Share

Twilight romance 'like Romeo & Juliet'

Rome - Jackson Rathbone, a star of the Twilight movies, likened the wildly popular series about love between a human and a vampire to the story of Romeo and Juliet, as the next-to-last film in the saga was screened Sunday at Rome's film festival.

Speaking to reporters about The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn Part 1, Rathbone called the love between Bella and Edward (played by Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson) "almost as mythological as the Romeo and Juliet story," referring to Shakespeare's play about star-crossed lovers.

Co-star, Nikki Reed, who plays a teenage vampire twin to Rathbone's character, mused about the popularity of the series, which has raked in over $2bn worldwide.

Baffling

"This love between Edward and Bella is just out of the realm of possibility and reality. I mean, it's unattainable, it's not real, and that's what makes it so magnetic," Reed said.

She added that she thinks "that's why there's no specific demographics for this, because you know, 12-year-old girls fantasise about having this, and women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, think about when they had that first love."

Rathbone said he is still grappling with the reasons for the runaway success of the series. "When I first came on board of Twilight, I had no idea what was going to happen with it, and for it to be now a worldwide phenomenon is still baffling," he said.

The Rome festival runs through November 4 and includes 15 in-competition films plus documentaries, children's films, exhibits and screenings of movie classics.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE