The new update from Lionsgate has disclosed a major change in the format of the upcoming Twilight show. As per Deadline, the series will be developed as an animated project. And this scenario already sounds a lot better than Summit Entertainment’s film adaptation.
Based on Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novel series, Summit’s film franchise (consisting of five films) has minted over $3.34 billion collectively worldwide. The film series has entries like Twilight (2008), New Moon (2009), Eclipse (2010), Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011), and Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012).
Despite being financially successful, the Twilight film series has received negative responses from critics, with New Moon and Breaking Dawn Part 1 scoring extremely low and ‘rotten’ scores of 29% (based on 231 reviews) and 25% (based on 212 reviews), respectively. However, the movies were quite popular among the diehard fans of Meyer’s novels.
The Twilight movies suffered from major flaws, and one of them was the issues with pacing or storytelling depth. Entries like New Moon tortured many viewers from its bland tone, slow pace, and excessive length. Breaking Dawn Part 1 also had similar issues. Another criticism that plagued the film series was its inability to resonate with all viewers, especially those who were not familiar with Meyer’s work. And we all know how the films’ cast members, particularly Robert Pattinson, faced backlash for their straight-faced and monotonous performances.
Lionsgate’s animated adaptation could turn out way better than the Twilight movies, as its showrunners are expected to get more creative freedom. In addition, we should expect the animated show to address untouched plots from the novel series. Moreover, the showrunners do not have to worry about the cast’s acting performances as they will focus on giving more depth to the characters through voice acting.
Animation will also aid the showrunners in portraying the characters’ inner thoughts and emotions better than the films. We could witness a deeper exploration of the characters’ emotional conflicts and internal struggles in the newly announced animated project.
Lionsgate first announced the Twilight animated show in April 2023. Announcements about the project’s voice cast, showrunners, and release window will surface soon. Stay tuned for more updates.