The Twilight Saga: New Moon

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Rated PG-13 for some violence and action

Length: 130 minutes

Released: November 20, 2009 Nationwide

Score: 2.0

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone

Director: Chris Weitz
Writer: Stephenie Meyer, Melissa Rosenberg
Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror
Distributor: Summit Entertainment

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HOLLYWOOD - It must be terrifying to know that fame, like a giant, all-consuming tidal wave, is about to break over you at any moment. But if Taylor Lautner's scared, he's not showing it. In fact, the 17-year-old star of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which is in theaters now, seems a little too calm. When talking about his starring role as Jacob Black in the follow-up to last year's box-office breakout "Twilight," he exudes an effortless boy-next-door charm. His demeanor, although somewhat guarded, is more small-town high school football star than newly minted teen heartthrob.

It's a little eerie, really.

Maybe that sense of calm is because the frenzy around Lautner's rising star has only just begun, or perhaps he's well suited to life at the center of the pop-culture maelstrom sparked by Stephenie Meyer's best-selling young adult novels about high school student Bella Swan and the two supernatural suitors vying for her affections.

Jacob, unfortunately, is the underdog in that particular battle, although "New Moon" centers largely on his relationship with Bella (Kristen Stewart). Heartbroken after the abrupt departure of her brooding vampire beau, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), she finds solace in Jacob, but he has problems of his own - namely, a massive crush on Bella and a just-discovered genetic mutation that causes him to turn into a werewolf with little provocation. No full moon required.

"When I was reading the books, I felt so bad for Jacob's character," Lautner said earlier this year on the set of the film in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"I was, like, 'Wow, he can't get the girl he wants, and he's being shut down and used.' But now that I'm actually filming it and living this character, I feel so much worse."

Lautner had to actively lobby to ensure that he would be the one to feel so bad. Although he appeared in "Twilight," Jacob has a much smaller part in that story. He not only moves to the forefront of the narrative in Meyer's "New Moon," but the character also morphs from an average teen to an imposing 16-year-old standing roughly 6 feet, 5 inches. Lautner didn't experience the same sort of growth spurt, leading to talk of recasting the role for the movie.

But the actor fought to convince the producers and director Chris Weitz that, although he might not be able to will himself to be taller, he could still appear physically imposing. He worked out for roughly 90 minutes every day for nearly a year, ultimately gaining about 30 pounds of lean muscle. In the film, he looks as if he might be able to take down a young Bruce Lee without much effort.

As a child, Lautner enjoyed football and martial arts and would often travel around the country to attend various competitions. At an event in Louisville, Ky., he met up with a Los Angeles-based karate instructor who believed Lautner had the chops to pursue acting. After some deliberation, Lautner's parents moved with Taylor and his younger sister from their home in Grand Rapids, Mich., to Southern California for one month to see if he could break into the business. Taylor got his first callback near the end of that trial period, and they decided to make the relocation permanent.

"My parents said to me, 'Look, if you want to continue doing this, we can't do it from Michigan - we have to live in L.A.,'" Lautner said. "I think it was when I was, like, 10 years old. It was a really difficult decision for me, and obviously an extremely difficult and risky decision for my parents but, luckily, I have a very supportive family behind me. Thank goodness it worked."

He made his first feature, 2005's "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D," and also appeared in that year's "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," in addition to some television work before "Twilight."

He'll next star in director Garry Marshall's Los Angeles-set romantic comedy "Valentine's Day," due out in February, and then in "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," the third installment in the franchise, which is set for release in June.

By that time, some of his newfound celebrity surely will have caught up to him. Following the release of "Twilight," Stewart and Pattinson became favorite targets of the tabloid media and paparazzi; whether Lautner, who reportedly began dating country crossover superstar Taylor Swift - a "Valentine's" co-star - will receive the same sort of undesired attention remains to be seen.