barnesgonzo: ?Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn?: Year In Review

We look back on an action-packed 2011 with Rob, Kristen, Taylor and more, in Twilight Tuesday.
By Kara Warner

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″
Photo: Summit Entertainment

This week’s Twilight Tuesday is dedicated to the 10 best “Twilight” moments of 2011. Selecting the list proved to be a daunting task, considering an action-packed year full of “Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ news, interviews, photos, videos and more. Among the biggest highlights were saucy honeymoon photos, much ado about a sex scene, the birth of a vampire/human hybrid baby and the return of the fan-created “tent city” in support of the L.A. premiere of “Part 1.”

10. “Breaking Dawn” Soundtrack Revealed
The vampire franchise has not only made its stars super famous, but an artist who lands on any of the films’ best-selling soundtracks can expect a special boost and instant exposure to a massive fanbase. Emerging acts like Sleeping At Last and Christina Perri, as well as rising stars like Bruno Mars have earned featured spots on the compilations. But “Twilight” stars have also contributed material, with Mia Maestro’s “Carmen” making the cut.

9. The “Twilight” World Tour
There’s nothing like the glitz of a red-carpet premiere to bring out the best in everyone, particularly with regard to wardrobe choices. When the “Breaking Dawn” cast embarked upon a whirlwind tour of world premieres, Twilighters couldn’t wait to see who wore what. MTV News captured the glamorous looks in a handy photo gallery for repeated viewing pleasure.

8. “Breaking Dawn” Goes To Comic-Con
Those who’ve been following the franchise from the beginning will probably remember that it was at in 2008 San Diego Comic-Con that thousands of screaming fans descended upon the annual pop-culture convention and surprised convention-goers with their overwhelming enthusiasm. That first showing was such a huge success that going forward, Summit made Comic-Con a major priority with regard to promoting the films. At this summer’s event MTV News got several particularly newsy tidbits about Renesmee and Jacob’s imprinting, but we also really loved hearing Kristen Stewart talk about Bella’s wedding.

7. Our Extended “Breaking Dawn” Interview
We’ve had the pleasure of catching up with the castmembers several times this year, so it was hard to narrow down all of those great interviews into just one favorite. That said, we loved hearing Robert Pattinson talk about Stewart playing a vampire in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” And he really loved that she had to suffer through those uncomfortable contact lenses for the transition. “When she finally wore them and then was complaining about them every second of the day, it was kind of satisfying,” he smiled.

6. The First Photo
Any piece of “Twilight” news is arguably cause for a few screams of delight for Twilighters. But when Summit released the first steamy, swoon-worthy photo of newlyweds Edward and Bella in bed together, we could practically hear the collective squeals and sighs from fans around the world. Talk about starting the New Year off with a bang.

5. The Trailer
This one really needs no introduction or explanation, but if there were squeals when the first photo was released, there may well have been mind-explosions and full-on fainting when we premiered the first full-length “Breaking Dawn” trailer during the ’11 MTV Movie Awards. The clip offered glimpses of the wedding, a shirtless Jacob Black, the Cullens, the wolf pack, a very unexpected and dangerous pregnancy … everything a Twilighter hoped for.

4. Fan-Made Reactions To The Trailer
When we asked “Twilight” fans to send in their reactions to the trailer, we couldn’t have anticipated all of the crying. Fans shed tears of joy, of course, and with those emotional outpourings clinched prominent placement on our list.

3. “MTV First: Breaking Dawn,” The Highlight Reel
As we’ve already mentioned, we were lucky to spend time with the cast this year. One of the best interviews we conducted was as part of our “MTV First” series. Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner introduced an exclusive clip and let loose in a lively Q&A. We even put together a highlight reel from the extra-special event that includes making Stewart uncomfortable and Pattinson complaining about Lautner’s well-defined abs.

2. The L.A. Premiere
Excitement over the star-studded Los Angeles premiere of “Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ was so intense it seemed to rival major Hollywood events like the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards. Celebrity super fans begged to attend and came out in droves to the premiere, many with their children and teenagers in tow. The fans’ cheering was nonstop as the stars arrived on the black carpet, but it reached fever pitch with the arrival of Pattinson. Naturally, our quick chat with the heartthrob about all those sex scenes and their potential to give the film an R-rating made our Twilight Tuesday “best of” list.

1. Fans Unite In “Tent City”
Make no mistake, we have high regard for Pattinson, Stewart, Lautner, director Bill Condon and everyone who worked on “Breaking Dawn,” but when it comes to the franchise’s key components, the fans are the real secret to its success. When we visited the dedicated, die-hard bunch that descended upon downtown Los Angeles to camp out, we were delighted by their enthusiasm. Gathered in appropriately named “tent city,” they amassed several days before the premiere in a show of ultimate fandom.

So here’s to you, “Twilight” fans, and see you again next year for “Breaking Dawn – Part 2.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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