Should the Fourth 'Twilight' Book Be Two Films?
Filed under: Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Harry Potter, Comic/Superhero/Geek
Devout fans of Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" might not appreciate the comparisons, but it's easy to see from the outside that the books are being treated by the entertainment industry like the second coming of Harry Potter. Only with vampires instead of wizards. Yet despite all the excitement surrounding tomorrow's release (or tonight's release, if you're a real fan) of Meyer's fourth and final installment, "Breaking Dawn," I don't see the series really being as successful. I can't imagine a whole new Twilight-themed music genre forming, for instance ("vampire rock" would just be goth rock, anyway). And even with all the screams heard in Hall H last week during the Twilight panel at Comic-Con, I don't believe the movie is going to be anywhere as big as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (I see it maybe clearing half of Sorcerer Stone's $318 mill. domestic take). If the first Twilight movie is big enough to warrant further adaptations of the Saga, the franchise could possibly see itself being compared to Harry Potter in another way, at least if Meyer has any say in the way "Breaking Dawn" makes it to the big screen. Similar to how the seventh and final Potter novel, "Deathly Hallows" is being split in half for two separate films (the first part will be released in December 2010, with the second part arriving six months later), Meyer tells MTV that there needs to be two separate movies made out of the final book in her series. And she knows exactly where the story should be split (see if you can figure out where while reading the book this week), which makes me wonder why she didn't just write five books rather than four.
To hear the suggestion straight from the author's mouth, check out MTV's interview with Meyer after the jump.
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Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. Beth
What is hell wrong with you i mean really, twilight is probably the biggest book with the teens if you are not a teen or the author get your faggy nose out of the book if you are going to keep on dissing it i think that twilight is the best bk eva was betta then harry potter. this book is realistic and addictive. Harry potter was like give me a shredder this bk sucks
Posted at 1:52PM on Oct 12th 2008 by Elisabeth
3. This series is constantly compared to Harry Potter, and some seem to be predicting that it will do comparably well. What most people seem to be forgetting is that Harry Potter was HUGE as a book, well before the movies were coming out. I had heard of Harry Potter long before I knew there was a movie coming out, but I had never, ever heard of Twilight until this site started posting about it. Plus, Harry Potter had an entirely different, magical world to suck people into based on the visuals alone. There is no chance that a movie filled with WB vampires who merely run fast and jump from tree to tree is going to be an enormous blockbuster. It'll do well...maybe, but 200 mill in the U.S? No way.
Posted at 4:45PM on Aug 1st 2008 by Kevin
4. I agree Kevin. In fact, I'd never heard of Twilight until my fellow bloggers began writing about it.
Posted at 4:53PM on Aug 1st 2008 by Christopher Campbell
5. I'd be surprised if the movie broke $100 million. I've seen the trailers and it looks like it belongs on the Sci Fi channel.
Posted at 10:03PM on Aug 1st 2008 by CHH
6. Oh dear, no. That goes a bit too far. Twilight is a guilty pleasure of mine, too, but nowhere near Harry Potter on my list.
The main difference between Harry Potter and Twilight is, in my opinion, that Harry Potter-books actually are all good, and you care about all the characters. In Twilight, the first book was rather good, but the two sequels were just disappointments. I think the author made some really bad choices (most readers care about the Cullens, not Jacob, yet very much time is devoted on the Jacob character.) And as Beth already said, the books are so cheesy it was impossible to read them out loud. I mean come on, can't Bella live without a man in her life and why is she such a selfish brat?! Hermione is a much more healthy role model than Bella Swan.
Of course it might be too early to say - the fourth book might turn out to be a huge hit and a very good book. But I doubt that.
Posted at 6:14PM on Aug 1st 2008 by Maria
7. What!
if u actually had a life and met a guy like edward(minus the vampire part) you would just die to if he left you. She is so not a spoiled brat she's like that because she's in a thing called..... love...... something you'll never get b/c of the, and i quote spoiled brat satis.
Posted at 2:15PM on Oct 12th 2008 by Elisabeth
8. I LOVE the books all of them and i just got breaking dawn today and I love edward and bella. Not tooo sure bout jacob but anyways i hope they make a movie on all of them. Cant wait to see twilight in december. MY favorite book!!!!! PLEASE COMMENT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS (:
Posted at 4:45PM on Aug 2nd 2008 by sydney c
9. I'm reading the fourth book now, and I don't think it should be two movies or one movie or any number of movies. I think it should be buried and forgotten.
Anyway, I don't think it could be made with a PG-13. Way too gruesome. You try explaining to your teenager why the young (human) woman on the screen is drinking blood out of a sippy cup, or let her watch a birth where the baby is so strong that it breaks its mom's ribs, pelvis, and spine.
Posted at 12:07AM on Aug 3rd 2008 by Gina
10. r u an adult if so get a life even if u r not get a life we are teens this will happen to us and it the real world we don't read fairytails any more we read books with swearing ,murder ,sex, u name it it's the real world get over it and go watch barney.
Posted at 2:04PM on Oct 12th 2008 by Liz
11. I love both of these books. Equally? No. Twilight is a great series, and I enjoy reading the books. I think Stephanie Meyer is a talented author and her books should be recognized for what they are: not the all time best, but not mediocre. I like that Twilight, unlike Harry Potter, focuses on a female character. I can relate to Bella Swan in more ways than I can with Harry Potter.
I was turned onto Harry Potter at a young age, so I've always had some odd connection to it, like I didn't ever want it to end. To be honest, at first I picked up Twilight just to fill the void once my favorite series came to an end. Harry Potter was out longer before the movies came out, giving the public much more time to read it and decide if they like it, and if they did, they saw the movie. Twilight, in my opinion, is moving very fast. Not that it's a bad thing, because I'm really looking forward to the movie, but it still seemed to have a relatively small fanbase (in comparison to Harry Potter). Let's not forget, Harry Potter has 7 books, while Twilight has only 4 installments.
At the same time, they both have weaknesses. At times, I felt like Meyer got too caught up into sideplots, confusing the heck outta me, and to be honest, Rowling's last Potter book did not impress me as I had hoped. They're both incredible authors that are wonderful at what they do and are very successful, and I feel no need to "take a side" in this building rivalry.
Posted at 12:32AM on Aug 3rd 2008 by Katie
12. I finished reading Twilight (the first book) not very long ago and I could not relate to Bella in any way. After all, I'm not as boring, selfish, or dependent on Big, Strong men as much as Bella is. I could relate with Harry much more, even though he was male.
As to why HP his more popular than Twilight, it isn't just because it was out longer. Keep in mind that the first Harry Potter book was published in 1997 and the first movie came out in 2001; by that time there were only four books out, not seven. Compare this to Twilight, which was first published in 2005 and was turned into a movie three years later (2008) with four books out as well. Not much of a difference there, honestly, so you can't say that people had more TIME to savor Harry Potter than Twilight, thus giving it more fans by the time the first movie came about. I think HP has more fans because both genders enjoy it and because it has, you know, an actual plot. Twilight is more for females, I think. What male wants to read about some girl whining on and on incessantly about hot her boyfriend is? Not me, and I'm a girl!
Also, I have to say that this author's ego is really getting to me. Who on Earth thinks they're so great that they can actually SUGGEST making two movies for a book they wrote because it had "So much plot."The Deathly Hallows movie is going to have two parts, but the difference is that Rowling didn't suggest that, the producers did. Get over yourself, Meyer. I'm tired of seeing this woman being compared to J.K. Rowling, and even worse, to Jane Austen and Emily Bronte. It's gotten to her head.
Posted at 9:12AM on Aug 12th 2008 by Laura
13. I absolutely LOVE the Twilight books. I think that they shouldnt be compared to Harry Potter books because other than thier popularity, they are nothing alike! Twilight is more of a girls book (dont get me wrong..if youre a guy then read it!) so they will have just a bit fewer fans, but that doesnt mean that they arent as good. They are well worth your read. And once the movie comes out, we can all judge whether or not it is worth watching. My prediction is yes, it is
Posted at 2:55AM on Aug 7th 2008 by Ashleigh
14. I agree 100% with your comment. I definitely think Twilight is geared more toward female readers. I really got into the Bella and Edward relationship. I couldn't stop reading any of the books. In no way should Twilight be compared to Harry Potter. They are two totally different ideas.
I love the Twilight series, and I loved Breaking Dawn!
Posted at 12:47PM on Aug 26th 2008 by Michelle
15. I think there should be a movie for every book!
ITS SO MUCH BETTER THEN HARRY POTTER!
harry Potter needs to go, and the Twilight saga knocked harry potter out the window the week it released.
Posted at 4:57PM on Aug 12th 2008 by TehLyhn
16. Come on saying Harry Potter is knocked over by the Twilight saga, its to far fetched. In America maybe its a big-hit, but honestly here in Asia, we never heard about it until some marketing guru and/or Western based bloggers wrote about it (I actually only learned about it when I went to ET.online looking for Harry Potter related articles of all things - three weeks ago). I am a voracious reader & I won't complain that young people starts reading more because of these series instead of watching mindless TV shows, but I hope Twilight fans would rather say to us HP fanatics what is good about these books (so that we could start reading it also) instead of telling us, as you mentioned "nocked harry potter out the window the week it released".
Just a reminder that was how HP won many of its rabid fans over the years, plus JK Rowling never intended that the books be turn into a film, she just want people to read & enjoy it. Ms. Stephanie Meyer on the other hand is already suggesting that her fourth book be done into 2 films. Obnoxious would be the term for her attitude.
Posted at 2:40AM on Aug 22nd 2008 by somwerbtwngrnnblu
17. Personally i don't think there's enough to make BD into two films, there's barely enough for one. Nothing actually really happens in it that warrents it needing two films.
I used to like Stephenie but i think that that comment is really egotisical. The book was mediocre at best (loved the other three though) and the plot was so out of reality that it made me cringe.
It's just a way to make more money and it's really disappointing as a fan that she said it.
Posted at 3:21PM on Aug 17th 2008 by Kirsty Watson
18. As much as I love all things twilight (Edward espacially) I just don't think that they're goona do more than this one film. There just isn't that much story to build on, it's mostly just fluff, and some angst to be able to do more fluff. Don't get me wrong, I love fluff. It just doesn't make a good movie.
But if they'd want to do more films, I would gladly watch them all. Several times. A day. :P
And FYI, there are several great Twilight-themed bands on myspace. Twi-rock is here to stay!
Bye-Bye-cykle!
Posted at 4:53PM on Aug 30th 2008 by Josephine
19. michelle and teylyhn,
omg u r so right now y can't every one see the correct view on these books
Posted at 2:00PM on Oct 12th 2008 by Elisabeth
20. You all that think harry potter is "better" then twilight are so wrong this book has something that no other book has and i'm not sure what but i 'm in love with edward and i can't stop from reading it and harry potter didnt make me feel that way i mean it cool but in my eyes Twilight is so much better.sorry to all Potter's fans!!!
Posted at 12:49AM on Oct 21st 2008 by angeleyez9323









1. The Twilight series is a guilty pleasure of mine since I am not a teen and feel odd getting sucked into such sappy romance... but anyways - as much as I love the books, the movie will be utterly awful. I don't think I could read those books out loud, they are so cheesy at times - let alone see someone else act them out.
Posted at 4:18PM on Aug 1st 2008 by Beth