Via MTV.com:

Just last week we marveled at the sheer number of projects “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner had in development, and perhaps he was starting to feel the pressure too. After dropping out of “Northern Lights” earlier this week, the 18-year-old has parted ways with another project, “Max Steel,” based on the Mattel toy, reports New York magazine’s Vulture blog.

Sources say it was his “Stretch Armstrong” collaboration with rival toy company Hasbro that was the impetus for Taylor’s departure. According to Vulture, Taylor realized Hasbro was doing a better job with its movie properties than Mattel. To wit, the toy company has leveraged board games Candy Land, Battleship and Risk into high-profile projects and had earlier success with a couple small flicks called “G.I. Joe” and “Transformers.” Added one source, “When you sign up to make a movie with Hasbro, you know it will be in theaters a year later.”

Less of Taylor Lautner is never a good thing, but we can’t say we’re too sad to see “Max Steel” go. While the toy is wildly popular internationally, it doesn’t seem to have much name recognition here in the U.S. Though we will mourn those could-have-been shirtless scenes. Sigh.

So to recap, Taylor’s current project list is comprised of “Cancun,” “Abduction” and “Stretch Armstrong.” And “Breaking Dawn” if Summit ever gets around to it. Still a lot for the rising actor, but a more manageable list, for sure.

Lionsgate has cut a deal for “Abduction,” a thriller with Taylor Lautner attached to star, following a week-long bidding war over Shawn Christensen’s spec script.

Lionsgate is paying high six figures against seven for the project with the Gotham Group, Vertigo Entertainment and Lautner’s Tailor Made producing.

Lautner recently inked a deal at Universal to topline “Stretch Armstrong.” He’s also committed to two more pics in the “Twilight” franchise along with Mattel’s adaptation of its “Max Steel” spy franchise, set up at Paramount.

Story, based on an idea by Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell, is focused on a young man who discovers his own baby picture on a missing persons website. Project was developed on spec by Gotham Group and Vertigo.

Producers include Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lee Stollman, Vertigo’s Roy Lee and Doug Davison and Tailor Made’s Dan Lautner. Gotham Group’s Bell and Vertigo’s Gabriel Mason are exec producing.

It’s the first spec sale for the newly minted tenpercentery Verve, which reps Christensen. He’s also repped by Caliber Media.

Lautner is repped by WME and Management 360

Thoughts?

Via MTV.com:

Robert Pattinson may or may not be Kristen Stewart’s date to this weekend’s BAFTA Orange Awards, where Kristen is nominated for a Rising Star honor, but we know who the actress will have by her side come Oscar time: her other hunky “Twilight” costar Taylor Lautner.

KStew told E! Online’s Marc Malkin that she will not only be attending the March 7 awards show (even though “New Moon” didn’t get any nods) but will present, as well. “Yeah, I’m going,” Kristen co

Congrats! I will post voting material when it becomes avaliable.

Favorite Movie
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Favorite Movie Actor
Zac Efron
Taylor Lautner
Shia LeBeouf
Tyler Perry

Favorite Book
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series
“Twilight” series
“Vampire Diaries” series
“Where the Sidewalk Ends”

Today is the day Ladies have been waiting for. Taylor is FINALLY legal! I hope y’all have been going to the gym and working on your laughs! We here are TaylorLautnerSource.com would like to wish Taylor a good 18th birthday! Make sure to tweet #HappyBirthdayTaylorLautner or #TaylorisLegal so we can make it a trending topic!

Check out what Star Ambassador is all about as well as a new promo below. Thanx to the Star Ambassador people for sending me the information.

Organized by Orange and LG, Star Ambassador is an online contest focused on social networking and, in particular, web- ready cell phones, that will allow two lucky winners the chance to become Taylor’s official representative in Paris for his upcoming visit.

To try their chances in the contest, the participants will have to complete various online challenges, gain a maximum number of votes, and stay connected on their social networking sites.

The winner of the contest will receive a special day in Paris with Taylor as well as two All Access passes for a special party organized for Taylor in the capital city at the end of the contest.

This contest is open only to residents over the age of 14 in France and Spain. The campaign begins this Wednesday, February 10th and is expected to generate quite a lot of buzz here in France ! You can check out Ambassadeurdestar.com to see the viral videos of Taylor and to view the contest when it opens.

Last fall while doing the press rounds for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” Taylor Lautner promised HitFix “big things” would be announced in 2010 regarding his future projects. How significant they are in the scheme of Hollywood is debatable, but the 18-year-old is clearly being thrown the responsibility of launching two new franchises.

Lautner was already on board to bring Paramount’s “Max Steel” to life, but now he’s becoming another cinematic hero: “Stretch Armstrong.” Based on the Hasbro toy, the Universal Picture will be a 3-D extravaganza that will give the character super powers in what we can only assume is a battle against the forces of evil (or possibly his evil brother Wretch Armstrong?).

Speaking to Deadline.com, Universal Pictures Co-Chairman Donna Langley said, ““In the past two years, Taylor has emerged as a real star at the global box office. He brings the perfect balance of energy and athleticism to the role of an unlikely super hero with a fantastic super power. We couldn’t be more pleased that he has agreed to be our Stretch.”

The studio had planned to release “Stretch” in 2011, but the new 3-D plan will push the film back to a March, 2012 release date. That should make his debut as “Max Steel” and shooting the final “Twilight” film or films “Breaking Dawn” easier to schedule.

The studio does not have a director on board the project yet, but as of a year ago Steve Oedekerk was the screenwriter. It’s unclear if he is still on board.

CONGRATS to Taylor! Wow, he really wants to be a star! I love people with that kind of drive!

Want to send The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and Valentine’s Day star Taylor Lautner a card for Valentine’s Day?

You might just be in luck!

The Grand Rapids Press is offering to collect gifts and cards for Taylor Lautner and send them over to his people in one, formidable bundle.

Of course, it’s not impossible to dig up Lautner’s fanmail address for yourself, but Grand Rapids is simply trying to make the process a bit easier.

They’re adding a few incentives to the bundle by randomly selecting submissions to receive movie tickets as well!

Check out how to participate here.

Via Twifans:

Buck up, “Twilight” fans — when the “Hope for Haiti” relief telethon airs tonight, Robert Pattinson will not be manning the phones, despite reports to the contrary. Rather, he’ll support the effort with an appearance out of London, a spokesman for MTV confirms.

Taylor Lautner, however, will be part of the Los Angeles-based phone crew, which includes more than 100 other celebrity names.

Via Twifans.com:

Taylor Lautner better brush up on his punt, pass and kick skills, as he’s signed on to play in the Celebrity Beach Bowl Super Bowl the day before the big NFL game. He’ll join other dudes like Chace Crawford and Christian Slater on the field, er sand, in the annual star-studded game.

We know Taylor’s got some ripped abs because he showed off his 6-pack in New Moon, so we’re sure he’ll be an asset. And probably fast, too.

The event will be held on Miami’s South Beach, and will also include plenty of actual NFL players. Last year Peyton Manning and Reggie Bush played.

This year stars like Blake Lively, Kevin Dillon, and Maria Menounos are supposed to come out for some fun in the sand. About 10,000 people are supposed to show up to watch all the action on February 6 at 2:30pm EST. A postgame concert will be held at 3:30.

Still waiting for the NFL to confirm this….