If you thought you knew everything about Twilight, get ready to be surprised. While fans obsessed over Edward's smolder or Jacob's abs, a lot was happening behind the camera, and some of it was downright strange. The “Twilight” saga may have become a global phenomenon, but its road to superstardom had a few weird turns.
These behind-the-scenes stories are rarely talked about, even by hardcore fans:
So Many Almost-Bellas!
"Twilight" could have looked very different if casting had gone another way. Kristen Stewart wasn’t the only one considered to play Bella Swan. In fact, she wasn't even the original top pick. Stephenie Meyer initially had Australian actress Emily Browning in mind. But when it came time to cast the part, the search opened wide.
IMDb / Actresses like Lily Collins, Michelle Trachtenberg, and even a pre-"Hunger Games" Jennifer Lawrence were almost considered for the character of Bella.
Imagine Lawrence as Bella! Yeah, it almost happened. Stewart landed the role, and the rest is vampire history.
Edward Cullen Almost Had a Different Face
Robert Pattinson nailed the role of Edward Cullen, but he almost didn’t get the job. Director Catherine Hardwicke tested several actors for the role, including Shiloh Fernandez and Ben Barnes. Even Jackson Rathbone, who later played Jasper, was in the mix to play Edward.
Fernandez got pretty close. He had even signed contracts. But ultimately, Hardwicke and the team felt Pattinson had the right “intensity” to pull off a 100-year-old vampire stuck in a teen body.
Tyler Posey Was This Close to Being Jacob
Taylor Lautner crushed it as Jacob Black, but he wasn’t the first pick. In fact, Tyler Posey, best known for his role in "Teen Wolf", was actually Stephenie Meyer’s original favorite. The role came down to Posey and Lautner, with both young actors neck-and-neck.
Posey later said he probably wasn’t ready for the spotlight that came with "Twilight". He was just 16 and unsure about jumping into something that big. Lautner got the gig, and the rest of us got the most famous werewolf abs of the 2010s.
“Chuckesmee” Haunted the Set
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" introduced fans to Renesmee, the half-human, half-vampire child of Bella and Edward. But the original plan for baby Renesmee was straight-up nightmare fuel. The crew used an animatronic doll that looked more haunted than heartwarming.
Den of Geek / They nicknamed it “Chuckesmee” because of how creepy it looked. Think Chucky with a vampire twist. It was so unsettling that they scrapped it and went with CGI instead.
Even die-hard fans who loved every second of the films were glad they didn’t use that doll.
Lautner Almost Lost the Role in "New Moon"
Even after nailing "Twilight", Taylor Lautner almost didn’t return for "The Twilight Saga: New Moon". Producers worried he wasn’t “bulky” enough to match Jacob’s physical transformation in the second film. They considered recasting the role entirely.
Lautner wasn’t about to lose his place in the saga. He hit the gym hard and packed on muscle like a superhero in training. When he showed up for the next round of filming, he was nearly unrecognizable and very much still Jacob.
The Cullen Clan Almost Looked Very Different
Not just Bella and Edward faced casting curveballs, the entire Cullen clan could’ve had a totally different look. Jackson Rathbone originally auditioned for Edward, not Jasper. Nikki Reed, who played Rosalie, had to bleach her naturally dark hair so many times it caused damage and required a wig in later films.
Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen) was cast quickly but had to undergo intense physical training to look like a vampire with years of combat experience. Even her eye color was constantly tweaked.
