It was five years ago this week (on November 18, 2011) that saw the release of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1," featuring the long-awaited nuptials between the perpetual-teen vampire and his mortal bride, the equally long-awaited consummation of their romance, and the horrific birth of their hybrid baby.
As obsessively as fans pored over every detail of the supernatural romance, there's still much you may not know about the five-film series. Here are the dark (and not-so-dark) secrets of how the best-selling Stephenie Meyer novels sank their fangs into the multiplex.
2. Thankfully, when Summit Films wound up with the rights, the indie studio promised Meyer greater fidelity, even writing into its contract language that stipulated the modest length of the vampires' fangs.
3. Meyer's casting ideas for Bella and Edward were Emily Browning (then best known for "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events") and future Superman Henry Cavill (then best known for Showtime's "The Tudors").
4. Director Catherine Hardwicke thought of Kristen Stewart after seeing the 17-year-old in her brief but acclaimed performance in "Into the Wild." She confirmed her instinct once she flew to Pittsburgh to audition Stewart while the actress was in the midst of shooting the indie film "Adventureland."
6. The first "Twilight" movie cost just $39 million to make, a budget that was sofa-cushion change for a would-be blockbuster / franchise launcher even in 2008. It earned back $193 million in North America and another $201 million overseas.
8. Rachelle Lefevre wasn't so lucky. After playing the villainous vampire Victoria in the first two movies, she lost the part in "Eclipse" due to a scheduling conflict with "Barney's Version." That indie drama needed her on the set for just 10 days that overlapped with the three-month "Eclipse" shoot. She figured Summit would make accommodations for her. Instead, the studio replaced her with Bryce Dallas Howard, who'd turned down the chance to play Victoria in the first "Twilight" because she'd felt the part was too small.
10. All told, the five-movie franchise grossed $1.4 billion in North America and a total of $3.3 billion worldwide.
"It's a possibility," Lionsgate co-chairman Patrick Wachsberger said in September. (Lionsgate took over the franchise when it bought Summit in 2012.) "Not a certainty but it's a possibility. It's about Stephenie. If she wants to tell a story related to those characters, we're here for her."