09-07-2025
Twilight Director Reveals Shocking Gift From Studio
Love it or hate it, the 2008 film Twilight was a HUGE success, garnering over $400 million at the global box office on a $37 million budget.
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke and produced by Summit Entertainment, the YA fantasy/romance was impressively filmed in just 44 days, and its limited budget meant that shooting certain scenes was pretty much impossible. For example, they simply couldn't afford to use a lot of CGI, and so they were unable to include multiple shots of the Cullens sparkling in the sun.
Nevertheless, many Twilight fans view the OG film as the best* of the franchise, which also includes New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn - Part 1, and Breaking Dawn - Part 2.
But in spite of the film's success, director Catherine recently claimed that she was given an insultingly small gift by the studio following its release.
Speaking out in an interview with The Guardian this week, Catherine recalled, 'I walked into a room with all these gifts, and everybody was congratulating the studio, and they gave me a box. I opened it up, and it was a mini cupcake.'
Catherine said that male directors are often given things like a 'car or a three-picture deal' when they produce huge successes, which made her gift all the more shocking. She recalled thinking, 'No, people aren't going to hire more women directors. They're not going to give you the next job and let you do something great. It was an earth-shattering reality right away.'
Reacting to Catherine's revelation, it's safe to say that several internet users were appalled. 'Mini cupcakes? As in the mini version of regular cupcakes? Which is already a mini version of a cake? Honestly, where does it end with you people?' one person wrote. Another said, 'It surprised the studio guys who routinely underestimate movies for women and especially girls. And then what? Oh thanks honey, have a cupcake (a mini one, because you've got to watch your figure), but now that we know this is a guaranteed cash cow, we'll take it from here.'
Let me know what you think in the comments. You can find Catherine's full interview with The Guardian here.
