Remember a year ago when Summit Entertainment was hoping that Twilight, their modestly-budgeted adaptation of the teen vampire romance novel would become a cult hit? Life was so much simpler then, wasn't it? (I'm sure Robert Pattinson would agree...) But ever since Twilight proved itself to be a massive hit at the box office, things have been different. Now bigger names are being brought in to help tell the tale. Now that New Moon is just a few months away from hitting theaters, and casting news on Eclipse has started to break, let's take this opportunity to break down the cast of the Twilight Saga:

The Immortal Beloveds:

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have been living their lives under a microscope ever since landing the lead roles in the first Twilight film. Stewart, who'd appeared in films like Into the Wild and Panic Room, was slightly more well-known at the time than Pattinson, whose biggest claim to fame was the small role of doomed Hufflepuff Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The story is a familiar one by now. The Twi-hards, who up until then only had the use of their imaginations to get a picture of the sparkly, chivalrous, dreamboat vampire of Stephanie Meyers' novels in their heads, collectively decided to hate Pattinson's guts and began to petition against his casting -- until Summit wisely began to release pictures of him in costume as the marble-skinned Edward. An obsession was born that has led to mobs of girls following Pattinson's every move (even causing him to get hit by a NYC taxi recently), but surprisingly, it hasn't yet translated to interest in seeing him in other films. His indie drama Little Ashes was critically panned and ignored by audiences. Stewart, on the other hand, has had buzz building for months around her upcoming rock biopic The Runaways. As Bella, she's merely tolerated by some Twilight fans, and downright hated by many more, but that's what tends to happen to actresses who take on a role that every girl familiar with the character has pictured herself in. I predict that Stewart will survive the Bella backlash and eventually emerge with a long and fruitful career.

If we could only get past his abs...

Taylor Lautner wasn't given much to do as eventual-werewolf Jacob Black in Twilight, but knowing his part would greatly increase in the remaining films, Lautner desperately bulked up to try to match his character's inhuman growth spurt and secure his employment. Now he's glad to lift his shirt and show off his eight-pack as an impressive sign of commitment to the role.

Lending an air of prestige to the proceedings...

Now grown-up child star Dakota Fanning and acclaimed British actor Michael Sheen make their Twilight debut in New Moon as members of the "royal" vampire clan the Volturi. And just last week it was announced that Bryce Dallas Howard will take over the role of the evil Victoria in Eclipse. These are all relatively small roles, which makes me think Summit wisely decided to follow the Harry Potter model of casting fresh faces in the lead roles, and fleshing out their world with more accomplished stars. Since they won't have to face the scrutiny and pressure that Pattinson, Stewart, and the rest of the actors playing the major roles constantly deal with, I expect Fanning, Sheen, and Howard will have a great time vamping it up.

Team Human!

In Stephanie Meyers' world, vampires may be the ones that sparkle, but in the first Twilight movie, it was the stars playing two humans that shone the brightest. Anna Kendrick and Billy Burke, who, respectively, play toxic high school student Jessica and Bella's unassuming police chief father, Charlie, stole a lot of scenes from the vamps and brought a refreshing bit of comic relief to the dreary world of Forks, Washington. On the other hand, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, and Kellan Lutz weren't given huge roles in the first film as the rest of the Cullen clan. Perhaps it's not so bad being human after all.

Now You Decide ...

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