'Twilight' animated series 'Midnight Sun' finds home on Netflix: Report
Netflix has officially greenlit an animated series based on Stephanie Meyer's top-rated, highly acclaimed Twilight novel. The project, titled Midnight Sun, initially reported to be in early development at Lionsgate Television in April 2023, was confirmed as an animated series by Michael Burns, vice chairman of Lionsgate, in March this year. Now, the streaming giant is taking over its development. Here's more about this animated series.
'Midnight Sun' offers a fresh perspective on 'Twilight'
Midnight Sun, published in 2020, offers a fresh take on the first Twilight book by narrating the story from Edward Cullen's perspective instead of Bella Swan's. The animated series will be written and executive produced by Sinead Daly, known for her work on Hulu's Tell Me Lies, AMC's The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Max's Raised by Wolves, and Netflix's The Get Down. Meyer will also serve as an executive producer on the series, alongside Meghan Hibbett for Fickle Fish Films.
'Twilight' series and film franchise's global success
The Twilight series, consisting of four novels: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, published between 2005 and 2008, has gained immense popularity. Meyer also released Life and Death:Twilight Reimagined in 2015 with gender-swapped main characters Bella and Edward. The film franchise known as The Twilight Saga includes five films released from 2008 to 2012, grossing over $3B at the global box office. It featured Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in the lead roles.
'Midnight Sun' influenced Pattinson's portrayal of Edward
Interestingly, Pattinson's portrayal of Edward in Twilight was influenced by Midnight Sun. Meyer shared her then-unfinished manuscript with the actor to help him prepare for his role. The animated series has been in development at Lionsgate for over a year and a half, with Burns expressing optimism about its reception during a Q&A at the Morgan Stanley media conference in March.
