Every year Forbes puts together a list of the richest fictional characters, and for the last three, the Twilight Saga’s Carlisle Cullen has been a part of that list. Back in 2010 Carlisle actually reigned #1 on the list, before falling to the #2 spot last year. Peter Facinelli joked around that due to Edward and Bella’s massive wedding it made sense that Carlisle’s riches would be depleted and he would lose his top spot. However this year the good Doctor has dropped one more spot, down to #3, thanks to some new additions. But really, who’s going to argue with Smaug the dragon from The Hobbit? Check out more below:

To qualify for the Fictional 15, we require that candidates be an authored fictional creation, a rule which excludes mythological and folkloric characters. They must star in a specific narrative work or series of works. And they must be known, both within their fictional universe and by their audience, for being rich.

Net worth estimates are based on an analysis of the fictional character’s source material, and where possible, valued against known real-world commodity and share price movements. In the case of privately held fictional concerns, we seek to identify comparable fictional public companies. All figures are as of market close, April 1, 2012.

Final valuations are calculated with a grain of salt, and a willingness to break our own rules.

3. Carlisle Cullen
Worth: $36.3 Billion

Source: Compound Interest, Investments

Residence: Forks, Wash.

Small-town doctor and immortal vampire is (non-)living proof of the miracle of compounding interest: small nest egg banked in 1670 has grown into one of fiction’s largest fortunes. Cullen’s youthful appearance belies 371 years of age and brilliant medical mind honed over centuries of night school. Undead monster with pronounced sentimental streak; gave second wife private Brazilian island for wedding gift. Passionate art collector prefers macabre scenes, nightscapes. Featured in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels and films.

See the full list at Forbes here.

Thanks Noor!

What do you think of this year’s “Fictional Fifteen”?

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It looks like the popularity of particular books and movies are continuing to influence expecting parents when they choose a baby name these days. Some of the most popular baby names, and those quickly rising in popularity can definitely be traced to the latest in pop culture. The current top names can be traced to Twilight, The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, and Pretty Little Liars. In fact, currently the top two names are Isabella and Jacob. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Check out more from Clevver TV and Name Berry below:

Check out all of the latest baby names over at Name Berry.com here.

Thanks Noor!

Quite honestly my daughter came pretty close to becoming Éowyn from The Lord of the Rings. I was pretty set on that name for a daughter long before I ever even thought about having kids. She didn’t end up an Éowyn, and her given name definitely suits her, but it was a close one. I think if a certain author or character resonates with you and sticks with you in life, there can be some real meaning in giving that name to a baby. On the other hand, if it’s just a passing fade and you end up not even caring about that character, book or movie a few months later… perhaps you should have thought longer on your baby name!

What do you think of naming your children from characters in books and movies that you love?

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Fans of either Twilight of The Hunger Games can now take that love and actually study it in college once more. This time The University of Maryland Baltimore County will be offering summer courses that base their classes on both series of books. Read more below:

The English and American Studies Departments at UMBC will introduce two joint courses for the Summer 2 session, both based on popular young adult book series.

AMST 342/ENGL 328: The Twilight Effect explores topics including “the historical and contemporary role of the vampire in literature and film; the controversial ‘re-imagining’ of classic stories for current audiences; and wider concepts such as extreme fandom, escapist culture/subcultures and controversies caused by the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer,” according to the course catalog.

The class, which will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 2:15 p.m., has a capacity of 40 students. Dr. Iman Liv assistant professor in the American Studies Department, will teach it.

“I’m looking forward to teaching [the class],” said Liv “We’re really taking a multi-media approach to the class, watching clips, looking at websites, even listening to some music, so I think it will be a good time as well as educational.”

Livencourages all students, not only Twilight or vampire fans, to consider the course.
“I think it’s very universal,” said Liv “because the course merely uses Twilight as a jumping point to a wide expanse of topics that everyone can relate to and learn from. The class will undoubtedly fill up fast, so any interested student should email me right away!”
Harriet Edgewood, a sophomore history and American studies double major, heard about the course and expressed interest in it.

“I love Twilight, so I would definitely sign up for the class if I weren’t studying abroad this summer,” said Edgewood. “I think it’s great that UMBC is offering a class that allows students to learn about fandom among the youth cohort, look at the intriguing and controversial evolution of the vampire character and engage in intelligent discourse about Robert Pattinson’s hair.”

Read the full story at The Retriever Weekly here.

Thanks Noor! (Via Spunk-Ransom)

Would you take a class on either Twilight of The Hunger Games?

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Apparently we’re not the only ones who get a little bit excited about both Twilight and The Hunger Games. Here a couple of Muppets from the The Muppet movie, Kermit and Walter, sit down to discuss some recent movies. They then get into their reasons for why they like both Twilight and The Hunger Games. Check it all out below:

Kermit the Frog and newly-minted man-of-a-Muppet Walter graced MTV News with their presence earlier this week, catching the attention of everyone passing through our newsroom at the time. As you might expect, the “Muppets” stars are quite the charming duo in real life. It’s one thing to see their antics on the big screen; watching them come alive right before you, however, is another experience entirely. The effect they have on even the most serious of grown adults (though, admittedly, we don’t have many of those around these parts) is astounding: Within seconds of laying eyes on Kermit and Walter, years of growth and maturity immediately fade away, leaving you in a temporary state of childlike wonder. In short, I fully recommend meeting Muppets if you ever have the chance.

Of course, Kermit and Walter weren’t at MTV News headquarters purely out of the kindness of their hearts, kind though their hearts may be: They were here to promote “The Muppets,” arriving on Blu-ray and DVD on March 20. We were happy to chat with them about the awesome home-video release — it has an intermission feature, everybody! An intermission feature! — but Kermit and Walter had more than just their own movie on their minds: They also wanted to talk about superheroes, vampires, deadly tournaments and more.

See more at MTV here.

Thanks Noor!

I love these guys. It’s been months since I saw this movie in the theatre and I still find myself singing ‘Man or Muppet’.

What did you think of Kermit and Walter’s thoughts on Twilight and The Hunger Games?

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The Huffington Post’s Teen section has a fun little look at “20 Epic Scenes from the Best Night of High School”. The article is of course talking about prom night, with all of the love, dresses, dancing and of course sometimes drama, that comes with it. The completely famous prom scene with Edward and Bella in Twilight is definitely high up on the list. Check it all out below:

Prom is the pinnacle of any high school career, and movies that represent them right are golden in our book! Whether they’re romantic, awkward, hilarious or just plain scary, prom scenes remind us of why we love high school. Though our own experience might not be as eventful or dramatic as on the big-screen, it sure is fun to enjoy in (and sometimes cringe at) the shenanigans that go down in our favorite prom flicks. We’ve put together a list of the top movie prom scenes for your nostalgic enjoyment!

Twilight

You’d take the risk of bringing a vampire as your prom date too if he was Edward Cullen. Set to the tune of Iron & Wine’s “Flightless Bird, American Mouth,” the gazebo scene makes us believe this kind of epic love really does exist, tear.

See all of the movies that made the cut over at The Huffington Post here.

Thanks Noor! (Via Twifans)

Does the Twilight prom rank among your favorite movie prom scenes?

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The second part of “What Do Women Want” by Erika Christakis has been posted by the Huffington Post today, and while Part 1, focused more on Breaking Dawn and Bella, the second part of the series focuses a little bit more on the character of Edward and his relationship with Bella. Once again we have a fascinating read in Part 2, with someone who actually gets Edward’s character. Read more below:

The most humorless and tone-deaf criticism of Twilight is the claim that Bella and Edward’s relationship echoes patterns of real-life human domestic abuse. Edward is too controlling, Bella too submissive, so it goes. He carries her around a lot — it just works faster that way. And sometimes he also scales the walls of her house to watch her sleep. I can attest with utter certainty that I’m not ‘down’ for a man rappelling into a bedroom window to gaze wondrously at my daughter while she sleeps. But the thing is, vampires don’t sleep. So Edward is fascinated not only with Bella but with the notion of human sleep. Get it?

Personally, I think even a 12-year-old can grasp that it’s okay to enjoy an elaborate kidnapping-cum-sleepover as fantasy even if you would be appalled to find the UPS driver or neighborhood perv sitting in your room in the middle of the night. Edward is just trying to protect Bella from bad vampires who want to kill her! And, anyway, he later apologizes for being a control freak — unnecessarily, in my view. He was only being gallant, and there are a lot of dragons to slay out there.

Some of us get this. It pains me a bit to say this, but a certain segment of the heterosexual female population occasionally enjoys fantasizing about men who protect them.

Read the fantastic full article at The Huffington Post here.

I love it! Finally someone who gets what Edward was all about, and how he was the gallant hero to Bella.

What are your thoughts on what the article points out?

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UInterview has a new interview with Nikki Reed where she answers questions that come directly from fans. Nikki chats about Breaking Dawn – Part 2, her favorite moment from The Twilight Saga, her character, Rosalie, in Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and lots more. Check it all out below:

Q: Hi Nikki. This is Alissa from Morris, Illinois. What can the fans look forward to in Breaking Dawn Part 2 that you can reveal? – Melissa Rivett

A: Well, first of all, Bella’s a vampire. And I will say that Kristen makes a very, very good-looking vampire so they will be very pleased with that. And we introduce a lot of new cast members, so that’s exciting. I think we had like, 20 or 30. Some like, absurd number, 20 or 30 new people that stepped in, and so it feels very fresh. I think it’s very engaging.

Q: The Twilight fans all have their favorite moments from the film, but what’s yours? – Melissa Rivett

A: Oh, wow. I have a lot. I mean, going back to the first movie, I loved making the first movie, just because there was a lot of innocence and excitement, and it was all very new, and we didn’t know each other. It’s sort of like that sleep-away camp feel, you have all these new buddies. And Portland was an awesome place to film so I loved that, and the baseball scene, I loved making the baseball scene. And then throughout the series, there’s just been a bunch… I also loved the flashback stuff in Eclipse where, you know, just my character specifically, that’s what I’m talking about, we get to sort of step back into the 30′s and explore the back story. I loved how New Moon was shot. I loved Breaking Dawn because there was a lot for all of us to do, and it felt like we were all back together. It felt more like the first one I think than any of the others because we were all there every single day – the family again.

You can see more at Uinterview here.

Thanks Kimberly!

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