Chapter 394: Fan Action

Chapter 394: Chapter 394: Fan Action

In late spring 2004, Echo Pictures officially launched the Twilight nationwide casting campaign page on Facebook.

Since its official publication, Twilight had quickly become a hit, thanks to its theme of a "forbidden romance between a human girl and a vampire."

Unlike the thriller tone of traditional vampire literature, Twilight focused on portraying Bella’s cold, stubborn nature and Edward’s lonely, deep affection, combined with the gloomy atmosphere of the town of Forks and the love-hate entanglements spanning a century, precisely hitting the emotional pain points of teenage readers.

In just half a year, the novel sold over 7 million copies, not only topping The New York Times bestseller list but also forming a budding fan community in schools, bookstores, and online forums.

On the day the casting campaign launched, over 100,000 fans flooded the official Twilight Facebook group, and the message board was instantly swamped with various discussions.

Because the campaign page clearly listed the basic profiles of the eight candidates (including age, past guest appearances, bare-faced photos, and short clips of their screen tests) and explicitly noted that "all candidates are newcomers or niche actors," fan discussions quickly extended from "whether they fit the original work" to "whether newcomers can carry the roles."

A pinned comment from a loyal reader named Sara, which quickly garnered hundreds of likes, read: "The casting really needs to be handled with care! Edward is a vampire who has lived for a century; he has the appearance of a 17-year-old but possesses the weariness of someone who has seen through the world. Among these eight candidates, besides James Franco, who has acted in a few independent films, the others have almost zero representative works. Can they portray that sense of contradiction?"

Sara’s concern was not an isolated case.

On the list of candidates for the male lead, Robert Pattinson’s profile was the most "thin," with his youthful short-haired look in his profile photo being far removed from the image of Edward that fans held in their hearts: "pale with long hair and melancholy eyes."

"Who is Robert Pattinson? I have not even heard his name!" some fans said bluntly. "In his screen test clip, he just recites his lines expressionlessly; there is absolutely none of that ’restrained deep affection’ that Edward has. Is Echo Pictures just brushing us off?"

By contrast, although fellow newcomer Ryan Gosling had representative works like The Believer, his age of 24 led to questioning that he was "too mature."

"Ryan’s acting is undeniable, but he looks too ’old.’ Bella is a 17-year-old high school student, and Edward’s appearance must have chemistry with her. Ryan’s vibe is more suited to playing Bella’s friend, not her lover."

Another fan’s comment resonated widely: "Ben Barnes looks too sunny. Edward is someone who lives in the darkness; he should not have so much worldly aura about him. Although James Franco’s acting is on point, he has only played rebellious roles before. I keep feeling like he will end up playing Edward as a street thug rather than an aristocratic vampire."

The discussion about the female lead was equally heated.

Lily Collins had just turned 15 at the time and had only made cameo appearances as a passerby in a few television series.

The photo in her profile was still from her youthful days attending fashion events.

Although her features were exquisite, many fans complained that she was "too sweet."

"Bella is cold and taciturn. Lily is too sweet when she smiles; there is absolutely no sense of ’stay away’ detachment!" A fan compared this to the description in the novel. "The original book says Bella ’does not care for dressing up and has stubbornness in her eyes.’ Lily’s look is too polished; she does not look like an ordinary girl who just moved to a small town."

Kristen Stewart’s situation was slightly better.

At 14, she was somewhat well-known for her performance in Panic Room, but this was limited to the "child star" label.

In her screen test clip, she was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans.

Her melancholy gaze when looking down had a certain fit with Bella’s personality, but some fans still raised objections: "Her vibe is too rebellious. Bella is introverted, not rebellious. Also, her line delivery does not seem great; she is a bit mumbled when reciting lines."

The other two actresses were also scrutinized by the public, but this was all within Irene’s expectations.

No one could truly replicate the characters from the novel one-to-one; whoever was chosen, some people would like it and others would hate it.

Interestingly, despite the constant controversy, fans generally supported the "multi-film contract" clause.

After all, the story of Twilight was clearly headed for a series, and changing actors would ruin the immersion, so signing multi-film contracts was highly necessary.

As the discussion fermented, some fans began to spontaneously "campaign" for their preferred candidates.

Fans supporting Robert Pattinson created a mashup of his screen test clips, pairing shots of his melancholy gaze with classic lines from Edward in the novel, with the caption: "There is a story in his eyes. With the transformation from the styling team, he will definitely become the perfect Edward."

Fans supporting Kristen Stewart found clips of her in Undertow, emphasizing: "She has a real talent for playing introverted characters; she can handle both Bella’s stubbornness and her vulnerability."

These spontaneous promotions soon formed small-scale "fan camps."

Sub-topics like "Pattinson Fan Club" and "Stewart Supporters Alliance" appeared in the Facebook group.

Fans not only debated with each other but also began to dig up the "hidden advantages" of the candidates.

Echo Pictures’ marketing team keenly captured this trend and immediately added a "Fan Campaign Area" to the activity page, allowing fans to upload self-made promotional materials, while updating the candidates’ popularity rankings every hour.

This move further ignited the enthusiasm of the fans.

In just three days, the interaction volume on the activity page exceeded one million, and the buzz around Twilight spread from Facebook to the then-popular blog platforms and campus forums.

"I did not expect casting newcomers to spark such a huge discussion." Robert walked into Irene’s office with the latest public opinion report, his tone filled with surprise. "The related topics on Facebook have already hit the trending list, and some media outlets have even started reporting on the ’most-watched new casting campaign in history.’ This is even better than our expected promotional effect."

Irene was browsing through the fans’ comments with a faint smile on her lips.

"This is exactly the effect I wanted. We hold the copyrights for Twilight, and the casting rights are also in our hands, but letting the fans participate not only gives them a sense of ’ownership’ but also builds hype for the movie in advance."

"But there are also many fans questioning the newcomers’ abilities, worried that they will not be able to carry the roles." Robert said worriedly.

"Newcomers have their own advantages." Irene put down her tablet, her tone firm. "They do not have the stereotypes of past roles, making it easier for the audience to relate to them. Plus, they have all agreed to multi-film contracts and dating contracts, which can ensure the continuity of the film series. As for acting, our casting directors have already gone through several rounds of screening; their potential is enough to handle these roles. The rest is just through training and rehearsals, letting them get closer and closer to the characters."

She paused and added: "Additionally, having newcomers as leads can control costs, allowing more funds to be invested in special effects and production. The core of Twilight is the story and the emotions. As long as the actors’ vibes fit the characters, combined with high-quality production, it will definitely move the audience."