"I don’t think any of us were aware of how crazy it would be – in fact, we definitely weren’t," says filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke, reflecting on the whirlwind aftermath of her 2008 megahit Twilight and the impact it had on her and her young leads. "Before we shot, I went to a book reading with author Stephenie Meyer and there was a big crowd. When she said the name 'Edward' people started screaming at the top of their lungs like they’d seen The Beatles," she laughs. "I thought, 'Oh, my God. She just said the character’s name. Wait until these fans actually see a person playing this guy. It’s going to be out of control.'"
She’s not far off the mark. Released 15 years ago, Hardwicke’s fourth film not only launched a hugely successful movie franchise, it ignited the pop-culture zeitgeist and birthed the 'Young Adult' boom. Based on Meyer’s eponymous book series, Twilight followed Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), a shy 17-year-old who moves to the permanently overcast town of Forks in Washington state. During her first day at her new high school, a mysteriously pale stranger named Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) catches her eye and soon the pair fall head-over-heels for each other.
