Taylor Lautner Ditches 'Max Steel' for 'Stretch Armstrong'

Sat, 27 February 2010 01:32:17 ET

Originally signed to headline both movies, the 'Twilight Saga' hunk reportedly becomes increasingly convinced that Hasbro was doing a better job with its feature adaptation than Mattel.

Barely three months since he was announced as the leading man of Mattel's "Max Steel", Taylor Lautner has been reported to have backed out from his involvement in the feature adaptation. New York magazine's Vulture blog reported that the reason behind his exit was due to his feature project for Hasbro, "Stretch Armstrong".

On the reason why the 18-year-old opted to focus more on "Armstrong", the Vulture pointed out that he "became increasingly convinced that Hasbro was playing its hand better than Mattel" in the weeks after being booked on to portray Max Steel. An insider added, "When you sign up to make a movie with Hasbro, you know it will be in theaters a year later."

News of Lautner dropping out from "Steel" came out just days after he bowed out another feature film, "Northern Lights (2010)". The Jacob Black of the "Twilight Saga" series was reported pulling out of the fighter pilot drama over "casting issues". Words are, his representatives were seeking to "put the best actors and directors around him."

Although he has withdrawn himself from two movie projects, Taylor Lautner still has a lot under his belt. The "Valentine's Day" actor has been set to take on the lead role of Summit Entertainment's "Cancun", and has signed on to star in Lionsgate Films' "Abduction". His third "Twilight" movie, "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse", will hit U.S. theaters on June 30.

"Stretch Armstrong" itself is a 3-D superhero adventure based on Hasbro's iconic action figure made popular in the 1970s. "Bruce Almighty" writer Steve Oedekerk provided the screenplay. Producer Brian Grazer will team up with Hasbro's Brian Goldner and Bennet Schneir as producers. It is expected to hit theaters across the U.S. in 2012.

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