It’s been 12 years since “Breaking Dawn—Part 2,” the final film in Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment’s five-blockbuster adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” book series. But one thing about vampires is that they tend to live forever, especially if you’re a Cullen. In April 2023, news broke that Lionsgate Television is developing a “Twilight” series with Meyer involved. Now, the entertainment company confirmed that the series is moving forward as an animated project. “We’re going to go out with the ‘Twilight’ series, an animated series,” said Vice Chairman of Lionsgate, Michael Burns, during a media conference. “I think there’ll be a lot of interest in that.”
The project is still in the early stages, but Lionsgate’s other recent franchise revivals, including “The Hunger Games” and “Spartacus,” have us planning ahead for the return of “Twilight.” Here is everything we know about the upcoming animated series.
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Meyer’s novel series—which consists of “Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse,” and “Breaking Dawn”—kicks off as teenager Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington, from Arizona and falls in love with the mysterious Edward Cullen. Soon after, she learns Edward is not a fellow teen but a 104-year-old vampire. Throughout the four books, Bella fights off nomadic covens and vengeful vampire armies, befriends the werewolf Jacob Black, and (spoiler alert) becomes a bloodsucker herself to save her child with Edward.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson found international stardom when they landed the roles of Bella and Edward, respectively, for 2008’s “Twilight.” The film saga also stars Taylor Lautner as Jacob, Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale, Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen, Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale, Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen, and Elizabeth Reaser as Esmee Cullen. Other big names who appeared in the franchise include Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Sheen, Gil Birmingham, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
After directing the first film, Catherine Hardwicke stepped away from the franchise, with Chris Weitz leading “New Moon,” David Slade taking on “Eclipse,” and Bill Condon overseeing Part 1 and Part 2 of “Breaking Dawn.” The adaptations didn’t exactly receive critical praise (except for Hardwicke’s use of blue tones and her ability to make the first movie on such a low budget), but all five films of the “Twilight” saga were box office hits. Collectively, the adaptations grossed more than $3.4 billion worldwide, and they repeatedly set records for advance ticket sales and opening weekend grosses.
Melissa Rosenberg wrote the screenplay for all five feature films.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sinead Daley is attached to write the script. Daley has a long and diverse list of credits, including Hulu’s “Tell Me Lies,” the limited series “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” and Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis’s musical drama for Netflix, “The Get Down.”
Lionsgate TV is the studio behind the adaptation. Former Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erik Feig—and Wyck Godfrey, whose Temple Hill production company produced the five “Twilight” films—are on as executive producers.
Meyer is also expected to be involved in some way, though it’s unclear if she’ll be a writer or work in a consulting capacity.
The series hasn’t committed to a cast, but the notoriety of “Twilight” as a property could lead to high-profile names joining the project. On the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Hardwicke endorsed host Josh Horowitz’s suggestions of “Saltburn” star Jacob Elordi and “Wednesday” favorite Jenna Ortega for a modern-day Edward and Bella. Of course, neither Elordi nor Ortega are attached to the series (at least for now).
The series also offers the opportunity to start or boost the careers of a few up-and-comers. As mentioned, the franchise launched Pattinson, Stewart, and Lautner to new heights in their careers. All three performers have gone on to lead major projects because of (and maybe even despite) the original “Twilight” films.
Pattinson, the latest to take on the Dark Knight mantle in 2022’s “The Batman,” has garnered acclaim for performances in experimental films like “The Lighthouse” and blockbusters like “Tenet.” Meanwhile, Stewart earned an Oscar nomination for playing Princess Diana in 2021’s “Spencer” and received Sundance raves for A24’s romantic thriller “Love Lies Bleeding.” Lautner, who largely stepped back from the spotlight in recent years, remains one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment, as evidenced by his internet-breaking appearance at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
If you’re eyeing a role in the potential “Twilight” series, check out our interviews with the original stars to learn how they made it through the first time around:
- Kristen Stewart on “Spencer,” Post-"Twilight” Fame, and More
- Getting Lost in the Work With Robert Pattinson
- Robert Pattinson on His Worst (and Weirdest) Audition
- Kristen Stewart: Being Great at Auditioning Doesn’t Mean You’re a Great Actor
- Anna Kendrick Puts Her Characters, Her Career—and Herself—Under the Microscope
- Chaske Spencer (Sam Uley) on Almost Quitting Acting—and What Kept Him Going
- JD Pardo (Nahuel) on Using Fear, Committing Fully, and More
Although the reboot is still in its very early stages, other similar projects are casting now. Check out our roundup of romance features, voiceover jobs, and streaming gigs that are actively searching for talent. Be sure to bookmark our main casting page for more opportunities, too.
If you’re looking for more audition advice (particularly when it comes to getting cast on a YA adaptation), check out our guides:
With Lionsgate remaining tight-lipped so far, a possible production date is still far into the future. As Hardwicke alluded to on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, development was most likely delayed due to the joint SAG-AFTRA/Writers Guild of America strike that largely shut down Hollywood from May to September 2023. She said she has not “actually found out exactly” what the new series would look like” and that “maybe [the production] doesn’t even know.”
In an interview with Collider, Lautner also shared what he knew about the reboot, which, unfortunately, is very little. "I'm very excited to see what they have in mind with the show. Truthfully, I wish I could give you some exciting secrets, but I truly know nothing. I'm excited to see what they do with it."
Even though he didn’t know much about the series' future, he did share some advice for those hoping to land the role of Jacob or any other “Twilight” character one day.
“Just soak up every moment. I mean, it obviously will have a lot of traction behind it. The fan base is still certainly here and thriving, so it’s gonna be a whirlwind for whoever is involved in that. I would just say enjoy everything, the highs, the lows, because you blink, and I’m like, 'Wow, our last movie was 12 years ago.' It's crazy. I always wish I could go back in time and experience some of that stuff again and just live in the moment, so my advice would be to live in the moment."
Despite Hardwicke and Lautner being kept in the dark, Variety reports that Lionsgate Television, which controls the franchise rights, is currently shopping the rights to the series. At this time, it does not have a network or platform.
Lionsgate’s co-productions can be found everywhere, from CBS’s “Ghosts” to Starz’s acclaimed “Power” franchise. On the nostalgia front, the studio’s TV arm is working on a “Spartacus” sequel series titled “Spartacus: House of Ashur,” while its film department recently revived “The Hunger Games” with the prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
There is no confirmed release date for the “Twilight” TV series, so check back for updates throughout the development process.
