‘Twilight’: ‘New Moon’ Almost Had a Completely Different Ending
When Stephenie Meyer first began writing the “Twilight” books she had no idea how popular they would become. In fact, Meyer never had any intention of sharing the story with others when she began writing. But after having a dream that she just couldn’t shake, she began writing about Bella Swan and Edward Cullen with great fervency. And that passion didn’t stop with “Twilight.” Following her debut novel, Meyer authored three additional sequels about Bella and Edward: “New Moon”, “Eclipse”, and “Breaking Dawn.”
Though fans of “Twilight” have an appreciation for all four books, “New Moon” is often considered the least dynamic. However, “New Moon” sets the foundation for the rest of the series. Firstly, it gives readers a glimpse into what Bella’s life is like without Edward. Given the deep depression that she (and he) falls into after Edward makes the decision to leave her, it’s clear that what Bella feels for the vampire is more than just a teenage infatuation.
‘New Moon’ sets the foundation for future events in The ‘Twilight’ Saga
Another thing that “New Moon” does is set the foundation for Bella and Jacob’s friendship. Though the pair were friendly enough in “Twilight”, their bond gets much deeper in “New Moon.” In fact, it is Jacob who is able to finally coax Bella out of her never-ending depression. He also provides her with protection in Edward’s absence which deepens their bond.
Finally, “New Moon” introduces the Volturi. The Volturi, of course, are a powerful vampire coven who are akin to royalty because they’ve taken it amongst themselves to enforce vampire laws. Thanks to the showdown that Bella, Edward, and Alice have at the end of the “New Moon”, Bella’s fate to become a vampire is officially cemented. But, the showdown between the Cullens and the Volturi in Italy almost never happened. In fact, Meyer had a completely different ending in mind for the second book in the Twilight series.
Stephenie Meyer originally had a different ending for ‘New Moon’
In an interview with CNN, Meyer shared that her original vision for “New Moon” was far less dramatic than what actually ended up on the page. “There was a different ending to ‘New Moon’ originally,” the author confessed. “It was a much quieter book. It was very much all in Bella’s head.” So what prompted such a drastic shift? Fans have Meyer’s mother to thank for the Volturi showdown because she encouraged her daughter to introduce the powerful coven sooner in The “Twilight” Saga than she had planned.
“My mom’s like: ‘You know, Stephenie, maybe a little more action at the end would be a good idea. Maybe you need that,'” Meyer confessed. “And she was right, as usual.” Realizing that her mother was right, Meyer changed “New Moon’s” ending to the one that Twilight fans know and love. And fans aren’t the only ones who enjoy the altered ending. Meyer herself has come to truly love the battle in Volterra. “That’s kind of my favorite part now, and it’s there because my mom told me it would be better that way,” Meyer added.
‘Twilight’ fans likely appreciate that Meyer made changes to the books
We certainly agree with Meyer’s mother that “New Moon” needed some action. If you’re interested in returning to Volterra, all five Twilight movies are currently streaming on Hulu.
