Taylor Lautner: Underage heartthrob

Nov 11 - "New Moon" director Chris Weitz brushes off critics who question the sexualization of underage actor Taylor Lautner.

Seventeen-year-old Lautner is turning more than just the heads of teen girls these days. He has become Hollywood's next hunk, appearing bare-chested in multiple scenes in the film -- despite being underage.

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That's caused a bit of a controversy in Tinsel Town, with some saying it proves a double standard is at play - meaning that if it was an underage female, people would be in an uproar over the half-naked scenes.

Not so, says "New Moon" director Chris Weitz.

SOUNDBITE: Chris Weitz, "New Moon" director, saying (English):

"I think that actually there are similar instances of underage girls being portrayed in the movies in that way all the time. Underage girls are sexualized all the time in popular culture constantly. So it's just one for the ladies on this one, as far as I'm concerned."

Lautner's not the only one bearing his ripped abs in the film - it's chock full of male eye candy, especially from the so called "wolf pack," a group of burly werewolves.

Weitz said that the most difficult part of filming the bare-chested guys - the frigid weather. The cast shot on location in a very chilly British Columbia.

SOUNDBITE: Chris Weitz, "New Moon" director, saying (English):

"It's kind of become traditional that the director will put himself under the same conditions as the actors, and so in a scene where say Taylor takes his shirt off, I should've been behind the camera with my shirt off shooting, but I was actually like, screw that; I'm going to get sick if I do this and these guys are young."

Fans can decide for themselves whether or not underage Lautner was too sexualized when "New Moon" opens on November 20. One thing is for certain, however - there probably won't be a lot of complaints from the movie's core audience - teen girls.