Chris Weitz has admitted that he always wanted Taylor Lautner in New Moon.
It was reported that Lautner, who took on the role of Jacob Black in hit vampire film Twilight last year, was possibly going to be replace because of issues over the seventeen year old's physicality.
In an interview with MTV Weitz said: "The character in the second book is meant to be 6ft 5in, let alone transform into a werewolf and all that stuff.
"And Taylor, having only done three days of work in the first [movie], it was time to take a pause and say, 'Should Taylor go ahead and do it?'
"My overwhelming feeling was, 'Yes, absolutely, let's go forward with it'. To me, it wasn't a very difficult decision. For Taylor, it wasn't difficult at all. He knew the character, and he embodied the character - as people are going to see in the movie."
"So it wasn't really as tense and as scary a moment as it was portrayed in the media."
For the role Lautner piled on the muscle with a punishing gym session. Chris Weitz took over the director's chair from Catherine Hardwicke and the film is due for a November release.
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