'Twilight' turns 15: Celebrating the beloved vampire series
Movie franchises may come and go, but the popularity of "Twilight" is as immortal as its vampires.
Catherine Hardwicke's 2008 film adaptation of "Twilight," based on Stephenie Meyer's book series of the same name, didn't reinvent the wheel. But it did strike a chord with millennials (and later, Gen Z) who were fully consumed by vampire-centric content.
Beautiful, sparkling, god-like creatures replaced grotesque, frightening depictions of vampires. The PG-13 premise of the movie — an ordinary teen girl falls irrevocably in love with an impossibly gorgeous vampire — was both appealing and maybe even a little aspirational. In the worldwide success that ensued, Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) was crowned Hollywood's "It Girl" and Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen) solidified his place as a heartthrob.
Fifteen years have passed since the first movie's release, but the franchise's prominence in pop culture remains. The resurgence is so significant that it has become regarded as a "Twilight" renaissance.
In honor of the 15th anniversary, Business Insider will be revisiting the franchise all week long with a series of essays, interviews, and more. Keep this page bookmarked to get your daily "Twilight" fix.