'Twilight' Franchise Leaving HBO Max at the End of June
If you love your vampires sparkly and with perfectly coiffed hair, head over to HBO Max now to watch The Twilight Saga before it waves goodbye to the platform. Based on the hit mid-2000s young adult books by Stephenie Meyer, the wildly popular five-movie series is a staple of Millennial-specifically '90s kids-culture. A perpetual pop culture fixture for a generation.
The first installment, Twilight, which adapted the first book from Meyer's series, premiered in theaters on Nov. 21, 2008. It was a box-office success, raking in $412 million globally on a $37 million budget. The second film, New Moon, achieved a higher worldwide gross with $712 million. The fifth and final movie, Breaking Dawn - Part 2, made the most at the box office with a whopping $868 million. It debuted on Nov. 16, 2012.
The saga was spearheaded by Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, respectively. Before their casting, Meyer revealed she had originally envisioned Emily Browning and Henry Cavill as the aforementioned central couple. Pattinson famously loathed playing Edward in the Twilight franchise, but in 2022, during press for The Batman, the actor changed his tune. "It's not even cool to be a hater anymore," he said. "That's so 2010."
Of course, Taylor Lautner was the other side of the love triangle, portraying werewolf Jacob Black. Chris Weitz, the director of New Moon, considered replacing Lautner because of the physical changes Jacob undergoes. However, Lautner fought to keep his role, working out incessantly and putting on 30 lbs. of muscle.
As a whole, The Twilight Saga wasn't well-received by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first movie sits at 48% on the Tomatometer. New Moon's rating is even worse, with a 28% score. Eclipse, the third installment, is at 46%, while Breaking Dawn - Part 1 boasts the worst score of the bunch at 25%. Finally, the last film has the highest Tomatometer rating at 49%
But hey, no one watches this franchise because it's compelling, award-winning fare. It's cheesy, over-the-top, and campy as all get-out. Embrace the cheese. The not-so-great wigs. The awkward acting. The contacts.
Strap in for a nostalgia-laden movie marathon before the Twilight series leaves HBO Max on June 30, 2026.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 11:00 PM.