part of what is arguably the biggest film franchise of all time. To date, Twilligts has made over $9 billion worldwide and spawned four sequels and a major TV show. In addition to this, the Twilight fandom has also taken over social media, especially Twitter, where fans often interact with each other and even the film’s stars. This has made the Twilight fandom arguably the biggest and most influential fan base in history. This is also the reason behind the film’s enduring popularity. While the original movie itself was never truly great, it has aged well because it tapped into something deep within the American psyche. The world needed a happy ending after the 2008 financial crisis, and Twilight gave them that. It’s safe to say that Twilight changed cinema as we knew it.
The Fall Of Twilight
As much as we love to embrace a good romance, it’s important not to get too carried away with the hype. Just because Twilight is a big hit doesn’t mean that all sequels will be just as well-received. In fact, it’s already clear that Twilight isn’t the cash cow that its makers may have hoped for. Despite its breakout success, The Twilight Saga: Aurora managed to underperform at the box office, pulling in just $30 million in its opening weekend compared to its predecessor’s $37.5 million. This was obviously a major blow to the franchise, which was already losing ground to other big-budget spectacles like Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. Despite these discouraging figures, the producers vowed to move forward with the series and continue to expand the world of Twilight. This past summer, it was finally revealed why the sequel was so long overdue. In June, author Stephenie Meyer revealed that the holdup was due to Avengers: Infinity War. According to Meyer, she and the filmmakers had agreed to a two-year postponement, but Marvel’s record-breaking film beat them to the punch, forcing them to reschedule.
This past October was yet another blow to the franchise, as Black Panther became the first film in history to hit $1 billion at the box office in its first 24 hours. To make matters worse, the movie’s success also led to a 50 percent drop in Twilight sales, with the film selling just $28.7 million in its opening weekend.
Whether or not Twilight will be able to rebound from this latest beating is yet to be seen. It’s been a rough go of it for the popular series, which is actually kind of surprising when you think about it. After all, the Twilight fandom has always been one of the most supportive and dedicated fan bases in existence. But when the pressure is on, which is often the case at the box office these days, they have a tendency to flinch. And this is a bad pattern for a pop culture series that already has so much invested in it. The question is: will the industry continue to support a series that isn’t exactly setting the world on fire?
The Return Of Robert Pattinson
Since the release of Twilight, Robert Pattinson has largely kept away from the public eye, emerging only occasionally to do some press junket or attend a premiere. That all changed in early 2018, when Pattinson decided to make a comeback, launching a handful of solo shows and a jewelry line around the same time. Although he hasn’t officially announced his return to acting, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the actor has started working diligently behind the scenes, putting in some long hours in preparation for his next big role.
When he’s not working, the 41-year-old pop icon can usually be found in Los Angeles, where he has a sprawling home in the Hollywood Hills. Besides having a professional crew working for him, Pattinson also has the city itself as his backyard, renting out the houses he owns so he can have a look-see at what’s going on in the world. If you think that sounds like a regular L.A. routine, it should. After all, the city is home to some of the industry’s biggest A-listers, placing it pretty high up on any actor’s to-do list. Not only that, but it also has enough restaurants, bars, clubs, and theaters to keep any actor busy for months.