
Ugh, we cannot wait for the next 12 weeks to be over because then Chris Weitz will be shooting Twilight sequel, New Moon, and all the news and drama surrounding this franchise will go away for a bit.
So, onto the news. After Catherine Hardwicke's ouster and the announcement that Weitz would be helming New Moon, rumors have also circulated that Summit Entertainment is not super duper happy regarding the role of Jacob Black and the manchild who played him in Twilight, Taylor Lautner. Spoiler alert! Supposedly Jacob becomes the man in Bella's life while Edward is off doing something (seriously, folks we haven't read the books, and even we know all the details) and becomes...uh....something bigger than a whiny Native American dude with long hair and too white of teeth. Something to do with a moon, if you get our drift.
Anyhoo, supposedly Summit thinks that Lautner is too itty bitty and not a big enough star to carry New Moon while Edward and Bella are separated and has been on the look out for someone bigger, better, and beefier. Enter Scorpion King 2 actor Michael Copon, who has apparently been in a full out bid to land the role, even announcing it on his Facebook page.
Approached for comment on Lautner's omission from the New Moon press release, Summit confirmed that it was not a typographical error. "The casting decision in regards to the character Jacob Black has yet to be made," a representative told MTV News.
But even once someone is officially announced as the new Jacob, Weitz still has many other key casting decisions to make and an extremely brief amount of time in which to make them. With barely 12 weeks until cameras are due to begin rolling, the filmmaker needs to find faces to portray several key characters — including the peace-keeping, Italian vampires known as the Volturi.
With the buzz building for these roles, MTV News has confirmed that 27-year-old Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian heartthrob Ben Barnes is throwing his hat into the ring. Barnes is believed to be campaigning for the role of Aro, a mind-reading vampire whose New Moon encounter with Edward and Bella helps shape their destiny together.
Does this info set your 'tween lit-loving hearts a patter? Anyone else excited for this Twilight bidness to simmer down now?