Wither Twilight?

Less than one week from today the last Twilight movie will debut on thousands of screens all over the United States.  But will Breaking Dawn Part 2 really be the end of this franchise?  Possibly not!  Fans may worry or feel thrilled, while Twihaters grind their teeth in frustration, but the fact remains Summit Entertainment has pretty much every reason to at least try and create some kind of spinoff.  In fact the studio has made it quite clear they’d be interested in continuing the saga, one way or another.  J.K.Rowling signed an agreement that only books she herself penned could be adapted, but evidently Stephenie Meyer did no such thing.

So how might this continue?  One possibility is television.  Indeed the head of Lionsgate Jon Feltheimer said as much soon after his company acquired Summit back in January.  With the films’ stars unlikely to reprise their roles, then we’re left with the question of how this or any other spinoff might work–

A direct remake remains possible, but seems unlikely.  After all, we’ve all seen the story unfold and unless some major liberties were taken how much of an audience would exists for such a re-telling, so soon after the film series concludes?  More probable is some kind of continuation, after recasting pretty much everyone.  Mind you, there’s still plenty of story potential going on.  Bella and Edward pretty much need to stay in Forks, not least to retain the protection of the Pack as well as for emotional reasons.  Jacob no doubt would follow them anywhere, with his three-person pack but more story potential exists with the characters we know if they remain.  Which isn’t to say going somewhere else doesn’t have its attractions.

But an even more obvious sequel idea exists.  After all, Edward and Bella’s story is essentially complete.  The whole fairy tale aspect of their relationship seems to end with “…and they lived happily ever after.”  Literally.  What about Jacob and Renessemee, though?  She will soon grow into young adulthood, an entirely new creature, a hybrid of human and vampire.  I can so easily see the Cullens insist upon her attending Forks High School, with lots of story potential with new characters–friends, enemies, rivals, etc.  One possibility exists–a boy she brefriends is attacked by a nomadic vampire.  Jacob destroys the nomad but this boy isn’t dead.  He transforms and now must learn the ways of being a vegetarian vampire.  At the same time he falls for Nessie, driven half-mad by the fact she simply does not love him.  Add to that the continuing interest by the Voluturi, by the Romanians, etc.

Then again, fans might understandably reject new actors in these roles, so perhaps a similar tale told in a same universe?  A true spinoff in other words.  One idea that comes to my mind is a werewolf of some kind (Meyer hints there are at least two types in her world) who falls for a brand new vampiress–one with a naturally good disposition who perhaps fortunately fed upon an animal first of all.  She remains severely tempted by human blood, perhaps has killed, but at least realizes its possible for her to avoid it.  Given my sense of humor I’d probably bring in lots of parallels with Little Red Riding Hood, but that’s just me.

Still another spinoff might easily arise from Meyer’s own The Short Second Live of Bree Tanner.  In it we are left with one sympathetic vampire character remaining yet alive–one with a strange, mysterious special power.

So what do you think?  If Twilight will continue, how best do you think it might proceed?

 

By david

David MacDowell Blue blogs at Night Tinted Glasses.  He graduated from the National Shakespeare Conservatory and is the author of The Annotated Carmilla. and Your Vampire Story (And How to Write It) as well as a theatrical adaptation of Carmilla.

8 comments

  1. i dont realy understand the attaction for twilight movies about young college age.
    Vampires living in condos. one arthur stephenie meyer who wrote breaking dawn 2
    i dont think shes ever read Dracula by bram stoker or the Vampire le stat by anne
    rice those Vampires drank the blood of their victims not married them and created
    a child together. in the vampire movies grew up watching dracula in the 60s he
    was creature of Darkness like barnbas collins on dark shadows from 1966-71.
    not some vampire that attended high school or become a father of the first
    baby vampire oh thats a show for dr. oz stephenie meyer whats to win me
    over as fan of classic vampire movies she should bella sheep in coffin
    and live in a haunted castles

    1. Well, fair is fair–Meyer wrote books that are primarily romances, not horror stories, and she saw vampires more as metaphors for sin rather than darkness or evil. I’m not suggesting you should like them, but surely this isn’t the only genre or entertainment you don’t like or understand? Me, I’m baffled that anyone would go see even one TRANSFORMER movie. And why do we act as if football or other professional sports are somehow important? But life is like that.

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  7. I don’t like the idea of a spin off with different actors personally. Unless Stephenie decided to right another book some day, perhaps with the story of a grown up Nessie and Jabob and could get Taylor Lautner to play the part. As much as I hate for it to end, I’d hate having it change with different people even more. And for those that didn’t like it, it’s really very simple, don’t read or watch the saga..problem solved but leave those of us who loved it alone. I don’t tell you what to enjoy and you don’t have the right to tell me either.

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