New star Taylor Lautner rises in "New Moon"

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Women swooned for Robert Pattinson as vampire Edward Cullen in last year's hit movie romance "Twilight," but in its upcoming sequel Taylor Lautner, who almost didn't make it into the film, is the newest hunk for fan's to feast on.

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" rises in theatres on November 20 as one of the most-anticipated movies early in Hollywood's holiday season. Predecessor "Twilight" made $384 million (231 million pounds) at worldwide box offices in 2008, and its young principal actors, Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, shot to overnight stardom.

But in "New Moon," the second romance about the netherworld adventures of teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) and the love of her life Cullen, it is Lautner who grabs the spotlight.

He portrays American werewolf Jacob Black, Swan's protector when Cullen leaves her to go to Italy. Black's devotion to Swan has earned him -- and that means Lautner, too -- the devotion of millions of young girls obsessed with author Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" books on which the movies are based.

"We have fans all the time that will just burst into tears, it's just moving," he said. "It must mean so much for them to meet us, and it's an amazing feeling to know that you can touch someone in that way."

Prior to "Twilight," the 17-year-old Lautner was best known for his starring role in 2005 children's film "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D." And in 2008's hit vampire film, the Jacob Black role was a small one as Swan's childhood friend. So, Lautner is relatively new to the stardom "New Moon" is bringing, and the teenager seems to be enjoying it.

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