Twilight Turned a Box Office Flop into a Global Hit!
The first “Twilight” movie, the one that kicked off the entire sparkly vampire craze and made us all fall in love with Bella, Edward, and Jacob, was actually the saga’s biggest box office flop. Yeah, I know, right?
MORE: Twilight’s Return: Beloved Vampire Saga Set to Reboot as TV Series
In 2008, “Twilight” hit the screens. This movie was huge because it was the first time we got to see Bella Swan, the clumsy yet endearing human, and Edward Cullen, the gorgeous vampire with a heart of gold (and sparkles), come to life. Not to forget Jacob Black, the loyal best friend with a secret of his own.
This film set the stage for the entire saga. It’s where we saw the rainy town of Forks, Washington, for the first time and where we got a taste of the dangerous yet alluring world of vampires and werewolves. It’s where the love triangle we couldn’t get enough of began.
Now, you’d think that the film that started it all would have raked in the big bucks, right? Well, not exactly. In the grand scheme of the Twilight Saga, the first “Twilight” movie brought in the lowest overall box office gross. It only managed to pull in $192,769,854.
In comparison, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”, the third movie in the series, brought in a whopping $300,531,751. Even on the opening weekend, “Twilight” only made $69,637,740, which is the second-lowest opening for the series.
SEE: The Twilight Role That Wasn’t Meant to Be for Jennifer Lawrence
Here’s the thing though, despite its less than stellar box office performance, “Twilight” sparked a global phenomenon. After that first movie, millions of fans worldwide were hooked. They couldn’t get enough of Bella’s love triangle, the Cullen family’s drama, and the constant tension between the vampires and werewolves.
So, while it may not have broken any box office records, the first “Twilight” movie laid the foundation for the crazily successful saga that followed.
