'Twilight' Cast and Director Reunite for SDCC

Fans of Twilight had a special moment at San Diego Comic-Con this Thursday (23). The panel “Vampires,” held in Ballroom 20, brought together director Catherine Hardwicke and cast members Peter Facinelli and Ashley Greene from the saga to reflect on the franchise’s impact and discuss how vampire stories continue to thrive in pop culture. 

Everything you need to know about the Twilight movies

The Twilight saga grossed US$ 3.36 billion worldwide. The first film, which launched the franchise, hit theaters in 2008. The last one, Breaking Dawn: Part 2, premiered in 2012.

The series follows the romance between Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen. Bella is a young woman from the big city who moves to the town of Forks, Washington. There, she finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old conflict between vampires and werewolves, who share the territory and have an ancient rivalry. Bella soon also finds herself at the center of a love triangle involving the vampire Edward and the werewolf Jacob.

Beyond its commercial success, the franchise also elevated its three leads, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, to the status of major Hollywood stars, allowing the trio to go on to headline several major productions afterward. Pattinson, for example, stars in the new Batman franchise led by Matt Reeves.

The films were directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Chris Weitz, David Slade, and Bill Condon. The saga’s cast also includes names such as Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Dakota Fanning, Michael Sheen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Elizabeth Reaser, and Ashley Greene.