‘Twilight’ director recalls having to make star Robert Pattinson “look good”

In a recent chat on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke revealed who she’d cast in an imagined reboot of the romantic 2008 vampire hit to succeed Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.

Jacob Elordi would get the role of the sullen, sparkly vampire, she said. “I mean, he’s amazing. He probably would be Edward today.” As for playing Bella Swan, Hardwicke told host Josh Horowitz, “You just mentioned Jenna Ortega, she’s amazing.”

Another fun bit of behind-the-scenes trivia was Hardwicke recalling how she had to convince the movie’s financiers that Pattinson was attractive enough to play Edward Cullen.

Seriously.

The English actor “had black bangs for hair and was kind of out of shape because he was hanging out at the pub all the time,” the filmmaker recalls.

“They called me back and go, ‘Do you think you can make this guy look good?'” she said with a laugh.

“I said, ‘Yeah, I do. Did you see his cheekbones? We’re doing a makeover on the hair and everything and he’s going to start working out and he’s going to be gorgeous.’ But they didn’t believe it at first!”

Of course, she was right, and Pattinson became a heartthrob for an entire generation.

She also said the chemistry between Stewart and Pattinson, who were later linked romantically, was undeniable. “The sparks were flying so much,” she added of their audition. “It works not only in person, but onscreen,” Hardwicke said.