While it may seem like it was just yesterday, the movie adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's young-adult romance "Twilight" came out almost ten years ago. Filmed on a modest budget of $37 million, it grossed $393.6 million at the box office, spawning another four installments of the franchise. Consequently, the cast of the movie found stardom as well, with some of the actors finding bigger success than others post-"Twilight" fame.
The 'Twilight' frenzy
When Stephenie Meyer wrote the novel in 2005, it took several years of negotiation to get the movie production started.
Once Summit Entertainment acquired the rights to the book, the casting process began. Kristen Stewart, who was just seventeen years old at the time, was cast as the movie's protagonist Isabella Swan. But it was the casting of the male lead, Edward Cullen, which garnered the most attention.
When Robert Pattinson, a British actor who was at the time best known for his role as Cedric Diggory in the "Harry Potter" franchise, was announced to take the role of the young vampire, the reaction of the fans was divided, to say the least. Many were angry and wanted Pattinson to be recast, but the decision was set in stone. Filming began in Oregon and lasted 44 days.
Finding new success
The cast, which signed up to act in an adaptation which was produced as a small independent movie, was catapulted into the stratosphere of Hollywood when the movie premiered in 2008.
Naturally, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, as the two main leads who began a relationship off-screen, attracted the most attention from the public and the press. In 2012, when US Weekly magazine published pictures of Stewart showing her in an intimate moment with her married "Snow White and the Hunstman" director Rupert Sanders, her entire career was put in jeopardy.
While their personal relationship was the subject of tabloid newspapers, many were also wondering whether the couple could make a successful transition after "Twilight" came to an end.
Since the last installment of the franchise was released in 2012, Pattinson has starred in a number of critically acclaimed independent movies, choosing to avoid Hollywood blockbusters.
Most recently, the Brit starred in "Good Time," a crime thriller that netted him the best reviews of his career so far. Stewart has appeared in a variety of movies, both independent and big budget, and has won a César Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Clouds of Sils Maria."