December 13, 2008

Lautner out of Twilight sequel?

New Moon News: Taylor Lautner Still Not Cast, Native American Actors Hard to Find & Chris Weitz May DirectThe Twilight sequel, New Moon, is tentatively slated for Nov. 20, 2009 meaning the cast will be back on the Vancouver set in March, according to Entertainment Weekly.

But, as we’ve previously reported, up-and-coming hunk Taylor Lautner may NOT be among the New Moon cast to play rapidly-maturing werewolf Jacob Black.

Sources tell EW that Lautner’s agent has been reaching out to the ­imaging company behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (where Brad Pitt plays a man who ages backward) in an attempt to demonstrate to Summit Entertainment how Lautner could be digitally bulked-up.

Even though Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke said it was difficult casting Native American actors for the hit vamp flick, Summit says it won’t make a decision on Lautner’s casting until a new director is on board.
TWILIGHT--Rumor is Taylor Lautner Will be Replaced, New Actor to Play Jacob!!!According to Entertainment Weekly, the fledgling Summit studio does not want to re-hire “baby-faced” Taylor Lautner as Jacob. They don’t think he has what it takes to play the werewolf love interest/lead in New Moon.

And, in a desperate attempt to keep the role, Lautner’s agent has reached out to the special effects people who did Brad Pitt’s new Benjamin Button film to see what wizardry they could do to bulk up Taylor.

Another obstacle is finding Native American actors to portray Jacob’s werewolf clan, which was difficult in the first film. Lautner himself is not completely Native American.
Comment:  Lautner isn't "completely Native"? That must be a polite way of saying he's barely Native.

These postings raise several questions. How seriously did the producers try to find a Native actor? Which "genius" thought Lautner was the best "Native" they could find? How did they manage to cast a multimillion-dollar movie without considering the issue of how to portray a 7'5" Quileute werewolf?

It took me a few seconds to conclude that Lautner wasn't suited to play a Quileute werewolf. It took Twilight's producers a year or two and several million dollars to reach that conclusion. How dumb do you have to be before Hollywood makes you a producer of a major motion picture?

The second blogger, Astrochicks, adds:In the latest Twilight drama, Summit Entertainment wants to replace Taylor Lautner, with another Native American actor, to play Jacob. I have one word, WHY? First of all, the actor is adorable, and I think he fits the film perfectly.Here's your answer, Astrochicks. A picture is worth 1,000 words:



First--and I'm sorry if I offend any guys with long hair--Lautner looks like a girl. Second, he looks like some Latino/Asian wannabe pretending to be an Indian. With his cute little baby face, he doesn't look anything like a typical Indian. An Indian is not just someone with long hair and a good tan, people.

Lautner isn't a "Native American actor." He's a non-Native who discovered a smidgen of Native blood in his family tree after he was cast. Stop pretending Lautner was cast because of his Native ancestry, when he was cast in spite of it.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

8 comments:

dmarks said...

Is this a first, where an actor claims something to the effect that he is not suited for the role, really, but the magic of CGI can alter him so he is?

Perhaps they can now cast Rob Schneider as Nick Fury in future Marvel movies if Samuel L. Jackson starts demanding too much money. After all, is there any difference between the actors that a little CGI can't gloss over?

modest-goddess said...

the rumored new Jacob is Micheal Copon
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0178757/
half filipino half white pretty boy

I actual think the recasting is just gossip, they don't need CGI to make Taylor look taller, he can just stand on a milk crate.

Most twilight fans don't seem to care if a Native is cast in the role. I blame Stephenie Meyer who told the fans she pictured Steven Strait (white Italian) as Jacob.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1711829/

so I guess you could say that Meyer started out being racially insensitive by assuming any white guy with brown hair looked Native and her fans followed suite.

Anonymous said...

Latino/Asian wannabe? No. He looks like a white guy playing Indian, as always. (PS: Many "latinos" are Native, so please be a bit more considerate, thanks.)

Anonymous said...

This "dude" looks almost exactly like a chick I knew in high school (Carson High School, Carson, California, 1968 - 1971 {the Colts!}).

He looks dead-on CAROLYN HUEY! She was half Japanese and half white; her mother being a so-called "war bride."

Since I failed algebra four times, Carolyn Huey sat right next to me for two years. She was (like this dude) a semi-exotic wallflower who never really had the moxie to get it while the getting was good.

--------------------

That wasted old bag of a director for the first film has been summarily shitcanned and from my own personal POV she wouldn't know a real Indian if 3/4's of her lily white ass was abruptly torn off by one.

And, lastly, 'a la Richard Gere's memorable line in "American Gigolo":

"PLEASE, NO MORE GAY TRICKS."

I say unto Hollyweird:

"PLEASE, NO MORE CHICANOS."

rocka said...

Give.me.a.shot.at.the.werewolf.clan!...
I'm.full-blood.Native.American!
http://p_5e8863.nowcasting.com

Rob said...

It's true that most Latinos have Native ancestors, Nell. But being Native is as much a cultural as a biological thing. Unless Latinos identify with and embrace their Native roots, they're akin to Johnny Depp, Summer Glau, or Taylor Lautner. They're non-Natives with a fraction of Native blood.

Anonymous said...

As a Native American and blogger for AstroChicks, it's really really tough to find a full blooded Indian these days.

I think Taylor looks Native American, it's all in the eyes. Fortunately, he was cast in New Moon.

I agree he does look like a girl, but girls LOVE boys with long hair.Jacy.

Anonymous said...

if.you.need.Native.American.actors.for.the
werewolf.clan.members...I'm.right.here!...and.full-blood!!!.Check.it.out!!!
http://p_5e8863.nowcasting.com
Thanks!.Jeff