Is “New Moon” About Vampires? 

The Twilight gang returns to Comic-Con:

A “Severely Emotional” Movie:

Taylor Lautner’s Favorite Scene:

Twilight Questions They’d Rather Never Hear Again:

The Difference Between “Twilight” and “New Moon”:

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Vanessa Hudgens, Dakota Fanning, and the Jonas Brothers have all yearned for a spot in the credits, and "90210" star AnnaLynne McCord has auditioned for the part of Heidi.

Hilary Duff was recently spotted at the Mercedes Benz Fashion week, talking with "Twilight" star Peter Facinelli about how badly she wants a role in the sequel.

A source recently told Hollyscoop.com, "Hilary told Peter how bad she wants to be in the next ‘Twilight’ movie. Hilary said that she would want to be one of the vampires in the movie."

Hmmm … the character of Heidi has yet to be cast. But along with Vanessa and Dakota, Hilary would have to do some serious darkening of her image to score a role like that. Though she does look somewhat emo in this still from "War, Inc." (read my interview with director Josh Seftel here).

Any thoughts on this?

Image: First Look International

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Yikes, say it ain’t so. The Jonas Brothers say they’d love to do music for "New Moon," the much-anticipated sequel to "Twilight." 

Of course, that doesn’t mean they WILL do music, just that they’d like to. When asked by MTV about the possibility, the brothers said, "That would be really cool."

"[Twilight] was obviously a huge success," said Nick. "If they asked us to be a part of [New Moon], then that would be great."

Ok, is there anyone who DOESN’T want to be part of "New Moon"? I swear, everyone and their mother is looking to score some connection with the vampire flick.

Image: Picapp.com

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McCord told Hollyscoop that she’ll hear back about the role next week. “My fingers are crossed, though,” she said. “I’m a fan of the books, as are my 14 and 12-year-old cousins who are obsessed. They would freak if I got it. And I just want to do a film with a small role during my hiatus, and then just have the rest of the time off, ‘cause I need a break. I want to go to Europe!”

What do you think of AnnaLynne McCord as Heidi?  

Sources: Hollyscoop; NewMoonMovie.org

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Vanessa Hudgens

But it’s unlikely she’ll get the part – at least for now.

"I’m not sure about [final] casting, but I had heard Vanessa Hudgens was going up for the part of Leah [Clearwater, a werewolf]," screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote both films, told PEOPLE at the Directors Guild of America Awards in L.A. Saturday night. "But at the moment, the part of Leah doesn’t happen until the third movie."

Ok, so she could still get it, but Hudgens’ reps have denied she was ever being considered for the role. If she does get it, she’ll have to do some heavy-duty image makeover. Many fans of the series think she’s just plain too sweet looking.

Join Film Gecko’s “New Moon Casting News and Rumors” discussion here!

Image: High School Musical 3, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008

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Four of them – Tiffany McFadden, Paula Placido, Doree Seay and Britanni Johnson – have put together a cool YouTube video showcasing their efforts to be cast in the upcoming "Twilight" sequels: "New Moon," "Eclipse," and "Breaking Dawn."

Check out the video below, and help support these young actresses by running this video on your Web site or blog, or going to http://www.myspace.com/star_struck21 to request a banner of the actress(es) you’d like to support, or request a Support Code of your own to advertise. Good luck, girls! And I call first dibs on interviews when you’re cast in the movies!

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"Twilight"

Well, wait no more, because director Chris Weitz confirmed on author Stephenie Meyer’s Web site today that Lautner would indeed be coming back in the role. Weitz says:

I’m very happy to announce that Taylor Lautner will be playing Jacob Black in "New Moon" and that he’s doing so with the enthusiastic support of Summit Entertainment, the producers, and Stephenie Meyer. The characters in Stephenie’s books go through extraordinary changes of circumstance and also appearance; so it is not surprising that there has been speculation about whether the same actor would portray a character who changes in so many surprising ways throughout the series.

But it was my first instinct that Taylor was, is, and should be Jacob, and that the books would be best served by the actor who is emotionally right for the part. I think that fans of "Twilight" the book and the movie will be surprised by the Jacob Black that Taylor will bring to the screen in "New Moon"; and I’m looking forward to working with him and the rest of the cast in realizing the film.
Very best,
Chris Weitz

After the jump, read Stephenie Meyer’s response to the news…

I’d just like to add that I was very much a part of this decision. My first priority was always what was best for New Moon—what was going to give us the best possible movie. I’m truly thrilled that Taylor was the one who proved to the director, to Summit, and to me that he is the best possible Jacob we could have. And I’m very much looking forward to seeing what he’s going to bring to Jacob’s character this year.
- Steph

Thoughts on this news? I think fans will love hearing this, because Taylor Lautner really IS Jacob, and it’s hard to envision anyone else taking over the role in "New Moon."

Join our "New Moon Casting News and Rumors" discussion!

Image: Taylor Lautner, Twilight, Summit Entertainment, 2008; Thanks to Tiffany McFadden for passing this news along!

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Wow, I really can’t see her in the role at all. What do you guys think about this? Maybe I need to stop thinking of her in terms of the HSM movies, since those are pretty much a done deal. I mean, she has to move on, right?

The "Twilight" sequel is in the works, with Chris Weitz in as director and filming scheduled to begin in March. Look for the vampire movie to be theaters on Nov. 20, 2009.

And if you haven’t yet checked out our "New Moon Casting News and Rumors" discussion, get over there and check it out!

Image: Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron; Newscom

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On that same day, it’ll be up against Warner Bros.’ “Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert Downey, Jr., Sony’s “Planet 51,” and MGM’s untitled “Three Stooges” project. That doesn’t seem so daunting, not that it would matter.

A story in Variety says the “New Moon” folks are looking to replicate their box office success by premiering the next movie on a similar date as “Twilight.” Really, though, I don’t think it matters when “New Moon” premieres. If the movie aired only one time at 2 a.m., theaters would be packed with fans.

The film franchise most associated with Thanksgiving is Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter.” But there are only three films left in that series, with just one bowing over Thanksgiving, in 2010.

So with three upcoming movies in the “Twilight” franchise, I’m guessing they’ll take over that Thanksgiving release date.

Chris Weitz recently signed to direct “New Moon,” taking over from “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke.

Join our “New Moon” casting discussion here!

Image: Amazon

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Though I’ve heard rumors about tension on the “Twilight” set (and who really knows for sure?), according to a joint statement from Summit Entertainment and Hardwicke, the targeted release date of late 2009 or early 2010 doesn’t mesh with her schedule.

This has got to be tough all the way around. The fans loved Hardwicke’s take on the first book, and I wonder who they’ll bring in as a director now. Will it have the same feel to it? Maybe, since the budget will be larger, they’ll kick everything up a notch as far as action and effects. We can hope! 

More after the jump…

Says Hardwicke: “I am sorry that due to timing, I will not have the opportunity to direct ‘New Moon.’ Directing ‘Twilight’ has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel – it is a great story.”

Likewise, Summit had nice things to say about Hardwicke: “Catherine did an incredible job in helping us to launch the ‘Twilight’ franchise, and we thank her for all of her efforts and we very much hope to work with her on future Summit projects,” notes Erik Feig, Summit’s President of Production.

“We as a studio have a mandate to bring the next installment in the franchise to the big screen in a timely fashion so that fans can get more of Edward, Bella and all of the characters that Stephenie Meyer has created. We are able to pursue an aggressive time frame, as we have the luxury of only adapting the novels into screenplays as opposed to having to create a storyline from scratch.”

Your thoughts on this? Who would you like to see brought in as a director?

Join our discussion about “New Moon” casting news and rumors here.

Image: Catherine Hardwicke, Twilight, Summit Entertainment, 2008

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