Breaking Dawn

What kind of vampire wanders about in daylight, sports no fangs, and politely declines glasses of lukewarm blood? The most popular one in the world! Edward Cullen, who will be taking Bella down the aisle (and to the bedroom) in the fourth Twilight flick Breaking Dawn Part 1 out today.

For a genre born out of the dark side, it's become awfully lighthearted. And it's not just human blood these modern vampires are turning away, Twilight's Edward saves himself for marriage even though he's 100-plus years old. The chaste message has caused many to question if today's vampires in pop culture are setting unrealistic and unhealthy expectations for the young girls fantasizing about finding their own brooding 100-year-old virgin vampire. While boys are receiving a very different message from porn, video games, and action movies.

But the concern does raise another pressing question: when did this blood-sucking villain go soft? See how vampires in pop culture went from scary to sexy.

Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner popped up in Barcelona to promote Breaking Dawn Part 1 today. Director Bill Condon joined them on the red carpet, though costar Kristen Stewart wasn't on hand for the event. She did stop in London yesterday for the UK premiere with Rob and Taylor and was also the center of attention at Monday's LA screening. Fans have only hours to go until the fourth installment in the Twilight series is released, and we've been gearing up for weeks. We're taking a look back at Rob and Kristen filming honeymoon scenes, Edward and Bella's sweetest onscreen moments, and Kristen's fashion transformation over the years — there are even Twilight-inspired cocktails to help you gear up for the much-anticipated midnight release!

Breaking Dawn Part 1 hits theaters Friday, and we've got an exclusive sneak peek at new photos from the fourth installment in the Twilight franchise. We talked to the cast during Monday's LA Breaking Dawn Part 1 premiere, and they were all extremely excited for fans to finally see Edward and Bella tie the knot, and more. In the new stills, director Bill Condon can be seen giving instructions to Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart during their romantic honeymoon in addition to taking Rob aside for a private talk before Edward and Bella's highly anticipated wedding scene. Oh, and there's a nice clear shot of Bella's baby bump! Click through to see all the new, behind-the-scenes shots.

Nikki Reed and Ashley Greene went bold for a Cinema Society screening of Breaking Dawn Part 1 at NYC's Landmark Sunshine Cinema last night. Ashley wore a custom Donna Karan, one of the event's sponsors, to join Nikki and leading man Peter Facinelli. Rocking neon, Nikki was in Michael Kors. There was lots of love for the Twilight stars, and Ashley tweeted afterward, "Grateful to our incredible fans for all the love at the Breaking Dawn premiere . . . and to Donna Karan for my gorgeous dress!" Meanwhile, across the pond in England, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and Robert Pattinson were busy with the UK premiere of Breaking Dawn. It's been a big week of press for all the series' stars, and Monday was a special evening since they all got together for the US debut in LA.

In case you hadn't heard, a little movie called Breaking Dawn Part 1 will be taking the box office by storm this week. Most fans feel strongly aligned to Team Jacob or Team Edward, but there are a lot more characters in the Twilight Saga than just the core love triangle. With that in mind, we've rounded up all of the major players in the series and want to hear how you feel about them. Vote on each character and tell us who you love the most.

Photos courtesy of Summit Entertainment