The Twilight Saga is one of the most beloved franchises in pop culture history, and thanks to it being so, it'll bring in more fans for years to come. It all began with a book by Stephanie Meyer, a love story about a vampire and a human, with Shakespearian and Jane Austen elements woven in. Following its success on the New York Times Best Selliers List, the text breathed to life, or should I say, half-life because vampires are the Undead, onto the Big Screen.
The first film, Twilight, premiered in 2008, and who knew that an Independent could become a financial Box Office success and inject a profound legacy in the fandom universe? People couldn't wait to sink their teeth into the next adventures, and they didn't need to wait long, for the four follow-ups, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn Part One, and its satisfying conclusion, Breaking Dawn Part Two, spawned over the next four years
Needless to say, the franchise not only brought in millions of fans across the globe, but made the talent into household names. Yet, to be fair, Robert Pattinson was already known for his role as Cedric Diggory in 2005's Harry Potter and the Globet of Fire, and Peter Facinelli already had a few 1990s/early 2000s romcoms under his belt before joining Twilight. However, the franchise exploded their fame and while the taste of fame is addicting, the actors are nothing but grateful for their roles.
Twilight's Jackson Rathbone and Kellen Lutz reflect on the franchise at Fan Expo Chicago 2025
During their panel at Fan Expo Chicago 2025 on Sunday, Aug. 17, two of the franchise's stars Jackson Rathbone and Kellen Lutz, who portrayed Jasper Hale and Emmett Cullen respectively, were filled on the nostalgia and the fans' love of the films. The men additionally reflected back on a few of the most iconic scenes from Twilight, that happened nearly 17 years ago.
One of the topics that was covered was the baseball scene. The entire Cullen family and Bella engaged in America's favorite past time on a dungy and overcast day in the Pacific Northwest. The synchrony between the thundering clouds and the sounds of the Cullens' batting was imperative, as it was designed to drown out the event of vampires playing baseball with inclement weather.
Peter Facinelli, who starred as the Cullen patriarch and the never-aging doctor, couldn't make Fan Expo Chicago due to scheduling issues. However, he did provide insight on filming the game at Fan Expo Denver a few weeks ago.
"We wrapped at the end of the day, and we were like, 'I don't think anyone is going to like this.' It was so chaotic the first few days. It's kind of like we prepped for a week, and we were playing baseball with each other, and everything was going great, and then the day we shot, it was like raining a little too hard. We needed, like, clouds, and if it was misty, it was okay, but there was too much rain. It was bad. So, we had too much rain, and our makeup was running, and it looked terrible."
Needless to say. despite the challenges of filming, and a few of the actors not being athletically-coordinated , the scene was well-pieced together and was the best highlight in the film. And it was vampires playing the game in their own perspective, so what's not to like about it?
Concerning the huge fanbase surrounding Twilight, there was one fan who attended the premiere of Breaking Dawn Part 2. Her passion wasn't overlooked. She was greeted by Lutz onstage, who only absorbed her experience in awe.
If anything, The Twilight Saga might have not only connected the talent who portrayed the beloved characters, as several remain close, but the unity of its fandom, as both the books and the films offer comfort and a story that will live on. And that is what defines the true magic of entertainment.