Twilight is the vampire love saga that has taken the world by storm. First the series of books became an obsession for millions of fans, and now the world is watching as the film's two young stars fall in love - both on and off screen.

The phenomenon has transformed Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart into superstars almost overnight - but Robert sheepishly admits that he only auditioned for the role of vampire Edward Cullen in order to try to meet Kristen.

‘I read the script of Twilight and I barely knew there were books too, so I had no idea what
I was letting myself in for,' the English-born actor recalls.

‘The only reason I went to the audition was to see Kristen. I had just seen Into The Wild.
Of course I had a little crush on her,' he laughs. ‘She's basically the reason I did the movie!'

Making of a legend

It turned out to be a brilliant career move. Twilight has grown into a multimillion-dollar sensation in just four years, transforming Robert from a struggling unknown into a superstar, now on the covers of magazines everywhere.

The juggernaut started with the release of Stephenie Meyer's first book Twilight in 2005. Since then, three more have been published, with the series selling more than 70 million copies.

The film adaptation of the first book was released last year, with millions of fans worldwide waiting desperately for the release of second instalment, New Moon, in November.

And it's Robert and Kristen, who plays the lead role of Bella Swan, they all want to see.

‘I definitely had a thing with Kristen,' Robert says. ‘Your first impulse is to ask her for her phone number. When I got in the room with Kristen there was definitely a certain chemistry.'

And it's that ‘chemistry' on and off screen that has set many tongues wagging.

‘I always get carried away when I'm kissing. I just go nuts,' the heart-throb reveals.

Not just co-stars

Until now the couple have officially been ‘just friends', but movie industry insiders say it is widely acknowledged the pair are sharing a steamy real-life romance away from the cameras, with as many twists and turns as a film plot.

‘He always looks like he's thinking and he's so witty,' 19-year-old Kristen says of her co-star. ‘So he's pretty sexy.'

But tension emerged between the glamorous pair when filming commitments separated them. Kristen moved to LA to film The Runaways while Robert, 23, was in New York making Remember Me.

During their separation, Kristen was rumoured to have hooked up with her ex-boyfriend, actor Michael Angarano, 21. And Robert was linked to his leading lady, Australian actress Emilie de Ravin, who's just filed for divorce from her husband of three years, Josh Janowicz.

But now that the couple has been thrown together again for the filming of Eclipse, fans speculate their romance is back on.

After declaring ‘ask me anything you want' at a recent press conference, Kristen tried
to divert a question about her off-screen chemistry with Robert, but didn't deny there was something going on.

‘Why don't we ask the next one?' she pleaded.

The pair is still coping with their quick rise to stardom and have decided to spend their down time rekindling their romance. And it's not just Twilight fans who want to see the couple reunite - filmmakers are counting on fireworks for the next movie.

‘What you see on screen during the kissing scenes is absolutely real,' a set insider says.

‘They couldn't create that tension if they weren't in love.'

By Christine Spiteri