'Twilight' director would cast THESE two stars as Edward and Bella today

As the 15th anniversary of the original Twilight film approaches, director Catherine Hardwicke reflected on casting choices for a potential reboot in the future. 

While visiting the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hardwicke engaged in a thought exercise about who she would choose to play Edward Cullen and Bella Swan today.

When asked by host Josh Horowitz, Hardwicke immediately proposed Jacob Elordi as her top choice to play Edward Cullen. 

She praised the 26-year-old actor for his performance in the recent film Saltburn. Elordi has gained increasing fame from hits like Euphoria and adaptations of The Kissing Booth novels.

“Jacob Elordi—I mean, he’s amazing. He probably would be Edward today. Exactly,” she said.

For a modern Bella Swan, Hardwicke pointed to rising star Jenna Ortega. Only 20, Ortega has already delivered breakout performances in shows like Wednesday and films like Scream. Hardwicke called Ortega "amazing" and highlighted her impressive slate of upcoming projects.

“I do think that there's a lot of really cool young actors...I mean, of course, you just mentioned Jenna Ortega. She's amazing,” she gushed.

The original Twilight franchise, of course, launched Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to global superstardom in the roles of Bella and Edward from 2008-2012. 

Directed by Hardwicke, the five films based on Stephenie Meyer's books have grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide.