A dedicated Twilight fan has survived a 12-hour marathon of all five films at a cinema in Sydney, marking the 20th anniversary of Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire series. The event, held at the Randwick Ritz, ran from 8:30pm on Friday to 8am on Saturday, drawing around 150 attendees to the 660-seat theatre.
The crowd was a mix of Gen Z, chaperoned Alphas, and a few millennials, with more men than expected. Many wore Twilight merchandise, though some had changed into pyjamas by the early hours. The marathon included a 30-minute breakfast break after the third film, by which point some participants were napping on the floor or lying across multiple seats.
Journalist Jared Richards, who attended dressed as Edward Cullen, noted the enduring appeal of the franchise, which has sold over 160 million books and grossed more than US$3.6 billion worldwide. He described the experience as both repetitive and camp, with fans reciting infamous lines and booing the character Renesmee. Attendees cited TikTok trends as a key reason for the series' resurgence among younger audiences.
Despite the exhaustion, Richards expressed his love for the series, calling it 'unconditionally and irrevocably' beloved. Fellow fan Isabella summed up the mood: 'My eyes are stinging, but damn it, they're open.'
