'Twilight' fans turn out for midnight screenings in Oklahoma City

So-called “Twihard” fans took their passion for Stephenie Meyer’s supernatural book series to movie theaters Thursday, turning out en masse for midnight screenings of “Twilight.”

Whitney Vorderlandwehr, 18, and Ben Ward, 19, both of Oklahoma City, wait for a midnight screening of "Twilight" to begin Thursday night at Harkins Bricktown 16. By Brandy McDonnell

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Based on the first novel of Meyer’s wildly popular four-book saga, “Twilight” centers on awkward teenager Bella Swan and her star-crossed romance with the beautiful and potentially deadly Edward Cullen, an eternally youthful vampire. As they waited in line Thursday, many fans at Harkins Bricktown 16 wore shirts emblazoned with the logo “Team Edward” or images of Robert Pattinson, who plays the dreamy vampire. They read well-worn copies of Meyer’s books and chatted excitedly with friends as they realized their wait to see one of fall’s most anticipated films was nearly over.

“Edward’s the perfect man, and every girl can relate to Bella,” said Whitney Vorderlandwehr, explaining the appeal of the books. “Edward is the love of my life.”

Vorderlandwehr, 18, was third in line at one of cineplex’s two extra-large-screen theaters; she arrived, wearing an Edward T-shirt, at the theater at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday to wait for the midnight show. The Classen School of Advanced Studies student and her friends had already bought tickets online; the wait was to secure prime seats.

Online movie ticketing provider MovieTickets.com announced Thursday afternoon that the movie, which sold out more than 1,100 performances at www.movietickets.com, had reached the No. 10 spot on its Top-10 Pre-Sale List of All Time, which includes films such as “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “The Dark Knight.” When the theater doors opened at about 10:30 p.m. at Harkins, the fans crowding the hallways shouted with excitement and rushed to claim their seats. Settling in with her friends, Michelle Roselle prepared to spend the first hours of her 16th birthday watching the movie.

“I thought it was like a miracle when I heard it was coming out on my birthday,” she said. “It was like the best birthday present ever.”

Roselle said she used to be scared of vampires, but picked up Meyer’s books once she saw the first trailer for the “Twilight” film.

“I started reading them and I just devoured them,” she said.

“They are so addictive,” Vorderlandwehr chimed in.

“It’s like our own brand of heroin,” Roselle said, paraphrasing one of the book’s well-known lines.

In the past five years, Meyer’s “Twilight” saga has become a bona fide pop culture phenomenon. The four books have sold 17 million copies worldwide, and more than 350 fan Web sites are devoted to the series. Some of the series’ ardent fans refer to themselves as “Twilighters” or “Twihard” fans.

While the series is particularly popular among tween and teen girls, its fan base has expanded beyond that demographic. Vorderlandwehr’s boyfriend, Ben Ward, 19, willingly accompanied her and her friends to the midnight screening.

“She showed me the book and I read it and I liked it, not to the extent of her, because it is a girl’s love story for the most part. But it’s got its cool parts,” he said, citing the story’s action and supernatural elements.

Mason Lilly, 17, was first in line at one of Harkins’ midnight shows, arriving at 5:45 p.m. and passing the time re-reading “Twilight.”

“Stephenie Meyer is an amazing author. She makes it feel like you’re in the book and it’s a movie playing for you,” the Putnam City High School student said. “It think it’s open for guys and girls both. ... It’s a love story, but it’s so much more than that.”

While eager to see the film, Lilly expressed some anxiety that it wouldn’t live up to the fevered hype.

“I’m a little worried but I still think it will be amazing, and I’ll still come back to see it again,” he said.

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