Edward Cullen sits at the table in biology in Twilight
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Dani Kessel Odom
Published 3 minutes ago
Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer on the New TV team, focusing on writing and content planning for streaming shows. They often assist with Classic TV coverage, as well.
They have covered events, such as Denver Fan Expo. Their articles have also been shared by professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale.
In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.
Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.
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Netflix’s Twilight TV show has no choice but to overcome 1 big hurdle when it comes to Edward Cullen. The Twilight craze hit everyone hard back when the books and movies came out, and now it’s coming back around. Between the 2000s nostalgia and the first book’s 25th anniversary, Twilight has become popular again. So popular, in fact, that Netflix is making a new Twilight TV show.
However, instead of adapting the original books, the series will tell the story from Edward Cullen’s perspective, as outlined in the 2020 book Midnight Sun. What’s more, the series will be animated instead of live-action, bringing the vampire love story to a new medium.
There are many reasons to get excited about Netflix’s Twilight TV show, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges it will face as well. Because they’re focusing on Edward Cullen’s point of view, the creative team will need to figure out a way to handle a storytelling hurdle that trips up many shows.
Midnight Sun Relies Heavily On Edward Cullen’s Internal Narration & Fantasies
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in Twilight wearing a grey coat and denim shirt, standing outside.Image via Summit Entertainment
Even though the Twilight book includes Bella’s internal narration, it isn’t actually necessary for her to have constant voiceovers in the movies. The few times when it benefits the story, they use the plot device. However, it’s extremely rare, which is a wise choice, since voiceover can quickly cross the line from beneficial to silly. What's more, it makes it easy to fall into the "telling, not showing" trap that can ruin stories.
However, the animated adaptation of Midnight Sun won’t have much of a choice but to include Edward Cullen’s internal monologue and fantasies because, without it, there is very little benefit to adapting the 2020 book. The story is essentially just the same as Twilight, with some extra scenes that Bella wouldn’t have been there for. Still, the insight into Edward’s mind helps us understand who he is, both internally and externally.
His obsession with Bella makes a lot more sense when considering how overwhelming her blood is to him, basically shutting down every rational thought. His vampire urge is so intense that Edward fantasizes and plans how to kill Bella and their classmates. Additionally, she’s the only mind he’s ever been able to read in over 100 years. It doesn’t make his behavior any less creepy or problematic, but it does provide some necessary context.
What’s more, his refusal to change Bella into a vampire makes so much more sense after Midnight Sun. This kid, teen, over-100-year-old vampire, whatever you want to call him, has more self-loathing than I have ever seen in a single person. You can’t go three pages or so without “I’m a monster” being uttered.
Most of his thoughts are self-deprecating to the point where he’s desperately in need of therapy. I think his hatred for himself is even more intense than his infatuation with Bella, and that’s saying something. If he loathes his vampirism this much, of course, he wouldn’t want to give it to the love of his life.
The problem is that none of this would be known if it weren’t for his internal monologue. Almost none of these thoughts are shared with other people through dialogue. As such, the inner monologue driving Midnight Sun can’t be erased or minimized in the Netflix TV show.
Edward Cullen Communicates With His Family Through Thoughts In Midnight Sun
The Cullens sit together in the cafeteria in Twilight
Another reason why Edward Cullen’s internal world must exist in the Twilight TV show is that, in public, he communicates with his family through thoughts. He and Alice have full-on conversations internally because he reads her thoughts and responds subtly through gestures.
The Cullens have an entire discussion about not killing their classmates while in the lunchroom, with almost zero words being said out loud. What’s more, he learns that Jasper and Rosalie want to kill Bella after the car accident because he sees their thoughts, sending him into protector mode.
Twilight Cullen Actors Who Have Confirmed They Aren't Returning For Midnight Sun
Actor
Character
Ashley Greene
Alice Cullen
Peter Facinelli
Carlisle Cullen
Kellan Lutz
Emmett Cullen
Jackson Rathbone
Jasper Cullen
Midnight Sun also shows more of the Edward and Alice dynamic, and why they’re so connected. He can see her visions because of his mind-reading abilities, allowing him to understand her actions and responses better than almost anyone else, except for Alice's soulmate, Jasper. This connection creates issues when Edward doesn’t like the visions, but for the most part, it benefits them both.
On top of that, with the cooperation of his family, Edward Cullen uses his mind-reading abilities during the climax of the book to be able to see through their eyes to know if the tracker is following them.
Netflix’s Twilight TV Show Needs To Embrace The Campiness Of Narration & Telepathy
Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic
For all the reasons discussed, there’s really no way to cut out Edward’s narration or telepathy. It’s baked into the DNA of this book. Plus, Edward is actually kind of funny in his head. As such, the only way to solve the problem of campy voiceovers and telepathy is to lean into it instead of resisting it.
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Join the newsletter for in-depth coverage of Netflix's Twilight adaptation and thoughtful perspectives on adaptation choices. Subscribe to get smart analysis of pop-culture remakes, storytelling craft, and fandom conversations. SubscribeSubscribe for sharp newsletter analysis of Netflix's Twilight
Join the newsletter for in-depth coverage of Netflix's Twilight adaptation and thoughtful perspectives on adaptation choices. Subscribe to get smart analysis of pop-culture remakes, storytelling craft, and fandom conversations. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.If the Midnight Sun adaptation tries to act like prestige television, it will fail. Rather than taking itself too seriously, Netflix’s Twilight TV show needs to accept that its source material is an enjoyable fantasy romance book with cheesy elements, such as telepathic conversations between vampire siblings.
Unlike the live-action movies, the animated Twilight show can show the more ridiculous parts of the book series. They can include the vampires looking like they’re on fire when they’re in the sun. They can show Edward’s fantasy of killing an entire classroom. They can include Edward eating Bella’s tears, which has to be one of the weirdest parts of Twilight.
By embracing the absurdity of the books, they might just be able to make the voiceover seem like a completely normal part of the Twilight TV show.
Twilight (2008) Movie Poster
Twilight
Movie(s)
Twilight The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
First Film
Twilight (2008)
Cast
Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Billy Burke
Character(s)
Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, Jacob Black, Alice Cullen, Carlisle Cullen, Esme Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Rosalie Hale, Jasper Hale, Charlie Swan
Comic Release Date
189623
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