Twilight Saga To Get Netflix Reboot

Like vampires, werewolves and messy love triangles that end with your best friend and child being soulmates — that’s right — the Twilight Saga is getting a reboot.

Many will remember the original franchise became a world-wide phenomenon in 2008, inspiring a new generation of supernatural shows, films and young adult (YA) books.

The films were directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starred the now beloved, Robert Pattinson as teen vampire Edward Cullen, Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Taylor Lautner as lovable werewolf Jacob Black. 

The franchise played such a role in the lives of girls in the early 2000s that high schools and colleges across America had what Forbes describes as a “cult” fan base. The Independent described the movie’s influence as the “Twilight Renaissance,” marking a resurgence in fan activity on social media in 2021.

“The movie’s ongoing popularity over a decade after its release is a testament to its significance, not only through its commercial success but also its influence on popular culture and the film industry,” according to The Independent. Now 12 years after “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” Lionsgate Television wants to revive the blockbuster adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s book series from a different perspective.

According to TV Insider, the series will stream on Netflix following the “Midnight Sun” storyline, focusing entirely on retelling the events from Edward’s eyes.

With executive talks of animation development reaching “Twihards” across the globe, many are wondering who will be cast as their favorite characters.

The short answer, Backstage said, is we don’t know. What we do know is that the writer and executive producer of the series will be Sinead Daley, the writer of Hulu’s “Tell Me Lies,” the limited series “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” and Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis’ musical drama for Netflix, “The Get Down.” Meyer will also serve as an executive producer on the team with her Fickle Fish Films partner Meghan Hibbett.

“I think everyone loves it because we got Bella’s perspective,” senior digital media and journalism student, Daisy Ryan said. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Forbes agreed with Ryan, stating that the original franchise’s audience was 80% women, calling it “hard proof that a film entirely targeted at females, centered around a female, and concerning the narrative journey of a female, could attract genuine blockbuster dollars without the male audience.”

It is clear that female audiences connected with the protagonist, Bella Swan, in their own ways — relating to her struggles with insecurity and her growing pains from teen to woman.

While none of us can play high-speed baseball with vampires, jump off cliffs at La Push or shape-shift into a werewolf, many of us can relate to awkward high school crushes and the overall change into adulthood.

“My friends love to watch Twilight as a comedy,” Lisa Grane, a sophomore ASL major, said. “We love it, but I don’t know about the reboot.”

Currently, there is no confirmed release date for the “Twilight” TV series.

How do you feel about a “Twilight” reboot? Is it worth the watch, or is it a waste of time?

Merritt is the arts & culture editor for the Liberty Champion.