Vampires return to site of Stonestown melee
By: Tamara Barak Aparton
Examiner Staff Writer
November 9, 2009
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| Out in daylight: Ashley Greene, left, and Kellan Lutz are coming to the Stonestown Galleria on Tuesday to promote the latest “Twilight” movie, “New Moon.” (Getty Images) |
SAN FRANCISCO — Cast members from the upcoming vampire movie “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” are coming back to Stonestown Galleria — but officials are heading off any plans of a sequel to last year’s near-riot by fans.
Monday night, Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene, who play vampire siblings Emmett and Alice Cullen in the series, were set to appear at two separate events at Stonestown. All passes for the meet-and-greets have been given out during the past few weeks at Hot Topic and Nordstrom, but the stars will be available from 7:30 to 8 p.m. for a question-and-answer forum in a parking lot near Macy’s.
Lutz and Greene don’t have the fan following of teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson — who stars as dreamy vampire Edward Cullen — but organizers are increasing security at the event anyway.
Last year, a scheduled autograph session with Pattinson in the Hot Topic store at Stonestown drew an unexpectedly large and unruly crowd, resulting in the injury of at least one girl.
Organizers canceled the autograph session after a crowd of about 3,000 people — mostly teenage girls — showed up early and rushed the mall to buy wristbands needed for admittance. About 200 to 500 people were expected to show up to buy wristbands in the morning, but the crowd at the mall’s main entrance quickly grew to an unmanageable size. In the rush to buy the wristbands, one girl reportedly had her nose broken and another fainted because of a lack of oxygen, according to reports.
Crowds returned in the evening, when event organizers announced the signing would go on after all.
