“Twilight” Sequel News: Save Taylor Lautner!
Posted by: Amelia McDonell-Parry
Filed in:
news
5:00PM, Wednesday December 10th 2008
Now that Catherine has jumped off the “Twilight” bandwagon and dragged Emily down with her, Annika and I are holding down the fort for “Twilight” fans on The Frisky. I finished the fourth book, “Breaking Dawn,” this weekend and am super sad about it. To get over my melancholy, I’m catching up on my “Twilight” movie news! First, Catherine Hardwicke, the “Twilight” director, is out for the filming of the second film in the series, “New Moon.” I’m actually pretty relieved about this, because as much as I enjoyed watching the movie, including all the campiness, I do think there were lots of rushed moments and poorly shot scenes. I hope they replace the screenwriter as well—I know they had to condense the storyline so that it wouldn’t be an absurd four hours in length, but I felt like grazed over important bits that made the love story “believable.” No word yet on who is going to direct “New Moon,” but the guy who directed “About A Boy” and “The Golden Compass,” Chris Weitz, is supposedly among the contenders.
One person who I hope is NOT going to be replaced? Taylor Lautner, that hot little piece of 16-year-old ass who plays Jacob Black. Because Jacob plays such a massive role in “New Moon” (not to mention “Eclipse” and “Breaking Down”), producers are concerned Lautner is too small and young to play the character, who discovers he’s a werewolf in “New Moon” and grows in size, uh, a lot. According to Entertainment Weekly, “the studio doesn’t want to rehire baby-faced Taylor Lautner as Jacob, though Lautner’s agent has apparently reached out to the imaging company behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in an attempt to demonstrate to Summit how a digitally bulked-up Lautner could work.” I thought Lautner was perfect casting for Jacob—while reading the book, I totally pictured a boyishly good-looking guy, whose body grows up faster than the rest of him. Because Jacob gets soooo huge, hairy, and, duh, dog-like, CGI effects are going to have to be used anyway, so why recast him with a beefier actor? Just make the kid work out.
As EW also points out, the first film had a hard enough time finding Native American actors to play Jacob’s two friends in the movie. In “New Moon,” there are many, many more faces in Jacob’s pack—why add another to the pile of names to cast? Lautner and Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella, have already established that they have good chemistry—don’t fix something that ain’t broke, just because Lautner isn’t a beefcake. Yet. [EW.com]
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JuggleJane
wrote on December 10 2008 @ 05:08 pm: [report]
Sorry - I think Lautner has to go. He is adorable as all get out but he’s no adult Jacob. He’s WAY too small and not manly enough.
vampiree
wrote on December 10 2008 @ 09:44 pm: [report]
I say: STEVEN STRAIT! Perfect, PERFECT Jacob. And super sexy too.
HereComestheSunQ
wrote on December 10 2008 @ 11:00 pm: [report]
Haha, Steven Strait is exactly who I had in mind to play the elder Jacob… but I feel like he’s too old now. Steven in “Sky High” was perfect, but now he may be too adult.
NicoLion
wrote on December 10 2008 @ 11:12 pm: [report]
Replacing Taylor Lautner with someone else would be a huge mistake. The character is only supposed to get taller and more buff….not become a new person. Plus….Taylor Lautner is hot. When I found out he was 16…I died a little on the inside.
HereComestheSunQ
wrote on December 10 2008 @ 11:23 pm: [report]
Actually, in the books, Jacob matures to his early to mid twenties within about 2 years. Since “werewolves” stop aging, they reach maturity very quickly. By the third book they should definitely, but sadly, have replaced Taylor with an actor who looks like he’s in his twenties. However, Taylor is only 16, so he may have his own growth/ maturity spurt soon, hopefully making it unnecessary to replace him.
babblingqueenm
wrote on December 11 2008 @ 01:42 am: [report]
Thats so stupid. DONT RECAST JACOB. Taylor Lautner perfectly does him. steven straight is only three inches taller that wouldnt help by much.
taylor lautner has been going to the gym a lot and working out so he is getting buffer by the day and has a tall dad and is only 16 so he will be getting talelr.
and with cgi and special effects nowadays they can make him anyway they want to.
shannac02
wrote on December 11 2008 @ 08:37 am: [report]
UGH. I love Taylor!!!!!!!!! and my inner 13 year old girl just came out… seriously? Why would they re-cast him… he’s super cute, and kinda awkward! :D
Telia
wrote on December 11 2008 @ 01:16 pm: [report]
I was glad to hear they were going to go with new director. I wasn’t impressed with Hardwicks directing, I don’t believe she brought out the best in her actors.
But, I seriously think there is an issue with not bringing back Taylor Lautner. In my opinion he was the perfect Jacob. Just because the book has him becoming ungodly huge doesn’t mean they have to do it in the movie.
No matter what actor they got to fill Taylor’s shoes, if they were to follow the book they still would need the FX crew. Not very many Native Americans fall under the description of Jacob, almost 7 foot tall, steriod sized and a good actor and I know many 30 year old men with baby faces like Taylors too. Keep Taylor.
Wendilynn
wrote on December 11 2008 @ 02:51 pm: [report]
I also thought Taylor was perfectly cast. Personally I think they could easily ditch the 6’5 growth spurt for the wolf boys and have it not be a problem. I’m more worried they are going to produce unconvincing and cheesy wolf effects. I also think that to ditch Taylor at this point, after pimping him so much during the Hot Topic tour is really in bad taste.
I have to really wonder why Summit would be shooting itself in the foot the way they have been. I wasn’t really impressed with Catherine’s clunky directing in the first half of the movie, but she smoothed it out the last half. I’m open to a new director doing a better job. I just don’t know many who want the rushed schedule PLUS a double shoot if they do Eclipse the same time. I Know the screenplay was most of the problem. Melissa doesn’t seem to understand Twilight very well. Why she butchered the love story to add extra scenes with vampires killing security guards I have no clue. I’m also irritated with the fact that Summit is clearly assuming that its Twilight movie base will act like a bunch of 13 year olds who will go see anything with the name Twilight associated with it so they can cash in on it.
Bethy_Boo_192
wrote on December 11 2008 @ 05:53 pm: [report]
OMG!!!! If they don’t keep Taylor I swear I will not go see the movie!!!!! He is the reason I love the Twilight Series!!! With out him as Jacob who will play him??? They Cannot cut him out of the movie!!!
Jennie G.
wrote on December 11 2008 @ 09:45 pm: [report]
I can honestly say that would be the biggest mistake for the next movie. Taylor is totally the perfect Jacob. Once you change the main characters…it will go down in flames.
Safety_Pinned
wrote on December 11 2008 @ 09:54 pm: [report]
He is a real cool kid..on my opinion he did a great job…hope they keep him for NEW MOON…
twilightloyalist
wrote on December 17 2008 @ 02:43 pm: [report]
Mission Keep Taylor as Jacob!
Go here and show him your support
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/TeamTaylorLautner