Twilight turned Robert Pattinson into a worldwide superstar and a lifetime crush of Twihards around the world, but he hasn’t always been the most complimentary about the vampire saga. However, it appears as if the English actor is done dunking on Edward Cullen and Bella Swan’s emo love story.
The Twilight films divided fans upon arrival. Some adored The CW-esque melodrama and love triangle featuring a vampire, wolf, and human, while others questioned if Bram Stoker rolled in his grave twice over this depiction of bloodsuckers. Pattinson, the co-lead star of the franchise, couldn’t help but get in on the fun and throw jabs at Twilight whenever the opportunity presented itself, though he would often do it in a tongue-in-cheek manner. After all, this is the man who once told Variety that he “stopped mentally progressing around the time when [he] started doing those movies.”
Now, it appears as if Pattinson is done using the franchise as his own personal punching bag once and for all. In an interview with GQ Spain, the actor discussed the impact of Twilight and how it’s still remembered in the pop culture zeitgeist. He also took the time to address the dissenters who can’t get over the sparkling vampires, stating, “I love that people keep telling me, ‘Man, Twilight ruined the vampire genre.’ Are you still stuck on that sh*t? How can you be sad about something that happened almost 20 years ago? It’s crazy.”
It’s an interesting U-turn for Pattinson – or he was never serious in his mockery of the franchise to begin with. No one can deny the impact of Twilight, though. The five films in the series brought in over $3.3 billion worldwide and transformed fandoms, conventions, and even Batman, as Pattinson went on to become the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The franchise shows no signs of slowing down either, as Netflix is preparing a Midnight Sun animated series that tells the story from Edward’s perspective, though it’s highly unlikely that Pattinson will reprise his role for the show.
Time proves to be the great equalizer, and the fact that everyone still talks about Twilight nearly two decades after its release reaffirms that author Stephenie Meyer created a timeless story. In comparison, no one mentions Underworld – an underrated vampire flick from the 2000s – in the same way as they do about Twilight. Maybe Pattinson is right – it’s time to move on and stop taking shots at the werewolves, vamps, and silly humans from the movie. Don’t be surprised if the Twilight TV series also turns into a smash hit.
Published: Jan 22, 2025 4:32 PM UTC