Every Twilight Movie In Order (2024)

During a period when young adult novels were constantly being adapted into films, perhaps no franchise had a bigger impact on Hollywood than The Twilight Saga. Amassing over $3.3 billion in worldwide ticket sales, these five romance movies not only set box office records (Twilight: New Moon had the biggest midnight opening ever at the time), but they made instant stars out of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattison. Their portrayals of the young human Bella Swan and the old vampire Edward Cullen, as well as Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, brought the bestselling book series to life, allowing a story enjoyed by millions to reach theaters around the world.

So what exactly is the story of The Twilight Saga? How closely do the movies adhere to the book series’ plot and characters? And how do you watch the franchise in order? This article aims to answer all those questions. You will learn about the history of author Stephenie Meyer’s book series, the chronological order of The Twilight Saga, the plots of each movie and whether there are plans for future Twilight movies.

Twilight Books

Stephenie Meyer got the idea for the Twilight book series back in 2003, when she claims the story’s central focus—a human girl who falls in love with a vampire who loves her but at the same time wants to drink her blood—came to her in a dream. In this moment of inspiration, Meyer wrote what is now the thirteenth chapter of the young adult fantasy series’ first book, Twilight.

After writing the manuscript of the first novel in three months, the book publisher Brown & Co. offered her $750,000 for it and two more books. Within one month of release, the book catapulted to #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. In total, Meyer would write four Twilight books—Twilight; New Moon; Eclipse and Breaking Dawn—between 2003 and 2008. The books were released to the public successively each year from 2005 to 2008.

With Meyer’s sudden success came with several controversies. As far as the quality of the books, many critics found her writing to be elementary and simplistic, lacking the sort of depth that could typically be found in #1 sellers. The prose was considered very basic, with descriptions sounding repetitive and dialogue being monotonous. Plus, there were complaints about pacing and plot development, with arguments that the story would drag on and on without significant plot advancement or character development.

But by far the biggest concerns regarded the ethical considerations of the book. Above all else, people were disturbed by the series’ central relationship between a 17-year-old girl and a 104-year-old vampire. Edward, the vampire who would watch her sleep at night, was incredibly controlling, while Bella, the high school girl who seemed to completely abandon her identity for Edward and his family, was completely dependent upon him. There is also a profound lack of diversity in the characters, and the Quileute tribe, who are depicted as werewolves, raised concerns about appropriation, with Meyer only using their culture for a supernatural plot device. Above all else, though, the concept of imprinting drove readers wild. Werewolves would imprint on their soulmates, meaning they would involuntary become infatuated with loving and protecting a specific woman or girl—even if the individual imprinted upon was a minor.

The four-book series was made into a five-film franchise, known as The Twilight Saga, with the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, being split into two parts. While the fantasy movies follow the main plot points of the books (even the controversial ones), the adaptations inevitably made some changes to the story. The most instant noticeable change is the perspective. While the books are written from Bella’s first-person point of view, the movies include her inner monologues only seldomly, with several other tangential storylines being offered from other characters’ vantage points. Secondly, several of the characters received less backstory in the films. Edward’s siblings, like Alice and Jasper, and the evil Volturi antagonists received fuller background in the books. Perhaps the most striking diversion the film franchise makes is during the final film’s climatic scene. The franchise chose to depict a fierce battle between the Cullens and the Volturi, while in the book this confrontation is merely dissolved via dialogue.

Twilight Movies In Order Of Release

Here is every movie in The Twilight Saga in order of release:

1. Twilight (2008)
2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
3. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
4. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)
5. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)

Twilight In Chronological Order

The chronological order of The Twilight Saga coincides with the release order. The movies follow the plots of the books, and the books tell Bella and Edward’s story sequentially. Here is each movie in The Twilight Saga and what they’re about.

1. Twilight (2008)

In the first installment of The Twilight Saga, 17-year-old Bella Swan relocates from her mother’s home in sunny Arizona to the small, rain-swept town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father, Charlie. A timid girl who doesn’t make new friends easily, she finds herself mysteriously attracted to a good-looking boy named Edward Cullen at her new high school. The two embark on a romantic relationship, and before long Bella learns of Edward and his family’s vampiric background. The Cullens live peacefully amongst humans, drinking animal blood to satiate their thirsts, but they are part of a much larger race that isn’t so friendly. In fact, a group of nomadic vampires—consisting of characters James, Victoria and Laurent—is picking off people in the Forks area one by one, putting Bella, who for whatever reason has an intoxicating scent to vampires, at great risk. The tension between the Cullens, who protect Bella, and James, who desperately craves Edward’s girlfriend, grows and grows until reaching a climactic showdown.

The film was directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who at the time was known for works like Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown. The main stars are Kristen Stewart as Bella and Robert Pattison as Edward. Taylor Lautner, who becomes a major star of the other Twilight Saga films but plays a more minor role in the first, portrays Jacob. The cast of Edward’s family includes Peter Facinelli as Carlisle, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme, Ashley Greene as Alice, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, Kellan Lutz as Emmett and Nikki Reed as Rosalie. Billy Burke plays Charlie, and Bella’s friends are played by Anna Kendrick as Jessica, Michael Welch as Mike, Justin Chon as Eric and Christian Serratos as Angela. The villains are played by Cam Gigandet as James, Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria (who is later replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard in Eclipse) and Edi Gathegi as Laurent.

Here’s where you can stream Twilight.

2. Twilight: New Moon (2009)

While New Moon continues to explore Bella and Edward’s growing relationship, things quickly go awry. The Cullens throw Bella an 18th birthday party, but after she cuts herself and bleeds in front of them, Edward’s brother Jasper loses control and tries to bite her. Torn with guilt and fear, Edward makes the painful decision to leave Forks in order to distance Bella from vampires. This causes Bella to go into a deep depression (easily making this the most dramatic movie of the series), but eventually she finds solace through Jacob Black, a local teenage boy. Little does she know, however, that Jacob harbors a dark secret—that he and his Quileute tribe are werewolves, and that they have sworn to protect humans from vampires. This becomes especially complicated as Jacob develops feelings for Bella, who is clearly still in love with Edward, hopeful that he will come back to her. To ensure Edward’s return, Bella constantly puts herself in harm’s way, believing he will sense her danger—but little does she know this plan will soon backfire.

New Moon was directed by Chris Weitz, who is famous for movies like About a Boy and The Golden Compass. Everybody from the previous movies reprises their roles. The most notable newcomers to the franchise are those playing the evil Volturi vampires, which includes Dakota Fanning as Jane, Michael Sheen as Aro, Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius and Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus.

Here’s where you can stream Twilight: New Moon.

3. Twilight: Eclipse (2010)

With the Cullens back in Forks and Edward returned to Bella’s life, a major conflict brews between the local vampires and werewolves. With graduation on the horizon, Bella is forced to confront her divided feelings for both Edward, who left her but came back, and Jacob, who was there for her when she needed it most. All the while, a string of mysterious killings mystifies the Cullens, before learning that Victoria is seeking revenge for James, whom the Cullens killed in the first Twilight film. She has started her own vampire army and seeks to punish Edward by taking Bella’s life—an eye for an eye. Keeping their promise to protect all humans from vampires, the local werewolves band together with the Cullens to fight this new vampire army. This climactic battle coincides with a showdown between Edward and Jacob, who are both competing for Bella’s affections.

Eclipse was directed by David Slade, whose most notable films up to that point were Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night. All the main stars reprise their roles in Eclipse, with the only major change coming in the form of Victoria, who was previously played by Rachelle Lefevre but is now portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard. The only other notable addition to the cast is Xavier Samuel, who plays Riley, the leader of Victoria’s vampire army.

Here’s where you can stream Twilight: Eclipse.

4. Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

At the very end of Eclipse, Edward asks Bella a very important question: “Will you marry me?” Thus, Breaking Dawn - Part 1 begins with their marriage, which is attended by vampires and werewolves alike. The newlyweds then travel on their honeymoon, where they consummate their marriage. Afterwards, however, Bella’s health quickly deteriorates as she discovers she is pregnant with a half-human, half-vampire child. The werewolves are incensed by this news, claiming the Cullens have committed an unforgivable act against the humans, and they threaten war. But Jacob’s love for Bella causes him to turn against his tribe and side with the Cullens, who prepare for war with the werewolves.

The first part of Breaking Dawn was directed by Bill Condon, who had previously found success with movies like Kinsey and Dreamgirls (and he would go on to direct several notable movies, such as Beauty and the Beast and The Greatest Showman). The cast does not feature any prominent new members, perhaps apart from Jacob’s Quileute tribe, which gains a bigger role in the series. This cast includes Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley, Bronson Pelletier as Jared, Alex Meraz as Paul, Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call, Tyson Houseman as Quil Ateara, Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater, BooBoo Stewart as Seth Clearwater and Gil Birmingham as Billy Black.

Here’s where you can stream Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.

5. Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

The final piece of The Twilight Saga begins with Bella’s transformation into a vampire. Edward had to bite her to save her life after their baby’s dramatic birth, and now he and Bella exist as vampires raising their newborn daughter, Renesmee, who grows at an accelerated rate. Unfortunately, a member of the Denali vampire coven, Irina, witnesses Renesmee’s freakish growth and reports the half-human, half-vampire child to the Volturi. This powerful clan that lords over the vampire community uses the child, whom they deem as a monstrosity, as an excuse to start a war with the Cullens. To prepare for this impending battle, the Cullens gather together their own private army, of vampires and werewolves alike, hoping to put an end to the Volturi’s rule once and for all.

The second part of Breaking Dawn is also directed by Bill Condon. There aren’t any significant new cast members, apart from Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee, and a few new characters from the Volturi, which includes Cameron Bright as Alec, Charlie Bewley as Demetri and Daniel Cudmore as Felix.

Here’s where you can stream Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2.

New Twilight Movies

Despite the massive success of The Twilight Saga, which amassed over $3.3 billion worldwide at the box office, there are no plans for future additions to the franchise. In September 2016, the co-chairman of Lionsgate, Patrick Wachsberger, said a sequel could be possible, but only if Meyer expressed interest—for which the author, presently, has not. Since, there have been rumors and open discussions by Lionsgate about spinoff movies and televisions series, but nothing has come to fruition.

Meyer has not continued the story of Bella and Edward past the ending of Breaking Dawn. She did, however, revisit the material she’d already written in different ways. For instance, in 2015, Meyer released Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined, in which the exact same story is told, except for a notable gender reversal: Bella became a boy named Beau, while Edward became Edythe. And in 2020, Meyer released Midnight Sun, which retells the events of the first Twilight book but this time from Edward’s first-person perspective. Meyer says that she is working on two more books in the series, but has yet to release any details. There haven’t been any public talks about adapting these stories into films.

Bottom Line

The Twilight Saga took the world by storm between 2008-2012. They came on the tail end of the massive-selling Twilight book series, amidst excited fandom and critical controversy. The plot of the films, while similar to the book series, ultimately takes its own course, making box-office breaking cinema of the young adult novels.