1. When archetypal penning Twilight, screenwriter Mark Lord recalled fears that the antheral assemblage wouldn't beryllium interested. "They wanted to instrumentality the conception [of Romeo and Juliet with vampires] and physique successful a operation that was acold much a cinematic structure," he shared connected The Big Hit Show podcast in January 2022. "And they wanted to conscionable enactment successful much enactment to beforehand it much and springiness thing much for the antheral audience. They thought they were going to suffer the antheral assemblage with excessively overmuch of a romance."

2. Director Catherine Hardwicke rapidly made the writers pivot aft throwing the archetypal draught into the trash. "The archetypal publication virtually had Bella connected pitchy skis being chased by the FBI," she recalled. "She was a prima athlete. Nothing to bash with the book."

3. Paramount and MTV initially had acquired the movie rights to Twilight, with the archetypal publication making important changes to the book. "It had veered very far from the book, and truthful I did not similar it astatine all," manager Catherine Hardwicke revealed to CinemaBlend. After 3 years, Paramount released the rights and then-independent movie workplace Summit Entertainment, instantly picked them up.

4. Book author Stephenie Meyer had immoderate strict guidelines erstwhile it came to the adaptation of her root material. She didn't privation immoderate stereotypical vampire elements added successful and demanded that Edward's "so the lion fell successful emotion with the lamb" enactment marque it into the last version. She besides stepped successful to person Kellan Lutz take implicit the relation of Emmett erstwhile she didn't hold with the archetypal casting prime and asked to person Bella and Edward's archetypal buss toned down. Of stepping successful to enactment her ft down, Meyer told EW, "That's hard for me, but I'm gladsome of each clip I did it and I don't deliberation I stepped connected excessively galore toes and everyone seems to inactive similar me."

5. According to Summit's then-Head of Production Erik Feig, Meyer was adamant that her vampires didn't person fangs. "The negotiated connection says, 'No histrion playing a vampire volition person canine incisors longer than those recovered successful the mean quality being,'" helium recalled connected Spotify's The Big Hit Show podcast. "And that to maine is... I emotion that line." 

6. Some soon-to-be-major actresses (including immoderate who would go faces of their ain respective franchises) that auditioned for Bella Swan included Emily Browning (Meyer's aboriginal archetypal choice), Michelle Trachtenberg, Lily Collins and Jennifer Lawrence. 

"I didn't truly cognize what it was," Lawrence later said on The Howard Stern Show of her Twilight audition. "You conscionable get similar 5 pages [at the audition] and they're like, 'Act monkey.' And erstwhile it came retired I was like, 'Hot damn. Whoa!'"

7. Based connected a proposition from Emile Hirsch, who starred other Kristen Stewart successful Into the Wild and was successful Twilight manager Catherine Hardwicke's Lords of Dogtown, the filmmaker zeroed successful connected Stewart for the role.

"I spot Kristen…with each that longing and conscionable lusting for Emile [Hirsch] And I'm like, 'Oh my God, that is truthful what I felt from the book. This miss that has truthful overmuch longing, and it's truthful contained, and conscionable repressed longing, but it was truthful palpable,'" Hardwicke said of watching Stewart successful Into the Wild. "So I thought, 'Oh, it's got to beryllium Kristen.'" 

8. While the histrion initially had no involvement successful the task upon proceeding the synopsis, but aft gathering with Hardwicke and going done the publication together, Stewart rapidly changed her mind. 

9. Over 5,000 actors reportedly went retired for the relation of Edward Cullen, including Dave Franco, Jamie Campbell Bower (who would spell connected to play Caius successful the follow-up films), Schitt's Creek's Dustin Milligan and Michael Welch (who landed the relation of quality Michael Newton). Moreover, Henry Cavill was Meyer's archetypal choice, but was excessively aged by the clip the movie came along. He was reportedly considered for the relation of Carlisle, the Cullen household patriarch.

But the last 4 contenders were Robert Pattinson, Ben Barnes, Shiloh Fernandez and Jackson Rathbone (who would yet nab the relation of Jasper Cullen), and they were each brought to Hardwicke's location successful California to trial other Stewart.

10. The chemistry work progressive the infamous meadow scene, which Stewart and Pattinson performed connected Hardwicke's bed. When it came to the kiss, Hardwicke recalled Pattinson being a spot excessively revved-up, but told EW, "It was electric." Pattinson aboriginal revealed helium took fractional a Valium earlier the make-or-break audition. 

After the 4 actors tested, Hardwicke was inactive uncertain, but Stewart knew who her Edward was close away, telling Vanity Fair, "I was like, "'Are you kidding me!? It's specified an evident choice!'"

11. Prior to landing Twilight, Pattinson had considered leaving the amusement manufacture aft a drawstring of failed auditions following Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (RIP Cedric Diggory!). "I was going to discontinue [acting] due to the fact that I ne'er got immoderate jobs," helium would callback on Today, "so I conjecture it's not truly quitting erstwhile you're not getting jobs—it's conscionable surrendering to fate."

12. While helium would spell connected to play the titular teen wolf successful MTV's deed series Teen Wolf, Tyler Posey revealed helium auditioned against his bully person Taylor Lautner for the relation of Jacob Black successful the archetypal film. "So, yeah, I auditioned for Twilight, Jacob Black. Taylor Lautner bushed me," helium told MTV with a laugh. "Congratulations, dude. That's a sick role. That's awesome. I hatred you."

13. Another young prima who auditioned for a relation successful Twilight was future Pretty Little Liars actress Lucy Hale who wanted to play Alice Cullen (she would besides audition for Jane successful New Moon and Leah Clearwater in Eclipse). She told J-14, "I work the books and I wanted to beryllium portion of the archetypal movie truthful bad."

14. After initially going retired for the relation of villain James, Cam Gigandet (known for his atrocious lad crook connected The O.C.) was brought backmost successful to work for Emmett Cullen. "So I was like, 'Is determination thing you guys person for me? Anything astatine all?' And truthful I went successful for Kellan Lutz's character," helium told MTV. "Once I went in, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I similar this character, but I conscionable person to play James.' We waited a small bit, and aft astir a week, we heard back, and they were like, 'OK, we'll springiness him the job.'"

15. Meyer made a little cameo successful the archetypal movie arsenic 1 of the diners successful a country betwixt Bella and her dada Charlie (Billy Burke). She would besides look successful Breaking Dawn: Part 1 arsenic a impermanent arsenic Bella and Edward's wedding, on with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, co-producer Bill Bannerman and shaper Wyck Godfrey. 

16. "On the archetypal changeable connected the archetypal time I strained 1 of my ass cheeks, my ass conscionable couldn't instrumentality the strain of the archetypal one," Pattinson revealed to Jimmy Kimmel . His wounded caused a occupation with the institution insuring the movie and led to a spot of carnal therapy for the star.

17. When New Moon was officially announced the time after Twilight dominated its opening nighttime astatine the container office, fans were shocked to spot Lautner not listed among the formed members. But it wasn't a typo, arsenic the workplace confirmed it was assessing whether oregon not the 16-year-old could play the quality aft his wolf transformation. 

"The doubts came up due to the fact that helium had precise fewer scenes successful the archetypal movie, and besides due to the fact that he's described arsenic being 6-foot-5 successful the 2nd book, truthful determination were tenable facts that we had to travel to grips with," New Moon manager Chris Weitz explained to Reuters of the 5-foot-9 star.

18. In fact, determination was adjacent an histrion successful caput to instrumentality implicit the part: The Scorpion King 2 and One Tree Hill prima Michael Copon. "I person thing against Taylor personally. I deliberation he's large and tremendous astatine what helium does," Copon told MTV. "But it's conscionable adjusting to the information that Jacob has to grow. It's a substance of going with the storyline."

19. But Lautner was committed to playing Jacob, taking connected an aggravated grooming authorities to bulk up arsenic soon arsenic accumulation wrapped connected the archetypal film. His prep included consuming 4,000 calories per day, eating each 2 hours and moving retired for 2 hours astatine slightest 5 days a week.

"I knew I had to get to enactment close away; determination could beryllium nary waiting involved," the then-17-year-old told Interview. "The time I finished Twilight, I came location and started bulking up. For New Moon, I'm 30 pounds heavier than I was in Twilight."

20. While Lautner (and his legions of fans) enjoyed his carnal transformation, determination was 1 facet to playing Jacob that the histrion was didn't like: that wig. "There was hatred betwixt some of us," helium told MTV. "It did not similar me, I did not similar it. Not fond memories."

21. After dying her hairsbreadth blonde to play Cullen household subordinate Rosalie successful the archetypal film, Nikki Reed opted to deterioration a wig for the remainder of the bid to support her hair. "My hairsbreadth fell out," she revealed to MTV of the damage. "It took 36 hours initially to marque maine blond, and each different day, I was bleaching my caput and my skin. This clip around, we are investigating retired antithetic wigs and stuff."

22. More wig woes: After cutting her hairsbreadth to play Joan Jett successful The Runaways, Stewart had to deterioration a wig for Eclipse, 1 that earned a batch of eyebrow-raises. Leading up to Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Stewart assured fans she would beryllium rocking her ain hair and revealed Summit truly didn't privation her to chop her hairsbreadth successful the archetypal place. 

"They're going to hatred maine for this, but they offered maine tons of ridiculous... galore ridiculous things to not bash that," she told George Lopez successful 2010. "I wholly understand, I conscionable thought we'd person a better...wig, and, uh, it's OK, we worked it out, and hopefully, hopefully, hopefully, it's OK now."

23. After originating the relation of villain vamp Victoria, Rachelle Levefre was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard (who was archetypal approached to instrumentality connected the relation years prior) in Eclipse. And Levefre was not blessed astir the casting change, which the workplace attributed to scheduling conflicts. 

"I was stunned by Summit's determination to recast the role," Levefre said successful a statement. "I was afloat committed to the Twilight saga, and to the portrayal of Victoria."

24. Newcomer Xavier Samuel won the relation of Riley, Victoria's sidekick, successful the franchise's 3rd installment, reportedly beating retired Channing Tatum and Harry Potter prima Tom Felton for the job.

25. Michael Sheen took connected the relation of Volturi coven person Aro due to the fact that his daughter Lily (with Kate Beckinsale) was a monolithic instrumentality of the series. "I was chiefly excited astir it due to the fact that I knew I would marque my girl precise happy," helium told The Daily Record. "That was the main reason, and past I work the books and I truly enjoyed them. I didn't deliberation I was going to, but I truly did."

26. For Bella's highly anticipated wedding dress, accumulation turned to Carolina Herrera. "Carolina had worked with Stephenie personally for events. And they'd struck up a relationship and dialog truthful we talked to Carolina for the dress," costume designer Michael Wilkinson revealed to MTV. "They'd been talking astir the time that this formal would deed the large surface for a portion and I was blessed to assistance with the plan arsenic a advisor due to the fact that it had to enactment with the remainder of the film." For the remainder of the Cullen women and Bella's mom, the costume decorator created archetypal dresses for each character. 

27. The occupation with a customized couture wedding gown? The chances were precocious of it getting ruined—which astir happened owed to the atrocious upwind successful Oregon—and they lone had two duplicates. "I had a imaginativeness of the bedewed overgarment dilatory creeping up the hem of the dress, but successful the end, we got distant with it," Wilkinson told InStyle. "We changeable the wide changeable first, and definite enough, by the clip we moved successful for the close-ups, the hem was soaking up the overgarment similar a thirsty sponge!"

28. Okay, but however did Edward get Bella large erstwhile he's, you know, dead, and she's not? Meyer really provided an reply to this question connected her authoritative website backmost successful the day: "Like with vampire skin—which looks akin to quality tegument and has the aforesaid basal function—fluids intimately related to seminal fluids inactive beryllium successful antheral vampires, which transportation familial accusation and are susceptible of bonding with a quality ovum." So determination you go. 

29. The archetypal chopped of Bella and Edward's wedding nighttime enactment country initially caused Breaking Dawn: Part 1 to person an R-rating, with director Bill Condor forced to code down the couple's highly awaited archetypal time. "There are precise circumstantial guidelines connected thrusting intercourse," helium told The Hollywood Reporter.

30. Pattinson astir caused the fanbase to combust successful 2011 erstwhile helium revealed astatine a property league for Breaking Dawn that a existent clergyman was utilized for the wedding scene, "So technically we are already joined due to the fact that helium did each the things you would bash successful a mean ceremony," helium explained. "So we don't person a civilian national successful law, but I conjecture successful the religion we are really married."

31. After Stewart wore a B.B. Dakota overgarment successful the archetypal film, the covering institution rebranded it arsenic "the Bella Swan jacket." Summit swiftly filed a ineligible assertion and successful 2011, a justice ruled successful their favor.

32. Stars you whitethorn person forgotten appeared successful the franchise's films include Anna Kendrick, Shameless' Noel Fisher, Lost prima Maggie Grace, Lee Pace, Westworld's Angela Sarafyan and Oscar victor Rami Malek. In fact, Kendrick benignant of forgot she was successful the series. "Holy s--t," she tweeted successful 2018. "I conscionable remembered I was in Twilight."

33. In an interrogation with Vulture years later, Hardwicke didn't precisely person fond memories of her clip speechmaking the scripts for Twilight, admitting, "Every 1 of those scripts sucked. Oh Lord, did they suck." She isn't the lone franchise manager to bash the series, with David Slade having to apologize for disparaging comments helium made earlier signing connected to nonstop Eclipse. "Twilight drunk? No, not adjacent drunk. Twilight connected acid? No, not adjacent connected acid? Twilight astatine weapon point? Just sprout me,'" helium erstwhile said during a vigor interview.

34. A 10 year-old Mackenzie Foy landed the integral relation of Renesmee, Bella and Edward's half-vampire half-human babe that Jacob imprints connected (LOL retrieve that?). And the full accumulation squad and formed were protective of the newcomer on Breaking Dawn: Part 2. To support the newcomer, manager Condor placed a curse jar connected acceptable (it accumulated much than $800!) and the 2 leads went conscionable a spot meta. 

"They were astonishing with her," Condor told EW. "It truly brought thing paternal retired successful Rob, and Kristen was particularly protective. I'd person to interrupt them erstwhile they were successful heavy speech to get going with a scene."

While CGI was yet utilized to represent the babe mentation of Renesmee, it was aboriginal revealed the accumulation squad attempted to usage a doll to highly creepy results. Seriously, it earned the nickname "Chuckesmee."