Making a movie franchise based on a hit book series does not always guarantee success, but when done right, these franchises can reach the top of the box office and rake in tons of money. We have seen the MCU and DC use comic books as source materials, and we even saw Star Wars use the hero’s journey, but Twilight came along and made vampires hip again with the books before hitting the big screen.
When it was announced that Twilight was becoming a film franchise, fans were dream-casting each role. Even author Stephenie Meyer had her picks about which performers should play which characters. Despite her wishes, the films went in a different direction and still succeeded.
Let’s see what Stephenie Meyer saw in Henry Cavill for the role of Edward Cullen!
Cavill Had The Right Look And Acting Abilities
Back when the Twilight films were being cast, it seemed like every fan in the world had the perfect choice for the lead roles. Edward Cullen was going to be prominently featured all throughout with Bella, meaning that the folks casting the film needed to hit the mark here or risk it all falling apart before it even got going. Author Stephenie Meyer wanted none other than Henry Cavill to play Edward.
Interestingly, Meyer opened up about the casting process and about her input on the film, in general. Despite being the person who wrote the books, the studio was not that interested in her opinions on important matters.
Meyer would say, “My opinions on the movie matter to no one. I have no influence on what goes on with the movie at all. No one is going to ask who I think should star in Twilight.”
Even though she felt like her voice would not be heard, Meyer would still lay out her dream casting on her website. Not only did she pick Edward, but she also cast an actress for Bella, as well.
Meyer wrote, “The only actor I’ve ever seen who I think could come close to pulling off Edward Cullen is [...] Henry Cavill. The most disappointing thing for me is losing my perfect Edward. Henry Cavill is now twenty-four-years-old. Let us have a moment of quiet in which to mourn.”
Tough break for Meyer, but Cavill must have at least gotten an audition, right?
He Never Got An Audition
Stephenie Meyer was pretty up front about her desire to have Henry Cavill play Edward Cullen, but this never came to pass. Not only that, but Cavill was not even approached to play the character by anyone involved with the films.
When speaking to MTV, Cavill would say, “I've heard this, but I haven't heard from Stephenie. I haven't spoken to her personally, and I haven't spoken to the producers."
He would continue, saying, “What I've heard, or pieced together from various sources, is that Stephenie had seen me in whatever jobs I had done previously, and I was probably perfect then. But then, the ravages of time had taken their toll.”
Despite being too old to play the vampire love interest of the teenage Bella Swan, Meyer still had a suggestion for the filmmakers: cast him as Carlisle. Carlisle is an older character that might have been a bit too old for what the filmmakers saw in Henry Cavill. While Cavill wasn’t a teenager anymore, it was clear that the studio favored an older actor to take on the role of Carlisle.
Even though Stephenie Meyer did not get to see her dream Edward come to fruition, there was another actor in the wings who would seize this golden opportunity and make the most of it.
Robert Pattinson Gets The Job
Now that the casting of Twilight was ramped up, it was time for an Edward to step forward. Eventually, Robert Pattinson would get the role and do an exceptional job in the franchise.
On her website, Meyer would touch on Pattinson landing the role, saying, “I am ecstatic with Summit’s choice for Edward. There are very few actors who can look both dangerous and beautiful at the same time, and even fewer who I can picture in my head as Edward. Robert Pattinson is going to be amazing.”
As fans got to see, the Twilight franchise wound up being a massive financial success, and the recent release of Meyer’s latest novel in the series took the fandom by storm. Pattinson was a solid Edward, and there is belief that he will be an amazing Batman now that he is with DC.
Cavill may have had the right look for Edward, but Pattinson wound up being the best man for the job.
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