Posted in: Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: kristen stewart, lionsgate, twilight

Kristen Stewart on Catherine Hardwicke and Twilight's Wild Sequels

Kristen Stewart reflects on the Twilight saga, from Catherine Hardwicke’s stamp on the first film to sequels she calls “bizarrely” themselves.

The Twilight franchise became a smash hit for audiences who wanted swoony romance with a supernatural edge, turning Stephenie Meyer's best-selling books into a full-blown film pop culture phenomenon. Across five movies, the saga of Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black delivered cliffhanger endings, viral reactions, and some of the most quoted teen dialogue of the late 2000s. But if you're reading this, you probably know that already.

That being said, the films did not all come from the same creative voice. Catherine Hardwicke directed the first Twilight, while later entries brought in Chris Weitz, David Slade, and Bill Condon, which helped make some chapters more beloved than others. Now, Twilight lead Kristen Stewart is reflecting on that split, praising the director who launched the series and sharing empathy for the filmmakers who came after her.

Kristen Stewart on the Twilight Saga's Rotating Directors

Stewart tells The Hollywood Reporter, "That [first] Twilight movie is hers and reflects her; Catherine accomplished that, hands down. Being able to withstand and organize that many opinions, and still make something that feels like yours, is near impossible to do. With so many voices in the room and with so much expectation, nothing feels personal. [The Twilight sequels] had personality, in spite of a really stifled process. They feel almost overtly, bizarrely, spastically themselves. You need to have an incredibly thirsty, hungry, brazen, deplorably narrow drive. You look at that, and you get jealous of it as an actor. So, then you go, 'I'd like to form my own version of that.'"

Whatever fans think of individual entries, the numbers speak for themselves. The Twilight Saga has earned more than $3.3 billion worldwide on a combined budget reported at just over $400 million, putting it in the same financial league as some superhero and wizard franchises from the same era. Lionsgate clearly knows there is more blood in the vein. An animated Twilight series is now in the works with Lionsgate Television and Netflix, following news that the company has been developing a small-screen reboot of the books.

So, a return pretty much feels like a matter of when, not if. Until that happens, the original five Twilight films are still a very watchable time capsule, a mix of teen angst, odd tonal swings, and distinct directorial styles that fans can debate movie by movie on every rewatch.

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