Go Behind-the-scenes of Twilight

(Above: A behind-the-scenes look at Ashley Greene, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner on the set of "New Moon.")

Vancouverites are used to having films being shot in their own backyards – but one series that’s got Hollywood North buzzing more than any other lately is the Twilight saga. Ever since Twilight fans learned that the movie was filmed in various locations throughout the city, fans went bananas in an effort to find the hidden sets and to catch a glimpse of their favourite characters.

Enter: Christine Kilpatrick, owner of On Location Tours Vancouver. Kilpatrick’s company provides a firsthand look at the various locations used to bring the Twilight books to life on the big screen. I caught up with Christine over the phone to learn more about her Twilight tour – and where to spot the elusive cast!

Kilpatrick’s tours are quite thorough, each one lasting about six hours. The trip usually starts by gallivanting around Yaletown and checking out all the hot spots where the cast has been spotted: “Glowbal Restaurant, Blue Water Cafe, Rodney’s Oyster Bar, The Yaletown Brew Pub,” she lists. Then, with the help of a chartered van, the tour continues on to Gastown (another favourite neigbourhood haunt of the cast) and onto the film locations like the Cullen house in West Vancouver.

Although she wouldn’t consider herself a Twi-hard, Kilpatrick is definitely a fan of the books and of Edward (“He’s a wonderful example of a proper gentlemen and he treats people with respect and he adores Bella,” she says) – and she insists that the tour is not just for über fans but that it spans a broader audience spectrum than one would think, “If you’re visiting from out of province, it’s a nice way to see a lot of the Lower Mainland that you wouldn’t necessarily see on a tour,” she says. In fact, Kilpatrick has had patrons from as far away as South Africa on one of her tours!

So do fans actually get the opportunity to spot cast members on the tour? “Some of my fans after the tour were lucky enough to meet some cast members because a part of my tour is pointing out where it’s likely that you may be able to spot the cast,” she says. Being the veteran celebrity spotter that she is, Kilpatrick herself has spotted Bryce Dallas Howard (Victoria), Xavier Samuel (Riley), Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlyle), Kellan Lutz (Emmett), Elizabeth Reaser (Esme) and Nikki Reed (Rosalie).

As the cast and crew spread out across Greater Vancouver to film Eclipse, the third chapter in the Twilight saga, fans can rest assured that Kilpatrick will be keeping track of all the locations, ready to add to her already popular vampire tour.

For more info, visit:
twilighttoursvancouver.ca