From Twi-hards to Murderbot: A Director’s Full-Circle Moment
Few filmmakers understand the power of passionate fandom like Chris Weitz.
After stepping in to direct The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Weitz experienced the fever pitch of Twi-hard mania firsthand.
Now, with the release of his Apple TV+ series Murderbot, he finds himself once again reflecting on the emotional depth and loyalty that define genre fanbases.
Alongside his brother Paul Weitz, Chris has adapted Martha Wells’ beloved sci-fi novella All Systems Red into Murderbot, a sleek, thoughtful, and at times hilarious show about a rogue security robot obsessed with a campy space soap opera.
And according to Weitz, that obsession has a lot in common with how Twilight fans embraced their franchise — unapologetically and with passion.
Chris Weitz on Why Murderbot Is a Twi-hard at Heart
At the heart of Murderbot is its titular character — a half-human, half-robot security unit who hacks its own governor module and gains free will. Instead of using that autonomy to rebel or escape, it chooses to binge-watch its favorite TV show, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
This detail resonated deeply with Weitz, who immediately drew a comparison to Twilight’s fiercely loyal fans.
“Murderbot is kind of a Twi-hard,” Chris Weitz said in an interview with TV Insider. “You can talk until the cows come home to a Twi-hard about the relative merits of the books or not, but it doesn’t really matter because they are feeling it on a very deep level.”
That emotional connection, Weitz notes, is key to understanding fandom — whether it’s about sparkling vampires or sensitive space bots. For Murderbot, the escapist thrill of a melodramatic space opera is more than a guilty pleasure; it’s a lifeline.
Entertainment as Emotional Survival
While some critics may dismiss genre media as trivial or lowbrow, Murderbot makes the case that entertainment — especially deeply immersive stories — can be profoundly therapeutic. For its lead character, Sanctuary Moon isn’t just entertainment; it’s a form of emotional regulation.
“I think the show has something to say about entertainment as escapism,” said Chris Weitz, “which usually gets kind of a bad rap, but it has a real value to our central character as a kind of a release valve for its emotional dysregulation.”
The self-aware nature of Murderbot mirrors the meta experience Weitz had while directing New Moon, when he watched a young female fanbase endure heavy criticism just for enjoying something. Much like Twilight helped fans feel seen, Murderbot does the same — in a sci-fi wrapper.
Building a Space Dramedy With Heart
Murderbot may be an action-packed sci-fi series, but it’s also deeply funny and steeped in character development. Chris and Paul Weitz approached the material as a kind of “comedy of manners in space,” using genre tropes to explore deeper philosophical questions — not unlike The Twilight Saga, which often tackled intense emotional themes under a romantic fantasy surface.
“We’re working in kind of a funny version of this genre,” Chris Weitz explained. “Some people will probably see it as this sort of disposable entertainment, but we also think it addresses really deep questions about humanity while being fun and enjoyable.”
Paul Weitz added that Murderbot’s intense connection to its favorite show mirrors how real-world fans relate to opera, soap operas, and franchises like Twilight. “Opera itself — the emotions in it are so extreme,” he said, “and it’s so hand in hand with what might appear like incredibly bad taste but also is this incredibly high art form.”
From Vampires to Bots: A Creative Evolution
Murderbot is a far cry from the romantic angst of New Moon, but Weitz sees a through-line in his career: empathy. Whether it’s Bella Swan navigating first love or a rogue robot seeking emotional comfort, his work consistently humanizes characters society tends to dismiss.
In Twilight, that meant validating a young woman’s inner world. In Murderbot, it means giving emotional weight to an artificial being. Both stories, Weitz believes, are about searching for identity and connection.
Chris Weitz Champions the Power of Storytelling
With Murderbot, Chris Weitz proves that science fiction, like fantasy before it, can be both entertaining and emotionally resonant. By drawing from his past experiences with Twilight and his respect for fan culture, he has crafted a series that speaks to anyone who has ever found solace in a story.
Whether you’re a Twi-hard or a Murderbot devotee, one truth remains: fandom isn’t about logic — it’s about feeling. And as Weitz understands better than most, that feeling can be life-changing.
Murderbot is now streaming on Apple TV+.
