Twilight film tops Russian cinema charts 16 years after premiere

The 2008 film ‘Twilight’ has become the highest-grossing movie in Russia for September, marking the first time since official cinema statistics began in 2015 that a re-release has topped the monthly charts.

Following its re-release on September 17, the vampire saga earned approximately 340 million rubles, outperforming recent domestic productions such as ‘How Ivan Got Into a Fairy Tale’ and ‘The Ninth Planet’. Data indicates that the resurgence is driven largely by a younger demographic, with nearly half of the audience aged between 18 and 24.

Experts attribute this phenomenon to several factors. Kirill Tanajew, head of the Institute for Modern Media, suggested an ‘objective lack of domestic film offerings’ in Russian cinemas and streaming services. Other analysts point to the influence of social media and personal recommendations, noting that 36 percent of viewers in the second week learned about the film through social platforms. Due to this high demand, additional installments in the saga are scheduled for screening through February.