Twilight 101: An Introduction to the Next Big Thing?

I love this book (I’m not as crazy as a lot of the fangirls are but I still have read it many times). This movie will be interesting and probably won’t live up to the hype.
First. the book is from Bella’s perspective and it has a lot of what’s going on in her mind during this. This makes her really easy to relate to. The movie will either have mood killing dialogue or just have the atress which doesn’t connect as well.
Also, in the book it focuses more on their love for eah other and even during the big climati sequence its all about Bella thinking of Edward. So either the movie can focus on that (and possibly make it work like Titanic did which is very unlikely) or focus on the action and alienate a lot of the fanbase.
Third, do not go see this movie if you hate talkative teenagers. This is important. There will be a lot of girls talking about how ugly Edward is, how they changed this, how it is all wrong.
I think this is a hard movie to make and by using what seems like horrible casting choices it will be a shock if it is a good movie. The second book will be even harder to cast since Edward is there only at the beginning and end and about half the book is considered by some as a huge pile of shit.
That was my overly long answer but to sum up: it will probably be bad but there will be a ton of talkative teenagers at each showing so it might make some money.

This movie will be huge. Huge. Huge huge huge.

It really is like Romeo & Juliet on Steroids. It has everything a book, and a movie, should have. Romance, intensity, lust, passion, action, horror, fantasy, comedy..you name the emotion, Twilight has it.

I’m a huge HP nerd, to a pretty obsessive point, but they aren’t the same by a longshot- to compare them in any way is pretty hard- the only similarity is that they both have rabid fan bases. I think this movie is going to put summit on the map, and these almost unknown actors will be who everybody is talking about come Christmas.

Edward’s not a senior in Twilight - he’s a junior. Unless you meant that he’s 100 years her senior, then that is accurate. Anyway, I can’t wait for this movie to come out, and it will be amazing, I can assure you! I’m not worried about any of the characters except Charlie (Billy Burke), and Laurent (Edi Gadriel, I believe), though the latter seems like a nice guy, so he’s okay. Literally, the tickets will be sold out a month before the movie actually comes out, and it will be sold out for at least the first month of its premiere. We twi-hards want to see it more than once incase we faint the first time by Robert’s dazzling.

Michelle Graham: Sorry to bring down the wrath you feared, but Edward is a high school JUNIOR in the first book, not a senior. Just had to set the record straight on this minute detail/inaccuracy - but you kind of walked right into that one… (wink)

Rob Hunter: Check out the 5000+ registered users on TwilightMoms.com, a site devoted to Twilight fans over the age of 25. Several similar fan sites have comparable membership and they all have scores of unregistered visitors each day. There is a huge underground buzz right now, but a teaser trailer is set to come out in May, followed by what I can only assume will be a rigorous summer and fall of advertising in theaters and on TV. The production company and all of the cast and crew are eager to see the sequels come to pass, from what they have mentioned in interviews and articles. Given the fact that a placeholder website is already up for the film, I see a lot of internet advertising coming our way as well, possibly on Myspace and the like which would guarantee a viral (if you will) spread of info about the movie. The music is being chosen by the gal who supervises the soundtrack for Gossip Girl and Grey’s Anatomy, both incredibly popular for their music, so a very current soundtrack will also generate interest. The primary cast members that have been selected each have a strong following, and the crew working on this film have worked on very current, very modern television and blockbuster-type movies, so this will not be a B-rated dud that will collect cobwebs on the shelf at Hollywood Video. The stunts, special effects, soundtrack, etc. should be top-notch.

Jillian Norrie: Sure, there are nay-sayers who will forever disagree with the casting decisions, but it is impossible to cast the characters that have been developed in the minds of readers long before the movie was ever a thought. You can’t please everyone, or bring everyone’s ideal 17 year-old impossibly beautiful vampire to life. As director Catherine Hardwicke mentioned in one of the MTV clips, the movie will show a lot of the action that is implied in Bella’s narration, but not necessarily detailed in the book. I think that’s smart, it will draw in a female AND male audience, fill out the parts of the story that could be considered “slow” in a movie, and make it more likely for the film to achieve good box office numbers. (In turn, making sequels possible.) I am ALL for seeing my favorite books on the big screen, so even if some creative liberties are taken, I will be grateful for the chance to see someone’s vision of the book played out. Not all of us can produce and direct movies, so I’m just happy that someone was willing to pay for it and take it on!

I’m not psychic, but I think I can safely predict that this movie will see a strong opening on December 12, and be followed closely by adaptations of the next three books in the series. If the flipping Hostel movies can be duplicated, so can this one! :)

In no way was the internet buzz “solely generated” by the MTV blog. I’ve been in this fandom a long time and it’s been HUGE way before this blog which has only been around for a few weeks. You should delve further into your evidence and look at the twilight communities that have been around a lot longer. The fandom has been in a buzz, excited about news coming out before MTV jumped on the bandwagon. MTV is just a new source of news at the moment.

Summit may not be big now, but they WILL be after this film. Hype or not, the Twilight series/saga has a huge group of devoted fans who will see the film whether they agree with the casting or not because they love the books so much. THey have been gushing about the books ALONE on massive forums all over the net, these books were a phenomenon far before the rights were sold for a film. Even HP fans who ‘hate’ the HP films SAW them.

I fully support the cast and appreciate the fact that the film is being made with lesser known actors (who will not go unnoticed for much longer) and though some of them have bodies of work not widely viewed (Robert Pattinson for example) I have seen much of his work here in England and he is incredibly talented, as is Kristen Stewart and they will do these beloved characters justice.

All in all, I feel very strongly that this film is going to live up to the ‘hype’ as you call it. There are thousands of fans dying to see it and I am fairly certain they will see it numerous times.

Michelle, i THINK the main dude might be a junior…

Just throwing that out there, ‘case ya didn’t know.

I understand the fear of putting labels on this film. Is it the next HP? NO. Nothing will ever be. HP is what it is. The better question is whether Twilight will be the next successful franchise. (success being measured in strict terms, i.e. how much did it cost Summit to make + marketing-expenses) and I’m here to predict it will be a huge hit for them. What Twilight has going for it that neither The Golden Compass nor Eragon did was it’s appeal to females of all ages. Females who don’t blink at the idea of seeing a movie 7-10 times in the theater or feel strange or embarrassed of doing so. Females who will drag their significant others or else. More importantly females who KNOW the chances of making a sequel depend on how well Twilight does at the box office. So yeah. I think this film will be a great coup for Summit.

This movie will be HUGE! The fanbase is already there from those who have read the books, both teens, Moms and even Dads! The movie appears to follow the book fairly well and the changes won’t, IMO, be so drastic that it will change the tone of the books’ theme. This will satisfy that fanbase. But it also looks as though the movie will have a much broader appeal to those who have never read the books (although I do recommend reading them!) Like the books, the movie will have everything to draw suspecting and unsuspecting Twilighters in: romance, action, drama, comedy and some hot sexy vampires!

Thanks for this article. I thought it was very well done. Come check out TwilightMoms…you will see a whole other side of the fanbase!

Leaving the quality argument aside, I feel compelled to comment on some of the above claims, predictions, hopes, and dreams. A lot can change in the next seven months, but for now I’m standing by my original statement… the sequels will debut on dvd, if they get made at all.
With all due respect to the impassioned fans of this PG-13 Anne Rice-lite lit, a website with 5000+ registered members won’t even break the skin at the box-office. 5000 X $10/ticket (assuming the “moms” don’t drop the kiddies at daycare and head to the cheaper matinees) is only 50k. Even if they saw the movie ten times each you’re still at only half a million $. Even with “several similar fan sites” these numbers aren’t enough, especially since odds are most of these fans are registered on multiple sites. MTV will keep doing what Summit is undoubtably paying them to do each week, ad nauseum, but the series will need a lot more than that to enter the public conciousness in any meaningful way.
I’m a fan myself, (not of Twilight obviously, but of many maligned book-to-screen renditions) so I wish you all luck in getting the movie you want and deserve. Just don’t be surprised if the sequels end up premiering at Blockbuster.
That said, the first movie will still open to bigger box-office than Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, NY.

urgh! Twilight simply cannot even be compared to Harry Potter. i wish everyone would stop it. i love twilight, but no way in hell is it ever going to be the ‘next harry potter.’ Nothing will ever compare to harry. twilight is nothing compared to it.

Okay, Rob Hunter I have something to say to you. “There are more then just the Twilight Mom fans.” I go to a very small private school with thirty people in each grade and at our school alone there are twenty-five die-hard fans just in the seventh and eighth grades. Plus, theres our moms, our friends who don’t go to the school, our dads, cousians, boyfriends, and siblings and OH! wow right there you have over one hundred people. We all are planning on going to the midnight release of the movie and then going back twice a week until it is out of theators. Oh, ya and our movie tickets aren’t ten dollars, they’re seventeen dollars. Hmmmm, still like your theory?
A movie franchise this big will not go directly to DVD. That is so stupid. Oh and never-ever call it an Anne-Rice-Lit Lite. I hate Anne Rice.
Have you ever read Twilight? Hmm I didn’t think so. Try reading before you bash.

Rob: Yeah, I think I may possibly have mixed up the school years.. Thanks for clearing that up! Glad no one else caught it ;)

The comparison to Harry Potter isn’t based on plot, it’s based on the fact that it’s a huge fantasy series which has spawned a huge franchise of movies and merchandise, which is what Twilight looks to be shaping up to do. What everyone wants to know is will it catch the attention of the mainstream the same way Potter has, so that it continues on to be as big. Something has to fill the void left by Harry when book 7 is finally completed, and Twilight’s sequels could step in nicely.

As for internet buzz, I agree that the buzz started elsewhere, but I’m unsure as to where it hit the mainstream, as opposed to Twilight fansites. Superherohype.com might rave about a comic-book movie, but we expect buzz on that from there, but when it starts hitting the other sites (/film, for example) then the buzz kicks up a notch. Plus, wow is MTV pushing the boat out on Twilight coverage!

As for the mis-spelling of the author, I honestly thought I caught all the typos, sorry!

twilight does not have the potential to become the next harry potter, it is not even in the same league as hp. twilight is a really great story, but harry potter is a whole freaking awesome world.

it does so have the potential. i mean, have you seen the times article?

its in Times Magizine and on their website

I know it’s already been mentioned, but Edward’s a JUNIOR. Why can’t you guys do the research? *sigh*

Rob hunter, you are seriously starting to get me pissed off. Read the book before you make comments about how its going to do in the theaters! And if your not a fan of the book then why r you even here, writing not one but 2 comments about it. There is sooo many more people besides twilightmoms and they’ll bring their husbands/friends/and boyfriends with them. Plus, we all are going to see it multiple times for sure, and i agree with lexi, the twilight fandom would NEVER let the movie’s do bad in the boxoffice. Ohh and i forgot, summit will do so much advertising i.e. internet, tv shows, commericals etc. that it will draw a whole different and new audience, even more people. Its’s going to be sold out for weeks! and so will the sequels. If the Twilight series doesnt do well, i might just die of shock.

Okay people, i freaking love the Twilight series!
And i do NOT like Harry Potter.
There is no comparison because Twilight is so much BETTER than Harry Potter.
And yeah, Twilight’s gonna be big.
All of my best friends have read it, and the ones who haven’t read it are going to read it and see the movie.
Also, Lauren is right, because these people who keep writing articles for Twilight always screw something up, so maybe delve a little deeper into the book series before you write an article on it.
whew, glad i got that off my chest!

TWILIGHT is already big….it is just a matter of people opening their eyes..OH BY THE WAY…EDWARD is not a senior in high school, he is a junior..LOL..

The fanbase is hugh and that in and of itself will carry it through. Thanks for the article.

This movie is going to be Harry Potter huge, though maybe not with the 1st one. Twilight will be really big, but the sequels will be even bigger (and yes there WILL be sequels). The movie Twilight will expand the fandom even more. Even if it is mostly girls, those girls have boyfriends that they can drag to the movies! It won’t be long until the Twilight fanbase is just as diverse as the Harry Potter fanbase.

Rob Hunter, you fiend.

Welcome to the world of movies, Twilighters! A world where nothing is ever certain. I have to say that I hope the Twilight series succeeds. Why? Because I love great movies. Perhaps the comparisons to Harry Potter need to stop - it seems like the death-stroke to anything, setting the bar far too high for anything to reach. It’s like calling a young golfer the next Tiger Woods or an aspiring film critic the next Cole Abaius. And, let’s be honest, there’s no way this movie will clear $90 mil it’s opening weekend like HP 1 did. Nor is it getting the $125 mil budget that HP 1 did.

And now, some potentially bad news - Summit Entertainment is handling the film. Not that they don’t have some gems, but they are a (relatively) young production company that has had some major missteps in recent times. Also, hold off on calling it a major franchise just yet: gigantic book sales don’t always translate into blockbuster box office numbers. Rob Hunter’s much-hated straight to DVD comment might still come true.

And now, the good news - your director is Catherine Hardwicke. She’s from Texas, meaning she is awesome, and if she handles Twilight with the same sensibility as she did with Thirteen, it should be a great film. Unfortunately, she’s not tested on the major playing field (let alone anywhere near Harry Potter whose first director was Chris Columbus).

So I may be just another film idiot, but I have doubts about Twilight scoring the type of numbers that guarantee a sequel. Your weakest link is Summit (an ironic name in this case) whose latest high grosser was Step Up 2: The Streets with over $50 mil. Hardly blockbusting numbers. Mr. and Mrs. Smith racked up huge numbers, but it also had the biggest names in acting in Pitt and Jolie.

There is a ton going against the movie, an unvetted director, a lackluster production company without a major studio machine behind it, a screenwriter who has worked in TV but never ventured into film until now, and a fairly unknown cast that won’t pull people into the theater on their own.

But, the film still has a decent shot if the fans rally behind it, and if the product is good, then word of mouth will bring new fans to the table.

I feel that’s a fair assessment of the situation, but flame on.

& now on the opposing side(I like helping everyone) Edward is a senior in New Moon and Eclipse, so lets be a little nicer

december 12 will not come soon enough.
you do realize that hsm3 will come out before twilight?
that just makes twilight seem all too far away.

i will admit it, im going crazy!

muahaha.

oh and i think we all know by now that there was an error…hes a JUNIOR.

One thing I don’t quite understand is why being compared to something as successful as Harry Potter is considered an insult. I’ve been told repeatedly that it’s nothing like Harry, which makes sense as Harry’s main focus isn’t a relationship between a girl and a boy, but just a group of friends making their way through school (and Harry surviving to adulthood to Kick Voldemort’s ass, obviously!), but what about from a literary point of view? Is Twilight a compelling read? Does it have you turning the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next? Does it have you caring for the characters? Is it set in a world not quite like ours? Is it big among teen girls and their mothers? (I am NOT excluding any portion of the audience, I guarantee there will be huge numbers of males reading it too, I’m just saying that the main audience would be those) Is it something that could keep the teen (and children’s, though Twilight may have more adult content than Harry did) movie market open for a series, with so many other adaptations falling on their faces. Narnia, a classic series with so many people who grew up reading it, is in danger of having the final 4 books being dropped from the movie schedule. His Dark Materials may never be finished, Eragon seems to have disappeared from view. Will Twilight be just another series that never was, or will it cross over, the way Harry did, the way Lord of the Rings did, and really make an impact on pop culture in the mainstream? These are the reasons I think that the comparison between Harry and Twilight is a fair one to think about. Not to do with plot, but to do with impact :)

Thanks for the article! It’s good to see someone taking the time to research and try to explore and explain the Twilight phenomenon. Just though’t I’d offer my two cents:

Judging by the attention the movie is getting now, 7 months before the movie is released, I most definitely think Twilight is going to be big. Whether it will knock Harry Potter off the top spot is hard to say, but that’s not the point either. A movie’s success isn’t solely based on whether is “beats” Harry Potter or not; with the position the Harry Potter phenomenon holds, the fight will never be fair, in my opinion.
However, due to it’s active fanbase, Twilight most definitely have an advantage compared to other series like Narnia, Eragon and His Dark Materials. The Twilight fans have created the buzz all by themselves, and the promotion of the movie will only make it even bigger.

On that note, MTV did not solely generate the internet buzz. Just look at all the Twilight fansites around - they have thousands of visitors daily and have been reporting news and scored actor interviews since long before MTV came into the picture. MTV simply saw the potential and decided (as one of the first “non-Twilight sites”) to jump on the bandwagon and get the fans on their side by providing interviews and clips beyond what the fansites could do. Still, that does not mean that the Twilight fans don’t appreciate the Twilight Tuesdays - we most definitely do!

I saw someone mentioning the cast of the movie, and I must say that I support every single of Summit’s choices. They seem to have chosen actors who both look like their characters and are determined to make an effort to portray them right. The fact that many of them are fairly unknown is something I only see as positive, and I hope many of them get their breakthrough with this movie.
As for you who said that some girls would be disliking Robert Pattinson - you have obviously not seen the common fan reaction to him the last few months… Of course, not everyone is going to be 100% satisfied with every single cast member, but the drama among the book fans will be long gone by December, and the ones who just see the movie won’t have any mental images for comparison anyway…

Yeesh! we Twilighters can be a bit anal retentive, huh?

At this point in time, I don’t think Twilight could compare to Harry Potter, simply because the fan base and notoriety is as huge as Harry Potter. Nobody but nobody hasn’t heard of Harry Potter. But many still haven’t heard about Twilight. Before people start chucking tomatos, I’ll say that I think it has the potential to be something similar. After all, its a little early to start making judgements. They only just finished filming this month! I think it’s more likely to reach Narnia like fame, which is really high, but not as high as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. The disadvantage Twilight has is that because it is so romantic, there’s going to be a group of guys (and I suppose some girls) who jut their chin out and claim to be too macho male for that kind of girly stuff. Totally wrong by the way, but that’s the nature of the double standard. just as many girls as guys go to see Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and devote their lives to the fandom of them, but the ratio is much different when it comes to romance.

Which is too bad, because I’m just as devoted a fan as the rest of you!

WOW! Everyone needs to take a breath and relax! People have some vaild points whether or not the Twilighters want to hear them. Even the most successful books, Eragon, don’t make successful movies. The reality is the rights for the sequels haven’t even been obtained. As fans of Twilight we can all be determined that it will do well; however that might not be enough. Now before anyone tries to lynch me please understand that I am a huge Twilight fan and have been since the beginning but movies are something completely different from novels. I do feel that Catherine Hardwicke is creating something amazing for Twilight fans we just have to hope that it translates to mainstream movie goers. Also know that the producers are very much behind this movie. They have a passion that would rival any fan and I think they are trying to assure that the fans are happy with what is being made.

That all being said people need to chill out. Not everyone that writes about Twilight has read it 10 times so there may be a mistake here and there, it happens. People are trying to bring attention to Twilight but when fans are rude it only brings attention to them not the project.

I am one of the aptly named ‘rabid fans’. Of course Harry Potter has a larger fanbase! Maybe because it has 7 books and 5 movies out already?
This movie is going to be awesome. I really believe with all my heart that Twilight will blow people’s minds. Twilight comes out in December. They don’t even have a trailer out yet. It is currently April, they are wrapping up filming and haven’t even started editing yet. But already people are reserving tickets for this movie at the local theater. People are going to shell out $10 to see a minute long teaser at Speed Racer, then just leave.
Hollywood won’t know what hit them.

Well someone needs to defend Michelle Graham (and I’m not doing it just ’cause we share the same name. lol)

Guys she already admitted her mistakes in the article pertaining that Edward is a senior even though he is a junior and Stephenie’s name. You don’t need to keep rubbing it in her face she gets it.
And with the comparisons of Harry Potter and Twilight, of course the plot is nothing a like but as Michelle later mentions, the hype of reading it and caring for these characters are the same. I think in a way it is appropriate to compare the two.

And to Rob Hunter I have to disagree with you. Even if it doesn’t make as much money as Harry Potter 1 did, it WILL make just enough to keep going into sequels bcause just like Harry Potter, it has a vast FOREIGN fanbase also, not just in America. The numbers will just be enough that it wont even be necessary for the sequels to go straight to DVD.

So please be more open-minded of the possiblilites but of course none of us are psychic so we don’t know how it will be when Dec. 12 comes

this was interesting :]
but one question did they
change the age of edward
for the movie?
or is it just a typo?
because the edward we all
know and love
is a junior along with bella…
interesting.

edward is junior in twilight…
then a senior in new moon and eclipse.
if you were worried about people getting angry then get your facts straight.

in twilight both Bella & Edward are juniors, NOT seniors. and the author’s name is corractly spelled as Stephenie Meyer, NOT Stephanie

Rob Hunter, I seriously do not understand your logic. First of all, the Twilight fandom consists of a lot more than 5,000 members. Honestly. The series has sold MILLIONS of copies in the United States alone. So that’s tons of people who have read the book and will probably be interested in seeing the movie even if they aren’t totally obsessed. Then you have the wide appeal for people who haven’t heard of the books. A new kind of vampire movie. That’s one hook for anyone who loves action/fantasy. A new kind of romance. BAM. Every teen girl in America.

Plus, you have the repeat viewers, who are going to see this movie over and over. I’m one of them. The fact is that if a movie is GOOD, and people are interested, the sales will come. Of course, it’s impossible to predict how much of a success it’ll be. I find it interesting that HP6 comes out two weeks before Twilight. Then we can compare sales and settle the matter once and for all. I’m not sure if it will beat Harry Potter, but if it even comes remotely close, they’ll make more. They have an amazing crew working on this who are extremely dedicated and want nothing more than to continue bringing the story to life. Summit’s marketing budget is astounding, and the people who are piecing the trailers and featurettes know how to sell it, so people will definitely come to see it. Unless it’s a complete disappointment for book readers (which I really don’t think it will be), it will be a success.

Um… Edward’s a junior!
At least in Twilight.

=]

How can Twilight be like Harry Potter on steroids? They aren’t magical and all that stuff, they’re just vampires. Vampires that are good. Also, time and time again people keep comparing Twilight to Harry Potter, it should not be compared. They are two totally different things. Harry Potter has witches and wizards, magic, and brooms; Twilight has vegetarian vampires and real people, and the two are focused on different topics. Harry Potter is focused on action and Twilight is about Edward and Bella’s relationship.

Twilight will be an excellent film because Catherine Hardwick is a wonderful director, she has directed ‘Thirteen’ and ‘Lords of Dogtown’ and she does it in a way that people like. Fangirls will go see the movie regardless of the the casting, and many people are feeling good about the casting choices now. Stephenie has been to the set and has talked with Robert Pattinson about Edward and everyone feels that all of the cast is doing a great job.

All of this can be found on the internet.

Of course it’s going to be the next big thing! I would have to say that it already IS the next
big thing. This movie isn’t coming out until December 12th and there is already massive
buzz. MTV gave it a day of the week for pete’s sake! I have yet to hear anyone say that
twilight is going to flop at the box office. I’ve heard fans angry about the actors chosen, but
their still going to see the movie. There is no two ways about it, Twilight is going to explode
at the box office.

This movie has been big ever since the day it was announced that they would be making it! I agree with one thing though, if you arn’t a twilighter don’t see this movie on opening weekend if you don’t want to be angered by girls squelling! I plan on going crazy at least the first time I see it and I’m bringing along a few friends to yell with me!
Anyway…
The reason that Twilighters have a problem with alomst every article that is posted about this series/movie is because there are almost always errors that we notice right away *examples above* no offense haha. I loved your article, taking a very neutral ground on the whole thing is good.
And…
Twilight will be the next big thing to all of us Twilighters and just out of all of us who are going to see the movies and buy the merchandise there will definatly be more movies but it is also crucial to get more fans to the movie! Reading the books and from people describing it to other people makes it sound like a complete chick flick and if they want to get other kinds of people to see it they need to make some really good previews and do some real good advertising! GO TWILIGHT!

I find this review (and subsequent 101 introduction) of Twilight very informative. Since I’m already a fan, and have been for a few months now, I did find a few inacurracies. Minor details, really, when compared to the scope of the review itself. Details such as Edward is a junior in high school, like Bella. And he DOES still fight his thirst for her blood, but we’ll see how that goes, hmm? ;)

Either way, I appreciate websites taking the time to inform the public more about Twilight. And yes, in my opinion, I think Twilight is the next franchise that will boot Harry Potter and the slew of seven (my bad) eight films in the “cash cow” that it is. With so much hype and a dedicated fanbase that Stephenie Meyer’s work has, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be huge.

So, in essence, watch out Harry, Ron and Hermione: Edward Cullen is coming to town December 12th. And I’ll be waiting, popcorn in hand, paper bag for deep breathing in the other.

Thanks for writing an article on Twilight! I’m so happy it’s getting so much attention, and even though you got the whole junior thing wrong, I don’t really care: it’s just a minor detail. It’s wrong, but I think we can all get over it. I’m glad that you wrote this because if anything deserves coverage, it’s Twilight. I appreciate it! Nice job.

Keep in mind Rob Hunter that fanboards are typically a small sampling of very vocal fans.
According to the recent TIME article, the series has sold 5.3 million copies in the US, 4
million in the past 12 mos alone. x $10? You do the math. Then consider the people who
will see the movie never having read the books.

You can’t stay on the best seller list for as long as this series has with only “5,000 fans from
a couple fanboards”. There isn’t a doubt in my mind this film will be huge.

I only read Twilight in Dec 2007, and I got hooked bad. Since then I have managed to get 4 of my close friends who don’t read “vampire books” to get hooked as well. I know there are many many people with similar stories. (Just look at the huge number of fan sites - international and American- that have popped up in the last year.)

If certain people want to debate if there are enough numbers, just wait, there is plenty of time before Dec. 12th. The books are addicting and I think many people who like the books will go and see the movie. That in my opinion is why the movie will be big.

And why does Twilight and it’s buzz bother people who never read the book and are never going to see the movie?

Jennifer W, I liked your comment ^.^

lol judging by the comments i wouldnt question it further

Well first off I am neither a mom nor a teenage girl. I am in my late 20’s going to school
and in a literary class was introduced to this series. They are a HUGE thing and I know
plenty of university students MALE and female who love these books and eagerly anticipate
the movie.

Yes. TWILIGHT IS THE NEXT BIG THING!!! most harry potter fans are little kids because
the book is abut a little boy growing up. Twilight has a much older audience. I’m a big
fan of the series and most of my friends and random people i meet are in college like
myself..o im not a geek…i don’t even read that much i don’t like comics and such.
Besides that…most of them are guys..why? because guys love vampires and werewolves,
especially the ones that act like modern day heroes with super human abilities.

I’d like too make a few corrections.since clearly the peson who wrote this barely knows
the series. Edward is not a senior, he’s a unior at least in he first movie. Bella is in
danger because her bloods appeals to Edward like an alcoholic to whisky…he just loves
her too much to kill her. Also mtv’s relationship with twilight began a couple of weeks
ago and there have been fan sites way before they even announced a movie or even a
fourth book for that matter. and last but not least: the fans care about how the do the
movie, the details, characters appearance, cars and even clothing because all of this little
details are one of the many factors that make this book (and all others) absolutely
amazing. So, since they’re doing a movie about it… they better do it right.

OK based on how many people are obsessed with the book and want to see the movie RIGHT NOW i think it will be!

A lot of people love it right now but it’s not even close to December and already us Twighters are the biggest buzz on the internet!

one month ago it was just me from my school who loved and read the books, NOW about 45 of my friends are just as obsessed as I am! And thats just my little school! Wait after eight more months until the movie comes out!

If this doesn’t get huge, it’ll at least be a cult classic/following. Considering how the books still aren’t that mainstream at this point (at least, from the little bit I’ve seen), it might take a little while to pick up HP-type steam.

Michelle, thank you for publishing this article. You did a very nice job on discussing the books/movie hype.
As for if Twilight is going to be the next Harry Potter, I think that it has potential. I only became a Twilight fan in January (my friend got me the book for Christmas) but I had no idea what it was before that. Since then, I have introduced the series to 13 of my friends/family/coworkers and they’ve all loved them and suggested them to people they know. And nobody that I have met who reads the books is just a casual reader. They are all “involved” with the book. It may not be as big as Harry Potter, but only because it’s main fanbase is female teenagers (Yes, I know the fan base is includes others (I’m 23), but the book is marketed toward teenage girls). From what I can tell from stalking the internet for news, the directors and producers are trying to make the movie so that it appeals to males as well. If they make the trailers appeal to males (show the action sequences and downplay the romance) they will probably have a better turn-out (the girls are already addicted to it, so they don’t need a trailer to attract us). While I hope that the sequels are shown in theaters because I love the books and as far as I can tell they are doing very well on the movie, I do not have high hopes of this series being as big as Harry Potter or Star Wars was just because of who the target audience is.

“Twilight is the first in a series of novels by Stephanie Meyer” Just wanted to point out that her name is indeed spelled Stephenie Meyer. Like Stephen with an “ie” on the end. :)

I don’t think you need reminded of the fact that Edward is indeed a Junior, because tons of people have already got there before me.

If you didn’t have the intention of drawing us, the “wrath” to your website, atleast spell the authors name right, I mean… c’mon.

Hm, Twilight is amazing. That is all.

oh, and about mispelling stephenie’s name… bad, very bad *i pour my mispelled wrath on u*

Because of how late it is, and the amount of work I have to finish, I’m just going to put my belief in this movie simply.
Twilight has the potential to make it HUGE.
If the fanbase keeps growing and people are willing to accept the movies for what they are (ADAPTIONS people, adaptions), there is no doubt in my mind that Twilight will make it big.

First of all, people make mistakes and that’s okay. You don’t have to be rude and cranky because of minor details. I’m a total twi-hard but it’s not a huge deal for someone who has probably only read a book one time to make a mistake. CALM DOWN! I promise it’s not the end of the world…

Secondly, I just wanted to say that I absolutely love TWILIGHT! I have read the series 5 times (working on my 6th) and I will definitely be standing in line for hours to see the movie. I’m not a big reader. In fact, I’ve never finished a whole book until I started reading the Twilight series. And for once I have actually found a book that I can’t put down.

And Finally, I know Twilight will be big! I have got tons of my friends hooked on the series and we all plan to go see the movie several times. It may not be as big as HP, SW or LOTR but who cares?? It’s still a great book anyway!!! And it’s not just teenage girls who have read it (rob). I know tons of guys, moms, dads, teachers, and adults who have read this book. I don’t know a single person who has actually read the whole series who doesn’t like it. So (rob) read the book before you decide to bash on it.

And thanks Michelle for writing this!

W00t go Cole Abaius!! you My hero Son!

I love that how this was written.

My biggest problem is everyone is looking for the next harry potter and they are pinning this to be it. My thing is don’t pin anything like that. No one expected Harry Potter to be as big as it got.

But I do totally agree with you that it’s one of those things that we can’t predict at this point. Will it do well? That’s really in the fans hands at this point.

Also, I’m sure I’m not the only one saying this but Edward isn’t a senior. He’s a junior like Bella. But hey! that was the only mistake and I have to say, you did well!

Twilight is BOMB!! WAY better than Potter on steriods. It will rule not only the nation, but rock the whole freakin WORLD!! And Stephenie is way cooler than J.K.R. Ummm, did J.K go to her movie set adaptations and then post about it? Did she actually interact with her fans the way Stephenie does? I dont think so.
Seriously, there is no competition; Twilight wins. Hands down. Period.

Twilgiht is gonna be even bigger once it hits the screens and maybe not only will females in large porpotions be attracted to it but even large porpotions of GUYS!

I cant wait!!!! its gonna b the bom!!!!

I’ve read a lot of books. I’ve never been this excited for a book to be made into a movie. A lot of people assume that just because its a vampire love story it’s just a ,well, a vampire love story. I mean I know it sounds cheesy but the vampires in Twilight is not your typical vampires..same goes for the werewolves, too. first off, they don’t have fangs, then they have these powers that got enhanced when they were changed, and they’re hard to kill (no stakes through the heart, garlic, holy water, etc there). Then we have the werewolves.. big huge werewolves who ran in packs and can read each others minds. I don’t know how to explain it but I have this gut feeling they can pull it off.

Awesome Article. Apart from the sarcasm directed at us “obsessive twilighters” But I can deal with that. We do get obsessive and behave like a mob at times…And the guy at /films was a noob. Like the guy at MTV who refered to Stephenie Meyer as Stephenie Miller.

But your article was great!