Twilight werewolf to stalk again

After much speculation among fans of the hit vampire romance Twilight, Taylor Lautner will return as the werewolf Jacob Black in the sequel New Moon, said producer Summit Entertainment and director Chris Weitz.

The character has a relatively minor role in the first film but it will have a significantly larger one in the second, in which he develops a romantic relationship with the female lead Bella (Kristen Stewart).

With Black being required to look older and bulkier in New Moon, there had been reports that Lautner may be replaced.

The actor was said to be gaining weight as part of his effort to keep the role.

Robert Pattinson also faced resistance from fans when he was asked to play Edward — some said he was too bulky for the role.

However, it's unclear how big Lautner's role in the new movie will be, which may be released in November.

Key to success

While the role of Edward is smaller in the novel, the script is expected to give him a longer role to allow Pattinson more screentime, which was seen as key to Twilight's success.

“The characters in [author] Stephenie [Meyer]'s books go through extraordinary changes of circumstance and appearance.

"So it is not surprising that there has been speculation about whether the same actor will portray a character which changes in so many ways throughout the series,'' Weitz said.

“But it was my first instinct that Taylor was, is and should be Jacob.''