As Disney, due to promotional needs for the surrounding market, re-released The Avengers, which was set to reveal its summer blockbuster this year, back into theaters, the North American film market in 2012 also welcomed its most important season outside of the summer—holiday season. Starting from mid-November, the North American film market ended its relatively quiet two months, with a variety of big-budget and small films from different genres and scales continuing to capture the audience's attention.
For many Hollywood studios, the remaining two months were also a crucial sprint to finalize their positions.
According to Hollywood's statistics, the box office revenue generated by the Twilight Saga series was not counted under Matthew's studio but rather attributed to the distributor, Walt Disney.
Disney was in a race to claim the number one spot for annual box office revenue in Hollywood, and they had invested significant resources into the promotional campaign for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
Moreover, no one could ignore that the previous three Twilight Saga films had cultivated a massive fanbase of Twilight enthusiasts, even those passionate about vampire-themed content.
"After continuous bombardment, unless you're living in Antarctica, it's hard to ignore the growing popularity of vampires"—this was the reflection of American media in early November regarding the "vampire phenomenon" triggered by the Twilight Saga films reaching new heights.
From the first installment in 2008 to the fourth film shot in 2011, this vampire-themed series carried both a tide of scathing reviews as a "mindless film" while sparking a near-hysterical viewing frenzy in the U.S. and globally. This fervor eventually grew into a cinematic spectacle and cultural phenomenon.
In fact, vampire themes have long existed on both small and large screens as iconic figures, also representing the deep cultural roots in American pop culture that date back to the Middle Ages. Their pale complexions, fangs, and blood-sucking survival methods marked them as a threat to human civilization. However, their eternal life and love often made them a hybrid of demon and romance—this juxtaposition of traits has been a key reason for the spread of vampire culture to this day.
But their explosion in popularity on modern screens owes much to the Twilight Saga.
The vampires, originally a creation of Western medieval folklore, had previously been depicted as monstrous, terrifying, and abnormal in literary works. After the massive success of the Twilight Saga films, however, they evolved into a projection of idealized love and a portrayal of strict moral discipline.
In these films, vampires are initially shown as a species with perfect bodies and breathtaking beauty. They possess immortality, youth, and the power of superhuman abilities, coupled with a strong sense of justice. Furthermore, they are depicted as aristocratic and socially elite. The vampire family structure mirrors a complete, idealized middle-class family, representing the core values of North American small-town women and young girls: handsome, reliable, stable, and, most importantly, wealthy.
The mysterious Edward and the understatedly beautiful Bella, aside from fulfilling the traditional romantic tropes of a handsome man, a beautiful woman, and love at first sight, also embody the ultimate female fantasy in terms of men and love: loyalty, determination, and always being present in times of crisis.
Extreme, exaggerated, eternal, beautiful, sexy, forever young, never compromising—these qualities, shaped by medieval vampire lore, have been refined and distilled by modern technology and values to provide a comforting escape for ordinary humans.
This was what propelled the Twilight Saga to commercial success beyond any other romantic film.
If the success of the Harry Potter series brought children's fantasy into the global cultural mainstream, the Twilight Saga phenomenon mutated vampire culture and made it one of the core aspects of American pop culture.
The CW network's The Vampire Diaries was almost a direct copy of the Twilight Saga, yet still amassed countless fans.
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 hit theaters over the Thanksgiving weekend.
In the preceding weekend, Skyfall, the latest James Bond film, had already started the fierce competition for the holiday box office.
The Bond film was a hot topic: the 50th anniversary of Bond, the first IMAX 007 film, the return of "Q" after Die Another Day in 2002, and the retirement of "M" made it a significant release. It grossed $88.36 million at the North American box office during its opening weekend, signaling its strength.
Even though the Twilight Saga and Bond films had very different audiences, one could still feel the immense pressure.
Online, there were numerous criticisms aimed at Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
"This brain-dead series is finally coming to an end!"
"I can't even be bothered to criticize this series anymore."
"The Twilight Saga will forever be a stain on Matthew's career."
"Starting next year, at least I won't have to watch these stupid movies anymore."
Some fans cut through the surface and pointed directly to the heart of the matter: "There will never be another movie like this again, where how bad it is doesn't even matter!"
There were even cheers on social media: "Although I'm not religious, I want to shout: Hallelujah! We no longer have to suffer through these irritating, self-righteous movies that desecrate the vampire legend."
Matthew, however, ignored these voices from male viewers, knowing that they came from those who would soon have to accompany their wives or girlfriends, tragically entering the theater to watch Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
He sympathized with them but warmly welcomed their contribution to the box office.
Some things are just unavoidable, much like the news he had once seen across the Pacific, about the many men who had to accompany their girlfriends to watch Tiny Times.
Watching was just a matter of spending some money and enduring two hours.
Not watching, though, could be a much bigger problem.
Therefore, the earlier Twilight Saga films maintained a relatively stable proportion of male viewers.
After the main cast had finished their global promotional tours, the highly anticipated final chapter of the Twilight series, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, held a grand and spectacular premiere at the Santa Monica commercial plaza in Los Angeles.
As an investor and producer, Matthew wasn't going to miss such a grand event.
However, the main stars of the premiere were Bella and Edward. Matthew quickly walked the red carpet with Margot Robbie, who said not a word the entire time. By now, the media had grown used to seeing her by Matthew's side and thought that the playboy had finally found the right person and settled down.
Matthew didn't say much, and soon they entered the theater. The Twilight Saga series had come to an end.
The story picked up from the previous installment. After Bella had fulfilled her wish and become a vampire, she began to experience her new life, but the Volturi, the vampire nobility, decided that Bella and Edward's daughter, Renesmee, was an "immortal child."
By their rules, immortal children were forbidden because they couldn't control their thirst for blood, were immensely powerful, and could never grow up.
In reality, Renesmee was a hybrid of human and vampire, and in order to protect their daughter from the Volturi, the Cullen family traveled far and wide, seeking help from their kind. A battle between vampires, each wielding "superpowers," ensued...
Although he was an investor in the film, as an adult male viewer, Matthew's first thought after watching the premiere of this film was that he was finally done with this seemingly endless series. He was glad he wouldn't have to watch it again.
However, as an investor, he still had to promote and support the film—though that didn't mean he liked it.
Investing in the Twilight Saga was purely a business decision.
The film's female fans were ecstatic, and once it was officially released, Matthew received data showing that CinemaScore had given it an A in audience reviews, with A+ ratings from women under 25.
Another statistic explained why.
The survey showed that 79% of the film's viewers were women, with the 21% male viewership being the lowest proportion in the series. Moreover, over half of the audience was under 25 years old.
With the unwavering support of its fans, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 grossed $39.6 million in advance sales, and on its opening day, it earned $72.2 million in North America.
Of course, fan-driven films don't last forever. The following day, Breaking Dawn – Part 2's daily revenue dropped to $43.5 million.
Combined with the weekend's earnings, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 grossed $148.7 million over its opening weekend across 4,270 theaters, pushing Skyfall, which had earned $41.1 million that weekend, off the top spot and claiming the North American box office crown.
This marked an incredible achievement: the Twilight Saga became the first film series in history to have three films open with over $130 million.
Overseas, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 also attracted tremendous attention, earning $212.05 million across 61 countries and regions.
Similarly, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 surpassed Skyfall to become the global box office champion for the week.
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