“Twilight” director says Jenna Ortega and Jacob Elordi would be 'perfect' as Bella and Edward

Is it time for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to be usurpsed?

Catherine Hardwicke has an answer to the question that's been on every Twi-hard’s mind lately: who should play the lion and the lamb in a Twilight reboot?

Fifteen years after introducing moviegoers to Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) as the director of the 2008 film, Hardwicke is looking to the future of the franchise. During a watch-along with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she gave two young actors her stamp of approval when the host suggested them to play the franchise’s star-crossed lovers.

“Is there anyone in the new crop today? Like who do you cast? Is Jacob Elordi Edward Cullen today?” Horowitz asked her. “Is Jenna Ortega…”

Before he could finish, Hardwicke interrupted with approval: “Oh yeah, that would be perfect.”

“He’s amazing,” she said of Elordi. “He probably would be Edward today. Exactly.”

She also described Ortega as “amazing,” naming her when asked who could follow in the footsteps of Stewart.

While the thought of a new Bella and Edward has sent fans across social media into a tizzy, the question is more timely than it seems. Earlier this year, EW learned that Lionsgate is developing a Twilight television series. The project is in the early stages of development with Meyer reportedly involved, and does not currently have a network or platform.

Historically, a stroll through Forks has been a good career launchpad. Stewart and Pattinson have found continued success beyond their Twilight days, in indie and blockbuster titles alike. Pattinson is set to continue as the caped crusader following his turn in Matt Reeves' The Batman, while Stewart last year earned her first Academy Award nomination for the role of Princess Diana in Spencer.

For their part, Elordi and Ortega are already enjoying success in their young careers.

Ortega, no stranger to blockbuster franchises, became a bonafide scream queen in the Scream reboot trilogy (which she recently exited) before joining the Addams family as Wednesday. She will next star in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 2.

Elordi, who is riding the dual high of Saltburn and Priscilla, is slightly more franchise averse, having recently expressed his disinterest in playing a superhero. As for the YA romance genre, the former Kissing Booth star has openly expressed his regrets about starring in the popular trilogy.

"I didn't want to make those movies before I made those movies," Elordi said of the hit Netflix saga. "Those movies are ridiculous. They're not universal. They're an escape."

The rebooted Twilight saga may have to look elsewhere for its stars. Either way, recasting Bella and Edward is thinking too small. The real question is, who will take on the mantle of the mustachioed Chief of Police, Charlie Swan?

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