Although the Twilight films were fairly accurate to the novels, there were some misrepresented book moments, and the TV show reboot can fix that.
Twilight adapted Stephenie Meyer’s four novels into five films, but the films failed some book moments, and the TV show reboot could fix that. As far as book-to-movie adaptations go, the Twilight films did a great job adapting the story, as they didn’t take a lot of creative freedom when considering the source material, but they did change some key scenes that worked better in the book. Even though The Twilight Saga divided the last book into two films, there were some storylines from the book that were cut, and the upcoming TV show reboot has a chance to add those missing details or mishandled book moments.
Twilight premiered in 2008, three years after the first novel debuted, and coincided with the year when the last novel, Breaking Dawn, was released. The five films, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, followed Bella’s relationship with the vampire Edward, and the multiple hardships they encountered along the way. When the film series premiered, the IP already had a strong fanbase, which turned the series into a box office hit, with a total of $3.3 billion gross worldwide (via The Numbers). Its success led to Twilight being rebooted as a TV show, over a decade after the premiere of the last film, 2012’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
10 The Vampire Reveal Wasn’t That Dramatic In The Books
The book scene fits their relationship better
The Twilight films made Edward’s vampire reveal very dramatic, but it wasn’t like that in the books. On one of the weekends, Bella went to Port Angeles with Jessica and Angela, and Edward rescued her when she got lost, a scene that made it into the film. However, after dinner, during the car ride home, Bella tells him her theory about a vampire story she heard from Jacob, leading to Edward confirming it without clearly saying the word.
The scene in the book isn’t dramatic at all, and it works better for their relationship than the reveal in the movie. The two had previously spent more time together, with Bella dropping theories here and there, until she got it right. Edward encouraged her to find out, instead of taking her on a scary trip in the woods to prove his powers. The Twilight reboot could handle the scene differently, and, although it would be less dramatic and intense, it would show their relationship as it really was.
9 The Twilight Books Had Better Cars
The Cullens were a rich family
The Twilight universe included a lot of cars, and the films didn’t always do them justice. In the book, Bella drove a 1953 Chevy Pickup, while she got a 1963 version in the film. And, although Edward’s daily car didn’t change much, his book option, the Volvo S60 R (as opposed to the movie’s Volvo C30) was faster. Edward also had an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish in the book, and they also got a Ferrari F430 as a wedding gift, but they never made it in the films. The Cullen family was rich, and they loved speed and the TV reboot could improve both the representation in the books and the movies.
In the Twilight reboot, the Cullen family could ride in style. Neither the book nor the movie picked the latest, fanciest cars, and the TV show could double on that. Carlisle, the head of the family, can have a fast luxury car, either a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class or a Rolls-Royce Phantom, with Edward going for an imported sports car to keep his love for foreign cars, like a Mazda MX-5 or a Toyota GR Supra, and Alice can still have a head-turning Porsche 911, with Rosalie driving a BMW Z4, and Emmett a RAM 1500 TRX.
8 The Twilight Films Ignored Alice’s Backstory
Her story was connected to an important character
The film adaptations of The Twilight Saga gave Alice a lot of screentime, but they never delved into her backstory. The films paid attention to character details, however, Alice didn’t receive the same treatment. The Twilight TV show reboot has the opportunity to set itself apart from the films and focus on Alice Cullen’s tragic backstory, which has an important role in Twilight and Eclipse. Alice had been in an asylum as a human because of her ability to see the future, and Twilight’s first antagonist, James, had become obsessed with her, so a friendly vampire turned Alice so James would leave her alone, giving her a connection to him.
7 The Twilight Films Made It Seem Like Bella Didn’t Have Friends
This storyline made Bella seem more unlikable
In the movies, it seemed like Bella had no interests and no friends, but that wasn’t the case. In the books, she was friendly, funny, and genuinely cared about her friends. Although she wasn’t a social butterfly, she happily interacted with other characters, which gave her more of a personality than the films showed. Having Bella as a loner stripped a lot of her personality, and the Twilight reboot should show that she had a group of people she hung out with, making her more likable and relatable. Besides, it would prove that Edward wasn’t isolating her from her friends and she had other interests outside of him.
6 Bella Fainted In Biology Class, Leading To Edward Helping Her
The scene built a good foundation for their relationship
The Twilight films didn’t do a good job portraying the beginning of Bella and Edward’s relationship and skipping over the “Blood Type” chapter could’ve further explored their relationship. At the beginning of the chapter, Edward asked Bella to sit down with him at lunch, and their conversation was easygoing, with Bella telling him her theories about who he was. Edward also revealed he was ditching class, knowing there would be a lot of blood involved for blood typing. Bella went and got sick at the sight of blood, and Mike offered to take her to the nurse, leading to Edward helping her.
Edward was genuinely concerned about Bella, and stayed by her side with the nurse, although she wasn’t in any danger. It also showed the easy relationship they had, as Edward poked fun at her for her getting sick at the sight of blood, and he also got her out of her next class, gym, which she hated. Nothing about this chapter made it into the movies, which was a shame, because it laid the foundation for their relationship and gave an insight into why Bella actually liked Edward, as well as proved his interest in her.
5 The Twilight Films Didn’t Show Bella’s Plans For College
Edward wasn’t the only thing on her mind
Although Bella wanted Edward to turn her into a vampire, she had a bigger life in the books than she did in the Twilight films. The films cut an entire subplot involving Bella Swan making college plans. This plot was particularly important because it showed how supportive Edward was of Bella having a normal life and prioritizing her education. In Eclipse, she was accepted into the University of Alaska, and Edward further encouraged her to apply to Ivy League schools, and she got into Dartmouth. She had also decided to attend university for a year and remain human, but her getting pregnant put a stop to her plans.
Although Bella Swan is hardly a role model, given her desire to become a vampire, so she could be with her boyfriend, the college storyline should be present in the Twilight reboot. It could further emphasize the need for education, and independence, and it gave Bella more reasons to stay human. She planned on getting a degree in education and starting teaching, like her mother. It would also show Edward as a more rounded character, which the TV show should prioritize.
4 The Twilight Films Overhyped The Breaking Dawn Fight
The fight would’ve been better if it had been canon
The Twilight Saga isn’t famous for its high-action scenes, and the films tried to overcompensate that with the Breaking Dawn fight. Unfortunately, it became a disappointment to the true fans, as none of it happened in the film, and Carlisle’s severed head was shocking. It had no value except for a dramatic action scene because it turned out to be happening in Alice’s visions. Since it never happened, and it led nowhere, the reality was disappointing, and the TV show should completely avoid turning it into an action scene. Instead, it could find a way to make the peaceful resolution more interesting.
3 Edward Was More Than Just Brooding
Twilight diminished his personality
Robert Pattinson is a good actor, but his portrayal of Edward was too brooding in the Twilight films. The character is more easygoing in the books, and he’s charming, funny, and mysterious in the books. The Twilight reboot could have a better portrayal of Edward that could show why Bella was attracted to him and how their relationship evolved. On top of that, Twilight also failed to mention Edward’s vigilante years, when he used to hunt criminals. Instead, it portrayed him as a vegetarian throughout, meaning he didn’t drink the blood of humans. His backstory is important to prove his growth, and the TV show could focus on that.
2 Bella Had A Job In The Books, But Not The Movies
It made her more independent
Bella Swan was often criticized for being bland, but she was more complex in the books, and the movies failed to portray that. Bella had a part-time job at Mike’s family sporting goods store, which made her more independent. At the same time, she spent a lot of time cooking dinner for Charlie, a cut detail from the books that improved her relationship with her dad and showed her resourcefulness. The Twilight TV show should strive to make Bella more independent and likable, and give her a better life outside of Edward, and her part-time job and quality moments with Charlie are a good start.
1 Twilight Never Mentioned The Importance Of Bella’s Lullaby
It highlighted Edward’s love for Bella
In the books, Edward wrote Bella a song that later became “Bella’s Lullaby,” and that never made it into the films. There was a tune by Carter Burwell that played when Edward played the piano for Bella, but the movies never explicitly stated that it was the song Edward wrote for Bella. In the books, he hummed the song to her multiple times, and it was a statement of his love for her. Bella seemed too obsessed with Edward in the movies, but he was also in love with her, and the TV reboot should include his song for her, and explore their connection better than the Twilight films did.
