PORT ANGELES — Vampires and werewolves return to the Olympic Peninsula tonight.
The first showing of “Breaking Dawn: Part 1,” the latest installment in the “Twilight” book and movie franchise, will flicker to life in the first few minutes of Friday morning at the Deer Park Cinema, followed by a weekend schedule at Deer Park and at The Rose Theatre in Port Townsend.
“Breaking Dawn” will open with two just-after-midnight showings at Deer Park Cinema in Port Angeles, at 12:05 a.m. and 12:10 a.m. Friday.
Fans of the Twilight Saga are expected to begin lining up for good seats today, employees of cinema said.
Some of them have traveled from as far as Texas to watch the fourth film in franchise in the theater where Bella Swan — the star of the best-selling Twilight Saga books and movies set in Forks, LaPush and Port Angeles — would have gone to see movies with her friends.
“Going to see the movie where Bella would have gone seems to have become a big thing,” said Rianilee Belles, owner of Twilight Tours in Forks, who said that people came from as far away as Texas to join her special VIP tour for the premier.
Six additional opening day showings at Deer Park Cinema — which is at 96 Deer Park Road just off U.S. Highway 101 east of Port Angeles — will run Friday afternoon and evening, at 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:55 p.m., 7:25 p.m., 9:20 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 for adults, $7 for children and $7.50 for seniors.
Saturday and Sunday’s schedules will include the same showings as Friday, and add three matinees, at 12:15 p.m., 1:45 p.m., and 2:35 p.m.
The first Port Townsend showing of “Breaking Dawn: Part 1” will be at 4:30 p.m. at The Rose Theatre, at 235 Taylor St.
Two additional showings are set for 7:20 p.m. and 9:55 p.m.
Saturday’s show times will be the same.
Sunday’s schedule will not include the 9:55 p.m. showing.
Tickets cost $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $7 for adults.
Matinee showings cost $1 less.
Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s four-novel tale of vampires, werewolves and teen love mentions such Peninsula locations as Forks High School — where Bella and vampire Edward Cullen meet and where all the Cullen vampire “siblings” attend school — LaPush’s First Beach — where Bella meets Quileute alpha werewolf Jacob Black — and Bella Italia in Port Angeles — where Bella and Edward have their first date.
More people are taking this year’s VIP tour than took the ‘Eclipse” tour 18 months ago, Belles said.
For “Eclipse,” released in the summer of 2010, four people signed up for the no-holds barred tour.
It includes a hotel room at the “treaty line” — a fictional Quileute territorial border in LaPush that vampires are not allowed to cross — visits to many important story locations, dinner at Bella Italia, and tickets to the just-after-midnight showing in Port Angeles.
This year, 11 people will be taking the full tour, and two have already signed up for the 2012 premiere VIP tour for the final installment of the saga, “Breaking Dawn, Part 2,” Belles said.
“Many of those taking the tour also have friends who will be here but won’t be part of the tour,” she said.
Summit Entertainment has announced a Nov. 16, 2012, release date for “Breaking Dawn: Part 2.”
The first film, “Twilight,” was released in November 2008. “New Moon” followed in November 2009. “Eclipse” was released in June 2010. None was filmed on the North Olympic Peninsula.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
