Thoughts on Liongate's Twilight TV Adaptation

Following the news that Harry Potter - a series that defined a whole generation's childhood - was getting a TV remake, the same is about to happen for the series that defined a generation's adolescence. A television series based on the fantasy-romance novels by Stephenie Meyer is in early development at Lionsgate TV.

As this is still in the early stages of development, not many details have been revealed about the production. Meyer is said to be involved, with a screenwriter already confirmed to pen the pilot episode. Sinead Daly, whose credits include Tell Me Lies, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Raised by Wolves, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and The Get Down, is attached to write the script for Twilight. Sources say Daly is working with Lionsgate TV to determine the specific take on Twilight and whether it will be a remake of Meyer’s books or a different offshoot.

The four-part series, which centred on the love triangle between a teenager, a vampire and a werewolf, has been adapted for the screen before. Fifteen years after the first film instalment—which starred Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen—debuted in 2008. The first record-breaking instalment was soon followed by four sequels, including New Moon (2009), Eclipse (2010), Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011) and the 2012 conclusion, Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

Even after its publication, Meyer has returned to the series in different styles and retellings. These have included graphic novel adaptations by Young Kim, a gender-swapped retelling (Life & Death), a spin-off novella (The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, set within Eclipse), a filmmaking short film competition (The Twilight Storytellers) and more recently, a companion novel from Edward's perspective (Midnight Sun). As Lionsgate have declined to comment when questioned by several media outlets, there are no further details to analyse.

However, I am curious how this series could translate into a longer format on the TV screen. Unlike His Dark Materials and even the upcoming Harry Potter adaptations, where the characters age from adolescence into adulthood, the timeline in the Twilight Saga is a lot shorter. The series follows Bella over three years, from seventeen to nineteen - immortality not included. I am unsure how many seasons this could cover outside the book narrative. Actors in American TV shows often sign onto a series for six years from the first season, and if the show surpasses that milestone, actors renew or decide not to renew their contracts season by season. Could Twilight reach that milestone as a TV show? It's possible. The Vampire Diaries ran for eight seasons, but Twilight already has a big screen adaptation.

I strongly believe this series worked much better as film adaptations. With Melissa Rosenberg penning all the screenplays, Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Chris Weiz (New Moon), David Slade (Eclipse) and Bill Cordon (Breaking Dawn: Part One and Two) all brought their unique take to the cinematic universe. Alongside Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, Twilight was among the most popular and successful movie franchises in the early 2000s.

A TV adaptation could take a few different avenues on this series. The most obvious and most likely is a complete remake that will follow the narrative of the books and films from Twilight to Breaking Dawn. That could also allow the new creative team to explore the world outside Bella and Edward's love story. There's also a chance that this series could be set before or after the events of Twilight, focusing on an entirely new cast of characters. Or another spin they could take on this franchise could be adapting Life and Death, with the gender-swapped version centred on a human teenage boy falling for a female vampire. Meyer initially wrote the retelling to challenge the audience's prejudice when a human heroine is the weakest and, therefore, more vulnerable in a universe full of supernatural characters. Beau and Edythe having their own adaptation could be a fresh take on the series, and characters audiences know.

After the cancellation of shows such as First Bite and Vampire Academy, despite pretty positive audience responses, there have been attempts to revive the vampire genre. There are no two ways about it, this series will either be good or bad, and that will impact whether the show gets renewed or cancelled after season one. The fandom may be passionate about this cult classic vampire saga, but it will ultimately be viewership that will decide the fate of this show.

With expectations so high with book adaptations for TV these days and an existing fandom, the creative team behind a reinvention of Twilight are making a bold move by taking on this material eleven years after the conclusion of the widely popular films. So I am dubious but curious to see how Lionsgate will adapt Twilight for a new format and more importantly, a new generation of viewers.

What do you think? Are you excited for Twilight to be adapted for TV with a new cast and creative team? Let us know in the comments!