Twi-hards, get ready to scream! Twilight is coming back in a series of mini-movies that will premiere on Facebook next year.
As announced on Tuesday by Lions Gate and author Stephenie Meyer, five aspiring female directors will be selected to take the helm of five shorts called, "The Storytellers - New Creative Voices of 'The Twilight Saga.'" Meyer herself will select winning concepts for the mini-films, together with a panel of other judges: Kristen Stewart, Kate Winslet, Octavia Spencer, Julie Bowen, Catherine Hardwicke, Cathy Schulman, and Jennifer Lee.
The final installment of the Twilight movies based on the original novels was released in theatres two years ago, but apparently, Lions Gate is not willing to let the successful franchise fade away just yet.
The use of Facebook to distribute the new shorts is experimental but will deliver the movies to an audience of over 1.3 billion users a month all over the globe.
"We think Facebook is a great way for us to introduce the world of 'Twilight' to a whole new audience while re-energizing existing fans," said Michael Burns from Lions Gate.
Love or hate the sparkling vampire franchise, it's clear that the fascination with the undead is not going to die soon. The popularity of shows like Walking Dead, True Blood, and Teen Wolf, manifest that the appeal of supernatural beings like Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves is as strong as ever.
The creatures of the night seduce and play with the darker side of humanity that most people can only fantasize about. The rise of monsters as pop icons in comic books, novels, movies, and TV, has romanticized the undead which were once feared in traditional folklore.
There are other reasons to love a good, bloody vampire story as well...
People love the forbidden and unknown
When you're told not to push the shiny red button, doesn't it make you want to push it all the more, just to see what will happen?
They're sexy
Vampires and other beasts have taken on the roles of mysterious, handsome lovers and princes of darkness. What woman wouldn't swoon over the likes of movie vampires such as Tom Cruise and Brat Pitt in Interview with The Vampire, Wesley Snipes in Blade, or Luke Evans in the upcoming Dracula: Untold? And boys, we know you've been fantasizing about Kate Beckinsale's Underworld persona stealing a few bites out of you too.
They appeal to our dark fantasies
Turn on the news and 90 percent of the time it's going to be about war, murder, or disease. Fictional monsters reflect the worst of humanity but in a way that's more palatable.
They represent other issues in society
George A. Romero's Living Dead zombie franchise not only features walking corpses taking over the earth, but also comments on social issues such as racism and consumerism. Similarly, vampires in HBO's True Blood series have been exploring gay rights issues.
And finally, people just like a good scare
For the same reason why thrill-seekers enjoy roller coasters or sky diving, monsters and scary movies give you an adrenaline rush that heighten all emotions.
