When was the last time you saw Taylor Lautner? Take a second or two to think about it. It might be tough because after The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the genetically blessed actor fell off of our radar. The films are quite memorable and great for rewatching on a rainy weekend, but they also grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide. After Lautner bulked up significantly to stay on as Jacob in the second installment, one would think future roles were come pouring in.
Unfortunately, Twilight's astonishing box-office revenue proved to be detrimental to the young star's future earning potential. It's the subject of a new article in The Hollywood Reporter titled "The New A-List: What Went Wrong With Taylor Lautner's Career?"
Following his success in New Moon, which grossed an impressive $710 million worldwide, Lautner was cast as the lead in Paramount's Max Steel and Northern Lights — a fighter pilot action film — only to drop out once he scored the lead in Stretch Armstrong. Unfortunately, the latter film never saw the light of day. The one leading-man role that did come to fruition, in 2011's Abduction, was critically panned and only earned $82 million worldwide.
"His first movie just wasn't very good, and it didn't justify what he was asking for at the time," a producer tells THR. Twilight had overinflated Lautner's asking price, and it only took one bad movie for the blockbuster offer well to dry up.
Even though we haven't heard from Taylor Lautner in a while, he hasn't thrown in the towel. He's refocused his career on smaller roles, like the indie thriller Run the Tide, BBC's Cuckoo, and Adam Sandler's The Ridiculous Six.
Don't you worry about Taylor Lautner. He's poised and ready to take the movie world by storm. He's certainly had enough practice standing in the rain. (THR)
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