New Moon Wolfcast Alex Meraz Interview

Alex Mera video shows off his Abs.




Meraz got those ripped abs with “pretty hardcore” kettlebell routines created by a trainer who starred as one of the Spartans in action flick “300,” he says. “The best part is that at the end of the training session, he gave us his red underwear from ‘300!’” Meraz adds.

The 24-year-old tells “Extra” that he got really close to the wolfpack while shooting the vampire saga, in theaters Nov. 20.

“I really felt like I created a family,” he says. “Taylor was always fun. We always went bowling and had dinner. The other guys too. We played jokes in between [filming].”

Pranks included sneaking into Kiowa Gordon’s room to wake him up and pretend he was late to set.

“He was nearly in tears, he was so scared,” Meraz says. “We always did things like that to kind of have fun.”

Weitz Talks 'New Moon'

It started with a pie. Once Chris Weitz and brother Paul deflowered the dessert in 1999's American Pie, they became two of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Though he was barely out of his twenties, Chris Weitz was smart enough not to squander the opportunity, and instead of signing on to keep the sequels coming (seven, counting the straight-to-DVD installments), he held out to direct more literally adult fare like Chris Rock's Down to Earth and About a Boy, the Hugh Grant-led adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel. Weitz invested the next several years in his passion project—the big budget fantasy film The Golden Compass—but the film's irreligious subtext coupled with Weitz's high ambitions and the studio's anxiety doomed the American release. Though worldwide grosses of $372 million justified the estimated $180 million budget, its comparatively small US take left everyone involved backing away from what had once considered a surefire franchise. But with The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Weitz has taken the reins of another hit franchise, and he's certain to steer this one to box office success. Weitz talks to BOXOFFICE about the power of break-up stories and his family's gratitude to vampires—a lineage that stretches back to his grandparents.

How do you direct a film when everyone knows the story and ending?

In a way, that's an advantage. That people know and love the book means that people know and want to see the movie, which is what you hope for when you're making a film. It's a fine balance between being as faithful as possible to the spirit of the book, and bringing changes. I regard myself as fan as much as any other, and the way that I see the book in my head is just like any other fan's ability, except that I happen to have tens of millions of dollars at my disposal to realize that vision. One hopes that it's a strong enough envisioning of the book that people will be amused and entertained and excited even though they know how things are going to end.

One of my favorite New Moon conspiracy theories is that the producers are ordering Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to keep their love hidden because it will affect the way people will perceive the story, even though the story is already known even until the next two books.

The fans know what the Volturi look like or what Taylor Lautner as Jacob's amazing bod is going to look like—the producers know these things are big points of curiosity about whether we've been able to be faithful to people's notions. And they want to parse these things out over time. [Laughs] It is a conspiracy, but the conspiracy is called marketing.

There are so many films about vampires, vampire romances, teenage romances—what is it about Twilight's love triangle that's catalyzed this phenomenon?

To me, it has a lot less to do with vampires and werewolves than with readily identifiable emotional situations. Bella has a choice between the loving friend who's nearby and the distant, unattainable object of her affections. That's a pretty common scenario, and unfortunately also, so is being dumped. I know I've experienced it—pretty much anybody except the incredibly lucky has experienced it—and the supernatural element of things just allows for a degree of wish fulfillment. We can play out these scenarios on a grand scale. When you get broken up with, you'd like to think that if you just did something brave enough, something amazing enough, you could rescue the relationship that's been broken. And you would like to think that the person who's left you has left you for your own good against their heart. That's usually not the case, but in New Moon it happens to be, so that's a lovely way to fulfill one's wishes. A great thing that Summit as a studio understands is that there are dark places that the movie has to go in order for it all to work. They're not afraid of the angst and the sorrow that's in the book. In a way, the film can be kind of a throwback to weepies as well as very cutting edge in terms of visual effects.

It's got this operatic tone that's like soma for anyone with a broken heart.

We're probably going to put out one of the greatest breakup mix albums of all time on the soundtrack. Alexandre Desplat doing the music means there's this sense of French Romanticism that goes back to Alexandre's mentor Maurice Jarre and everything he did for David Lean's movies—going back to Debussy and Ravel and that kind of stuff. There is a lot of luxuriating in the emotionalism of the piece. I think I'm probably now supposed to add at this point that there's great stuff for guys as well. But leave that aside for the moment.

You talked a minute ago about Pattinson being an 'unattainable male.' We always see stories about men pursuing a woman. It's rare to see stories where a woman really pursues a man, and when you do, it's usually handled like All About Steve, where it teeters into comic stalking.

Farce.

Exactly. You always hear about the male gaze in films, but this seems to have such a strong female gaze. One of the prerequisites is how many times Pattinson and Lautner take off their shirts.

It's there in the script, and that's one for the ladies, really. Women have been objectified plenty in Hollywood films. And there's still sort of a chasteness to the objectification in Twilight and New Moon. One approaches it hopefully with a bit of tact—not just an exercise in beefcake peddling. You hope when you're shooting any kind of above-the-waist nudity that it suits the demand of the moment, it isn't just in there for the hell of it. That being said, I think we did come to Comic-Con with a lot of muscles and it was really fun to see the reaction to it. I've tried to make films that take into account the female members of the audience. Even American Pie, which comes from a genre that is notoriously misogynist.

I would agree with that. In American Pie, you make a point to show the girl's side of why she would or wouldn't do it on Prom Night—it was fair.

We were trying to say, too, that they were really in control of the scenario, and the guys were more or less hopeless schlubs just trying to navigate these waters. The girls were in control of what happened when.

American Pie—like Twilight—was one of those films that made stars of everyone in the cast. This time around, do you find yourself wanting to give this new generation career or life advice?

I don't particularly feel qualified because I'm not in their situation. I don't have to deal with that fame; I'm able to turn it on or off—or rather, the publicity department is able to turn it on and off. I don’t walk around and get recognized. I'm recognized in inverse proportion to my nearness to Rob. There's some kind of equation I could work out. Basically if I'm within 50 yards of Rob, I matter. If not, I just don't. I think that they don't really need my advice because they are determined to remain true to their own life, in spite of anything that might turn their heads. That's the only advice I could give them: that they stay the clever and decent people who they already are. And I don't think they're manifesting any problems in that regard.

I heard that the on-set experience has been like living in A Hard Days Night.

It was like that in Italy. Although it wasn't so much running and chasing. I'd compare it more to The Birds. You look around and then there's suddenly ten girls over there. And then there's 20. Then 30, then 40. And then suddenly the street you're intending to walk down to get to your next location or lunch is just blocked and there's no way to get through. Or you will get through, but it'll take you hours because you'll take pictures and sign autographs. Which is fair enough because they've come all this way and they're really the reason that we're there. Or you'll have to be a real meanie and just run past. I've developed a preoccupied look that sometimes works. I try to seem as though there's something going really badly at a different location, and sometimes that gets me out of situations.

Have there been any crazy fan experiences?

The crazy thing has been how extraordinarily supportive, friendly and enthusiastic people are. They really want this to be done right, but they're not hyper-critical. There's a degree of good faith between the people making the movie and the people who want to see it, and we are innocent until proven guilty. And that's great because that's not always the case with fan boys. I did encounter this Italian girl in Montepulciano who then appeared in Vancouver who speaks impeccable English. That's one of the reasons I recognized her. She came up to me and said, 'Do you remember me?' and I said yes, I did. And then her mom was there and I sort of wanted to ask her mom what else she and her kid were up to because it seemed like she should be in school, but it's really not my place.

Which other book would you love to film?

To be honest, I would love to film The Golden Compass. I would love to have been allowed to do my own cut of The Golden Compass because I did film that book and there could be a real version of it, but it would cost millions of dollars to complete with the special effects. The cut was taken away from me and that was a devastating experience. That's the other book that I would like to film. I wouldn't have the strength to go through another three years to do it, but it is a great shame that the fear of the ideas in the book led the studio to do a version which I think caused its own downfall.

It was a beautiful film, the look of it.

It's a good-looking film. And there are moments where it's precisely the way I wanted it to look or to feel. But it's been put through a blender so that the interesting ideas that it had in it and the real emotional heft of the story was lost. And that's a shame because I take very seriously my responsibilities to an author in trying to represent their vision on film. Failing Philip Pullman in that regard is a big sadness for me because he's one of the authors I most admire in the world.

Between the author and the studio, that can be a lot of weight.

It is, and I have to say that Summit understands that the fans want to see the book in the film, not just a popcorn movie.

It's almost a safety net, having that many people know the book already very well, more than American audiences knew The Golden Compass.

Yes, American audiences weren't that familiar with The Golden Compass. Once you start monkeying around with the plot and characters and key concepts in the film, you really lose what made the book appeal to anyone in the first place. If you take the example of The Lord of the Rings, it wasn't that it made everybody into a geek overnight. People were able to see what had been great about it in the first place, and the adherence to story and character really paid off, even though a lot of people went to see it who hadn't read Lord of the Rings in the first place and didn't know anything else.

What can you tell me about The Game, the film adaptation of the Neil Strauss guide to picking up women?

I can tell you that Rawson Thurber [director of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story] is going to direct it, and that he is rewriting it now. It's an attempt to walk a very fine line with a project like this. It has things to say about the relationships between men and women and it could be perceived as misogynistic or as a textbook in how to manipulate women. But it's really not about that—it's about the weaknesses of men and women more than anything else.

And your brother Paul also has a high school vampire movie coming out?

He does. That was not planned at all. It's very funny. A week before I was offered New Moon, I was wondering why there were so many vampire movies around. Paul had wanted to indulge a long-standing love of the grotesque, which the Cirque du Freak series allowed with its visuals and that sort of perversity—not perversion, but perversity—of the books and the script. It's a funny coincidence. Actually, if you want to take it one step further, my grandmother was a silent film actress in the Mexican version of Dracula. They shot it on the same sets as the Todd Browning version, but they started shooting at midnight. My grandfather, who was a producer for Universal at the time, was courting my grandmother, and when talkies came out, there were no parts for women with strong Mexican accents. He convinced Carl Laemmle at Universal that you could make a profit by using the same sets during the night and making Spanish-language versions of the same film. Hence, the Spanish Dracula. It's a film geek delight to compare the Todd Browning version to the Mexican version.

And if your grandfather hadn't done that, you might not exist.

This is true. If it weren't for vampires...

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Taylor Lautner: Robert Pattinson Doesn't Need Workout Advice

'He definitely doesn't need any pointers at all," Lautner joked about the actors' shirtless appearances in 'New Moon.'

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Before Lautner headed into the show though, he stopped to speak to MTV News about the trailer, which features him shirtless much of the time.

"I think they might start crying," he guessed about what he thought might be the fans' reaction to seeing him as werewolf Jacob Black running around with his wolf pack.

But Lautner isn't the only one Twilighters got an eyeful of in the trailer — Robert Pattinson also appears sans shirt. And Lautner insists that if the two were to compete in some kind of shirt-off, the competition would be stiff. "I don't know [who would win]. Rob, he's getting some muscle," he explained. "There's some good competition."

Lautner famously had to pack on the muscle to reprise his role as Jacob. So we wondered if Pattinson has been seeking advice from him on how to bulk up. "No, he definitely doesn't need any pointers at all," Lautner joked. "He's got it covered."

In addition to talking about all things "New Moon" trailer, Lautner opened up about what it's been like on-set for the movie's sequel, "Eclipse." "Yes it's a lot of fun," he said. "I think we're, like, a month in, so it's exciting to be back with our new director David Slade and back with the whole team again."

Slade is the third director to helm a "Twilight" flick, and Lautner admits that he's got a whole new dark take on the saga. "It's been good. He's a lot different, but I think he's going to add a cool taste to the movie," he explained. "It might be a little darker."

And Lautner thinks Slade will take the action in this flick, which involves a lot of battling, to the next step. "I feel like the action level is stepping up each and every film. 'New Moon' definitely has a lot more [action] than 'Twilight,' and I feel like Eclipse is bumping it up another level," the actor said.

Sure, Lautner is cool with the films going in that direction. But he's not so cool with the fact that he doesn't get to partake in that action as much as he would like in "Eclipse." "We're at war the whole time or most of the time. I think it's going to be pretty good but it's a bummer 'cause I'm a wolf the whole time, so it's not actually me getting to do my action. ... But you'll be able to see the cute fuzzy wolf."

And what does he think of that wolf? Well, that jury of one is still out. "I'm not sure yet! I think I've got to watch it a couple more times," he joked.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: New Moon Star Chaske Spencer Reveals Wolf Pack Tattoo Secret (part 2)

Radar: When you first booked the role how long did you have to keep it under wraps?

Spencer: Oh my God, maybe about a month and a month a half. I didn't tell anybody.

Read part one of our exclusive interview with Chaske Spencer

Radar: Was it hard?

Spencer: It was hard. It was really hard because I told my friends I got booked on a pilot so I would have an excuse to go to Vancouver. I told them yeah, I booked a pilot and I'll be up there for a little while. I told my parents the same thing.

Radar: You didn't even tell your parents?

Spencer: No, I didn't tell my parents at all. I didn't tell anybody. I kept it pretty close. It was really cool, I guess that's how the guys in the Wolf Pack really bonded, because we couldn't tell anyone so we just talked about it amongst ourselves. All the excitement and what we're going through, the workout. I guess that's how we bonded, the workouts and plus it's like a brotherhood of secrecy, so we had to keep this big secret and we just talked. It was good to vent to one and other and bounce ideas off each other. It was really hard, it was really hard. The paparazzi got us in a restaurant, they took our picture with Chris Weitz and Taylor. Then about a few days later it came out and I got to tell all of my friends. They were like whoa, man, what's up Spence, why didn't you say anything? My mom and dad, they were just excited.

Radar: You are a member of the Sioux Nation?

Spencer: I'm Lakota Sioux.

Radar: Being a member of a First Nation do you feel like that helped you bring a lot of depth to the character?

Spencer: Yes, yes I do. Of course, it's written for First Nation people or Native Americans or American Indians, whatever the new pc word is. It helped out a lot. But then again, the way the book is written isn't a stereotypical Native role. That's what I found really interesting about the Twilight series is that it could have been anybody. It just happened to be Natives and I like that, I really like that how she took a contemporary outlook on these characters. It was really a breath of fresh air for all of us, the Native actors. We've been trudging away in films, TV and theater and we can do other roles, we have done other roles that weren't designed for Native people but no one has ever seen them. When we got to this is was so nice to not put on the feather and the leather and the buck skin. There's nothing wrong with that, I take pride in the roles I've played but it was just a breath of fresh air to say that yes we could play these contemporary roles. It was so nice to cut the hair too, yes we can do other things, look at us, and we're a pretty good talented group.

Radar: How is your on screen chemistry with Tinsel Korey?

Spencer: She's a sweet heart, I love that girl. What we did was we went out for coffee and we talked to build some chemistry to sit and get to know one and other. When we got to filming it went really well, it went really easy. Of course, you meet someone and the next day you're kissing them. It's a weird profession. You can't fake it. She's one of my really good friends, I call her up. I can put her on my top five actually. I text Alex and Kiowa, we talk to each other because we're all going through this together. Tinsel I like her because I can talk to her in ways that I can't talk to the other guys. It's almost like we are becoming that family in the book. Tinsel is a good actress and a talented, talented woman. I like her music. We would just hang out and talk, go to dinner, shoot the breeze.

Radar: What about the first time you saw Tinsel with the scar? How did you feel about that?

Spencer: She's a really beautiful woman and when you put that scar it just adds this depth to her. It's horrendous; they did a really good job. It really ads so much to her character, because you really look inside her eyes and you can see the beauty inside her eyes, and that's what she brings to Emily. So when we did the scene it was just magic happening there that hopefully the audience will see. She really brought a lot and the scar helped out.

Radar: Tinsel had said that Kristen was really shocked by the scar, what was it like to film with the whole group, Kristen and Taylor?

Spencer: It was really good. Everyone has a different way of working; I learned that a long time ago. Kristen is an old pro, she's been working since she was a child. She comes ready to go. She's got her character down; she knows what she wants to do. She's very open to ideas as well. She's ready to play. Taylor is the same way, he's been working since he was a kid as well. I have a hard time thinking him of a kid, because he's got that man body, but he still has that baby face. The thing is they're both good people, that's what I love about them. They're both egoless. We did a scene in Emily's home and Kristen got all her scenes done and she stayed. She stayed for us to do all our close ups. You don't have to stay, you can get a stand in to come in and say all your lines but she stayed the whole time. And it was a long day. So that shows what kind of integrity and what a trooper she is. I really tip my hat to her on that. Taylor is working, when he's not doing his scene he's getting his muscles pumped, with all of us, we're all doing push ups between scenes. Those two, I like working with them, they come in they're ready to go, but they also know when to have a good time. They keep it light on the set as well, which is really good for an actor, you have to stay relaxed on set.

Radar: Who is the funniest on the set?

Spencer: I'd say Bronson. Bronson is funny, I like him. He can crack some jokes. He has a quick wit about him which we all love.

Radar: You've worked with Gil before, how is your relationship with him?

Spencer: Gil's my brother. I was very happy to be working with him again. Out of the whole cast I'm pretty close to Gil. We worked several projects together, actually all of the projects I've done have been with him. It was very top secret when I was getting this role. He didn't know when I was cast but he was very happy. We go out to dinner; we can talk about what's going on. He gives me advice, I love the guy, he's like my older brother. One of the nicest men you'll ever meet. I like working with him. He'll be there for me. In New Moon we just bounce stuff off each other and I'm very excited to work with him again.

Radar: What was your favorite scene in New Moon?

Spencer: I know people are going to read things into this, but I like the scene going into Emily's place, it really shows the characters of all of us in that scene. Kissing Tinsel Korey, it's not a bad job to kiss a beautiful woman. I've had bad jobs before, I was a bartender I was a garbage man, I've had bad jobs. This is the easiest job in the world.

Radar: We are friends with a fansite and Lorabelle from Twicrackaddict.blogspot.com wanted to ask you question - What do you think about the wolf-pack tattoo - and do you know whether it's meant to be a "birth mark" kind of thing - especially considering the wolves heal and so might not technically be able to be tattoood once they've transformed?

Spencer: Wow, what a great fan! Hello to Lorabelle at Twicrackaddict! That is a deep question and I never thought about it! I learn something new every day! I've read the books, where did that tattoo come from? We're all talking after the film is over the Wolf pack might get tattoos. We all have tattoos, they're addicting. It would be nice to take off to a tattoo parlor after the installment is over. We talk about it. I really like the tattoo, if you really look at the design it's two wolves. Maybe it's an imprint? Maybe it's an imprint of the wolf god, the one that was a shape shifter in ancient times.

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XCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: New Moon Star Chaske Spencer on His Competition With RPattz

As the tension between the vampires and the werewolves builds in the Twilight Saga, a pivotal character in the series is Sam Uley, the La Push Shape Shifter and the alpha leader of the werewolves pack.

Chaske Spencer played Sam in New Moon and RadarOnline.com exclusively caught up with him before he starts filming Eclipse next week in Vancouver. In part one of the interview we tried to find out everything there is to know about Chaske, his incredible new buff body and his competition with Rob Pattinson!

Radar: Have you started filming Eclipse yet?
Spencer: No, I leave Sunday.

Radar: Are you excited?
Spencer: Yeah, I am, I’m excited to get back to work. I like to work so it’s kind of like waiting around getting ready to get back into the game.

Radar: Hurry up and do nothing until you get started?
Spencer: Yeah, I’ve been going to the gym and hanging out with friends, and going to rock show, because when I was up there last time filming New Moon I was up there for a while so in my down time I try to make sure I stay relaxed.

Radar: I understand that Chris Weitz said for the last movie you guys did Wolf Camp? Tell me about that?
Spencer: Yeah, I like the choice of words, Wolf Camp. It was like a basic training. I had been going to the gym before I went up to Vancouver and just to keep in shape I go to the gym regularly but when we got there it was a whole different beast all together. They got us a trainer, and he had helped out the actors in 300 get in shape. It was really cool, me and the other guys, the wolf guys, we were pretty jacked that we were working out with the guy who was affiliated with 300. I think we were more excited about that than anything else. So what they did is he threw us into circuit training and muscle confusion workouts and we hit it pretty hard for about an hour and hour and a half. First thing in the morning that’s what we’d do. And then we just eat all day. It’s pretty much four to six meals a day plus three to four protein shakes a day as well.

Radar: What about when you’re done filming?
Spencer: I took like a week to eat anything I wanted and then I just traveled to clear my head and took my own road trips. I got back to the gym and continued to work out. It’s different though, my workouts are not like his. Not like the Wolf Camp workout.

Radar: Have you been in Wolf Camp workout for Eclipse? When will that start?
Spencer: I don’t know. I have no idea what’s going to happen until I get up there. They pretty much keep people on a need to know basis. So when I get up there I’ll find out what’s going to happen. It’s a very tight security. Security is pretty tight on this production. Which I understand.

Radar: I know quite a few years ago you actually played Dracula, so what do you like better, vampires or werewolves?
Spencer: You know, I really like the werewolf. There are positive things about both characters. I like the werewolf because I’ve gained some weight; I’ve put on 20 lbs of muscle! When I came back from shooting New Moon my friends said, my God, you’ve just gone gigantour! I like that. It’s good to look at your arm and say, wow, that’s mine! Sometimes I don’t even know what to do with my own body; I’m like a 13 year old kid who just went through a growth spurt.

Radar: Do you spend all of your time staring at yourself in front of the mirror?
Spencer: You should see us on set! It’s so bad! We’re shirtless throughout most of the movie and we’re constantly doing the push ups and the sit ups between takes. We look in the mirror and say, ok, I can probably work THIS a little bit more, maybe 50 more crunches, I can loose that, I look at my bicep and check out Taylor ’s. It’s funny, it’s really funny. The other cast members laugh at us, it’s pretty hilarious. I’ve never been so body conscious until I landed this role. As for a vampire, you know I like the fact that the vampire is very mysterious; they’ve got that skinny rock star thing going on. I remember when I was a kid I read all the Anne Rice books and she romanticized the vampire and I though those were really good. So when I got the Dracula role it was my first role in New York City and I thought I was really cool and I went all out with the monologue, I lost weight, I had a good time. No one came to see it! It was very humbling, I was 22, and there were pin drops. But I really honed my craft and I think that is what theater is all about. You have to show up and be present. In film you can always do another take, and you can do a scene several different ways. In theater you can take risks and I like doing that, that’s what life is about, taking risks.

Radar: You said that you like that the vampire is the cool skinny guy. Rob is basically the only guy in the show that isn’t working out in between scenes because he’s not buffing up, right?
Spencer: No, actually he was training with us.

Radar: Did he go to Wolf Camp?
Spencer: No, he did Vampire Camp! I don’t know what his workout regimen was but he would show up before or after us because we were on two different shooting schedules during New Moon and most of the vampires, I met them for dinner once but then boom, we all went our separate ways to work. I would hear the trainer say oh Rob lifted this much weight, and I’d say really?

Radar: Would you want to lift more than Rob?
Spencer: Yes! There was this competition one day we went into the gym, we have this rowing machine and I really busted my ass and I got a high record on it and I was like, yeah, beat that! Because the wolves are really competitive with each other in the gym. Then the next day I came in and Rob beat me by four seconds! Then filming was done and I never got to go back and try to up that.

Radar: Is that the first things you’re doing on Sunday when you get there?
Spencer: I hope so! I’m going to go row that and see if I can beat his record. Rob would come in either before or after us. I like that, I like that we’re separated from them, it builds the tension. You’ll see the chemistry on screen. I think that’s why they kept us wolves together, because the chemistry will come out on screen, you can’t fake that. Same with the vampires, when we’re on screen with them you’ll see the chemistry – we’re supposed to be competitive against them, resent them for who they are as vampires. I think that will come across. But we don’t resent them in real life. They’re really nice. That’s what I love about the cast, they’re really nice, everyone comes to play They’re ready to work, they’re good people It’s one of the cool things about this production, I don’t think anyone really expected it to be this big of a hit so we’re all just wide eyed and wow. They’re really good people.

Radar: What is your favorite thing about working on New Moon?
Spencer: My trainer. I know this sounds so bad and so vain, but the trainer actually has changed my life. I go to the gym a lot more, I watch what I eat, it’s changed my whole lifestyle. After we wrapped I shook the hand of the trainer and I thanked him so much because it actually changed my life. I’m more active now; I want to go do things. I want to do some mountain climbing, I want to run a marathon, and it’s just opened up a whole new door in my life. I’m really thankful for that.

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'New Moon' Actor Went Too Far With Kristen Stewart

'Wolf Pack' members describe injury, aggressive confrontation with Kristen Stewart.

The second day of the official "Twilight" convention started with a howl from "New Moon" actor Kiowa Gordon, who, along with fellow Wolf Pack members Alex Meraz and Chaske Spencer, sat down for an hour-long Q&A session at the event.

Meraz initially took the stage wearing black sunglasses to conceal an injury received during mixed-martial-arts training for an "Eclipse" fight scene he'll have with Kellan Lutz. "In theory it's a good idea, but I got my eyes beat up," he said. "So they're kind of red. I'm being insecure."

While Meraz has been throwing punches in preparation to play shapeshifter Paul, Spencer took a more laid-back approach for his Quileute pack-leader role. "I just watched a lot of movies to get the character, Sam, and watched a lot of generals," he said.

One thing the trio tries not to do when preparing to film is read the blogs.

"For the first two weeks, when it came out I was in the Wolf Pack, I did it," Meraz said. "I was in my trailer [saying], 'People like me! People like me!' " But the gleam quickly wore off and negative comments began to bug the actor. "By Googling myself, I'm not going to find anything I like," he said, adding, "I'm arguing with an 8-year-old!"

Onstage the affable trio shared an obvious rapport, crediting some of their bond to cuddling on-set to keep warm during rain-drenched shirtless scenes. They shared several funny anecdotes from filming "New Moon," including Meraz's embarrassing moment with Kristen Stewart.

"I decided, all right, the Wolf Pack stay up all night looking for who's killing people on the res, so we don't sleep very much. So I thought it would be a great idea if I stayed up for 10 days straight." What should have been a simple scene — a confrontation between Bella (Stewart) and the Wolf Pack — became, in Meraz's mind, his "Brando moment." Wanting to try something different, the actor played the scene overly aggressive: screaming, grabbing Stewart by the throat, hurtling his line at her.

"[Director] Chris Weitz comes off-set like, 'Yeah, I like the energy Alex, but just take it down a little,' " Spencer chimed in: "Meanwhile the producers are freaking out back there."

" 'Cause nobody touches Kristen Stewart," joked Meraz.

Things get even more heated for Meraz when he phases into a wolf. For "New Moon," Weitz told the actors to envision the phasing sequences as a "pop like popcorn," which meant the actors only had to do a little shake before CGI took over from there. For the novel's wolf mind-reading sequences, the trio said it would be portrayed on film through quick glances. "With real wolves, that's actually how it's done," Meraz said. "The alpha male does things just with its eyes."

Spencer and Meraz also reminisced about the cliff-diving scene, a stunt they performed themselves, though for Spencer, his favorite scene was kissing onscreen love Emily (played by Tinsel Korey). "It was a lot of takes," Spencer said. "It's a hard job."

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'New Moon' Brings Wolf Pack Together To ... Eat Muffins?

'I didn't have the pleasure to enjoy any muffins,' Taylor Lautner says of brooding in the back while his co-stars chow down.

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If there's one thing Twilighters are hungry for these days, it's beefcake. For proof, look no further than the latest "New Moon" trailer, which features Taylor Lautner, Kiowa Gordon and their wolf pack buddies without shirts on. But according to the duo, there's a different, top-secret treat fans should be looking forward to when the film hits theaters in November: muffins.

"I call it 'the muffin scene,' " revealed Gordon, who plays Jacob Black's friend Embry Call in the flick. "We all gather around at Emily's house — she's Sam, the big pack leader's, fiancée — and we all just gather around and eat muffins and talk about stuff."

As those who have read the Stephenie Meyer novels know, this inserted scene is rife with dramatic and humorous possibilities. At some point in the saga, Sam Uley imprints on Emily — the second cousin of high school sweetheart Leah Clearwater — leaving Leah more than a tad bitter. The scene takes place on the La Push reservation, with many of the key Quileute characters interacting while they partake in their bountiful breakfast. But why muffins?

"We like muffins," Gordon said, revealing that the Quileute wolves have a taste for more than vampire flesh.

"The muffin scene?" Taylor Lautner grinned when we told him of Gordon's comments. "I didn't have the pleasure to enjoy any muffins.

"When they were eating their funny little muffins, I was standing in the back, all pissed off," Lautner said of the scene, which depicts Jacob as not being too thrilled with the whole imprinting/ turning-into-a-wolf drama. "So I just got to watch them eat their muffins."

According to the buff, 17-year-old star, Jacob will spend much of "New Moon" in a mood that not even a tasty pastry could cure. "He's a little upset. He's pissed off a lot in this movie, for many different reasons," Lautner explained. "Maybe because he just transformed into a werewolf. But he's a little grumpy at that moment. So I just watched them eat their muffins."

An intense Taylor? The news might be shocking for those die-hard fans who have come to know and love the actor as a happy-go-lucky guy. But according to Lautner, he can put on his game face when he needs to.

"Oh," he promised with a wicked grin, "I can turn it on and off."

New Moon's Latest Trailer: More RPattz & Lautner

As promised, the gatekeepers at Summit Entertainment have released an updated trailer for New Moon, featuring a behind-the-scenes interview with Taylor Lautner.

A French version of the trailer was released last week, and quickly taken down. But now RadarOnline.com's got the full, live action, shirtless clip!

What we know: Rpattz leaves Kristen Stewart's Bella, driving her straight into the arms of a 30lbs-beefier Jacob (Lautner).

What's new: Quadruple shirtlessness with The Wolf Pack, the first look at Dakota Fanning's evil Vulturi henchwoman Jane, a virtually naked roll-around with Pattinson and Stewart.

Plus: More stunts! Motorcycles! Angst!
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New Moon 14 Seconds Trailer Preview

Taylor Lautner Introduces His 'New Moon' Wolf Pack

'Twilight' star gives us details on his Quileute buddies — and reveals a scene that wasn't in the book.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

In last year's "Twilight," cute little Jacob Black got pushed around a bit. Bella gave him the dreaded "just a friend" treatment, Edward stared him down at the end of the movie, and he barely got a "thank you" after working so hard on that damn truck.

But in November's "New Moon," a bigger, buffer Black will be back — and this time, he's bringing along some friends.

"He's pissed off a lot in this movie," laughed Taylor Lautner, looking spiffy at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards in a multi-buttoned vest that he told us "took an hour" to put on. "He is pissed off for many different reasons."

As Twilighters know, "New Moon" gives us a rapidly developing Jacob, now with the power to transform into a werewolf. It also introduces us to Jacob's Quileute friends, a group of sometimes-shirtless hunks who've already set the fandom on fire with glimpses of them in pictures and on Burger King crowns.

"We've got Sam Uley, who leads the pack. We all follow him. He's the alpha," Lautner said, introducing us to his wingmen. "And then we've got Jared and Paul — Jared is a funny guy, a real jokester — and Bronson [Pelletier], who plays him, in real life is the same way, so he does that well. Paul is the hothead. He goes out with my girl, and I tear him to shreds. And then there's Kiowa [Gordon] who plays Embry — he's my best friend."

And speaking of Jacob's friends, Lautner also told us that one of his favorite scenes in the "New Moon" movie is something that didn't occur in Stephenie Meyer's novel. It's a moment revolving around the newly glimpsed character of Quil Ateara and his smoothness with the ladies — or lack thereof.

"I loved shooting the scenes with Embry and Quil," he revealed. "Tyson [Houseman] plays Quil, and he's just kind of a funny character.

"Me and Bella — I'm sorry, Bella and I — are working on the bikes, and Embry and Quil come in," Lautner explained of the scene. "Quil's checking out Bella [and trying to be smooth] and is like, 'Hey, I'm Quil. Quil Ateara.' It's a really funny scene, and the two were really great in it."

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'New Moon' Wolf Kiowa Gordon Talks About The Pack

'He saves humans from vampires, basically,' Gordon says of his character in the film.

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Thursday night, we caught up with Gordon at the red-carpet premier of the new Vanessa Hudgens flick "Bandslam." In his first-ever interview with MTV, the rookie actor was eager to talk about hanging with Taylor Lautner's wolf pack, the "surreal" experience of meeting Twilighters, and offer a preview of his call of the wild.

MTV: Give us your breakdown of the character, as we'll see him in the movie.

Kiowa Gordon: I am Embry Call; he's a Native-American. He lives on his res, and he goes into a transformation which freaks him out completely. He turns into a wolf. So he gets some extra baggage going there — and then he saves humans from vampires, basically.

MTV: Break down the wolf pack for us.

Gordon: Alright, the head is Sam Uley — he's played by Chaske Spencer, who is a great guy. He's the leader of the pack, he runs us and helps us go through our phase. Next is Jared — he transforms next, and he's the fun boy, the jokester. He's played by Bronson Pelletier, and he's a funny guy too — he's awesome, we became really close. And Alex Meraz plays Paul — he's the hotheaded, ferocious guy that always wants to be in the middle of the action, and he's the go-to guy if Sam needs something taken care of.

MTV: And how about yourself?

Gordon: Jacob's really weirded out that I joined this cult of shirtless Natives. [We] thought that Paul, Jared, and Sam were just these [egotistical] guys that thought so highly of themselves and called themselves the protectors of the tribe, and I'm just the shy, lanky kid. Then Jacob sees me [join them] and he's like, "Wow, I've lost a friend," but that's really not the case; we can't tell Jacob or other Quileutes about our transformations until they have transformed themselves. Then, next in line is Jacob of course, and he's so natural to it; his wolf is stronger than like any other one.

MTV: You and some other "New Moon" stars were exposed to the public for the first time at Comic-Con. How was that?

Gordon: Yeah, I went to the Comic-Con for the "Twilight" screenings, and the question- and-answer [sessions], and it was crazy. They all started screaming as soon as we walked off the bus; the whole time we were answering questions they just kept screaming and screaming. It was so surreal for me. I've also gone to my own things — like I've gone to this unity conference out in New Mexico where Native American youths gather and share their tribal affiliations and all that awesome stuff. And [Twilighters were there and] they went crazy.

MTV: Taylor has said that he gets to speak the Native-American language of the tribe a bit in "New Moon." Do you?

Gordon: No, I would just — we make noises.

MTV: Noises? Can you give us an example?

Gordon: Hopefully I won't get in trouble for this. But yeah, [there's a scene where] we get out of the car, and we have to do this call — this signal that we're home. Me and Jared, we go [he unleashes a loud, yipping noise]. It's kinda funny. But it's awesome.

MTV: Wow. And that basically means "Hi Honey, I'm home"?

Gordon: [Laughs.] Yeah!

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THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON Interview with Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner

Following a very enthusiastic Comic-Con panel for Summit Entertainment's The Twilight Saga: New Moon, co-stars Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner sat down to talk about what fans can expect from the next installment in the story, and how much better prepared they are for all of the attention and adoration, this time around.

Q: So, how's your Comic-Con experience been?

Taylor: It's very similar to last year. It's just that we were expecting it, this time. Last year, we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. This time, we brought ear plugs.

Q: How does it feel to be working on such a popular film with such a huge fan base?

Kristen: It feels good. There's nothing bad. Trying to describe what it feels like is so funny. Everyone feels like we're nervous about the pressure and having approval, but this art form is so subjective, anyway. People say, "I love this book. I'm obsessed with it." And, we can say, "Well yeah, me too.' Everything is better, if you're on some sort of common ground. It's like fire. There's nothing better than sharing passion. This is so far out of our scope of what's going on in our head, when we're shooting a movie. It was strange having fans so close, but like Chris Weisz said, it's like doing theater when they stand up and clap after every take, and sit there very quietly organized, in little rows, and try not to disturb us while we're all in character. It's a little bit more pressure, but at the same time it was motivating.

Taylor: It was encouraging.

Kristen: Yes, it was very encouraging.

Taylor: It was kind of cool to see you have this fan base behind you.

Q: How was it shooting in Italy?

Kristen: I had never spent more than a couple of days there. We went to Rome, for the first Twilight tour. It was so fleeting. I was only there for two seconds. It was so overwhelming to sit on the countryside for hours and just do nothing. It's a completely different world. I would love to spend more time there. We shot in this little town that was gorgeous.

Q: Do you enjoy working on different films, in between filming each of these installments of the saga?

Kristen: Yeah, if it was Twilight all the time and I did nothing in between, I would go a little batty. For me, I'd say it definitely alleviates pressure.

Q: How's The Runaways going?

Kristen: Really good. It's hard to talk about now because I still have four days of shooting left. I feel that what we're doing is really important. I feel like what The Runaways did was really important, so trying to convey that is really awesome. It's daunting, to say the least.

Q: What do you think the New Moon fans are not expecting from this film?

Taylor: Giant fuzzy werewolves.

Kristen: No, I think they expected those.

Taylor: I honestly don't think they're expecting to be as heartbroken as I think they will be. I know when I read New Moon, I really felt bad for Jacob's character and Bella, just because Jacob can't have her and he's trying to get her, and everything that's going on, and her being torn and confused. I felt really bad, but actually, when I lived the experience with Kristen, it was much worse, and I just can't imagine what the fans are going to think when they watch that.

Kristen: He feels bad for himself.

Taylor: I don't feel bad for myself. I feel bad for Jacob and I feel bad for you.

Q: What do you think the fans are going to enjoy the most about New Moon?

Taylor: Somebody like me would enjoy the action because I love action movies and New Moon takes that to another level than Twilight was. And, it's a lot more complicated, this time around. It takes what Bella and Edward developed in Twilight, and it smashes that at the beginning, and then it becomes complicated until the end of the movie.

Kristen: Yeah, it's not an easy story. Not that Twilight was, but Twilight was about two people who were already conflicted internally, throwing themselves against each other, mindlessly. It was just very impulsive. And, in this case, we had to think a lot more about what we were doing because it wasn't instinctual, like a chemistry love thing. Everything in these movies is heightened. If you get sad, you don't just get sad. It's like you'd rather just be dead. I guess people experience that in real life, but in our movie, it's more than that. So, it was just harder.

Q: Does something like that take the challenge for you, as an actor, to another level?

Kristen: Yeah, it's hard because you have no reference. I don't know what it's like to be shattered by somebody who physiologically completes you, and then you have that taken away, and what that feels like. I don't know because, for me, it doesn't exist. So, yeah, it's hard.

Q: Was there a moment in time when you realized Twilight was going to become this phenomenon?

Kristen: I think at Comic-Con last year.

Taylor: For sure, definitely. When we were filming, it had no attention as it does, this time around. The first big thing for us was Comic-Con. Just to walk out on that stage and hear the screams of the 6,000 fans was really different and I don't think any of us were expecting it. So, that was the huge eye-opener for us, the first time around.

Q: When the Twilight saga is done, how will you feel about getting your life back?

Taylor: I'm so thankful to be a part of this, and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. I've made a lot of great friendships with everybody that I've worked with, and we've got a while left. I haven't really started thinking about that yet because it's my main focus right now.

Kristen: Yeah, which is good, I guess. I can't wait to be finished because, when I start a movie initially, I'm dying to get it done. I'm thinking about something all the time and I want to go through the experience. I want to do the scenes and I want to make sure that we do them right. And, in this case, I have so much ahead of me. Usually, I have six weeks and, at the end of the six weeks, we will have made our product. We will have gone through everything that we wanted to. But, in this case, I have to wait, literally, years. So, I'm waiting to get it done. I want it to be done.

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Tinsel Korey Interview

Tinsel Korey, who plays Emily in New Moon gave an interview to the Lexicon about her role, audition with director Chris Weitz and the Twilight cast.

Have you read the Twilight Saga books? If yes, which book is your favorite and why?
I have read New Moon, and I’m reading Eclipse right now. I also own Breaking Dawn. I’ll have to get back to you on which one is my favorite.

What was the audition process like for you?
I auditioned in L.A. with the director Chris Weitz and casting directors Rene Haynes and Joseph Middleton. Filming was great, Chris is a very warm and talented director. I can’t wait to see his vision of New Moon come to life.

Did you, along with the other cast members who were also in the Quileuete roles, spend any time building back-stories or relationships?
I built my back-story before I met the boys, I already had an idea of who Emily was. Meeting and hanging out with the boys only helped build upon what my prior thoughts already were. I think when we all hung out the back-story just was there in who we were. Most of us are pretty similar to our characters.

How long is the process of getting into makeup and costume for Emily and can you describe it?
It takes hours to perfect the make-up and you’ll have to wait for the movie to see the magic that the makeup/SPX department created :)

Your MySpace has pictures and videos of you performing traditional music and dance. What art form do you prefer: acting, music, or dance?
I don’t really prefer one over the other, they’re all just different aspects of my artistry: I love them equally.

You seem to gravitate toward roles where you play strong women with interesting pasts. What types of things excite you when considering a role?
I never really realized that I did gravitated towards that till you mentioned it, then I thought about it, and I guess I do. Lol. Material that I get excited about, are the ones that give me an opportunity to break stereotypes.

Can you describe what working with Chris Weitz is like?
He’s an actor’s director, he gets us probably because he is an actor. He’s a very attentive and warm man; I hope I get the pleasure to work with him again in the future.

There are some major, powerhouse actors in the New Moon cast. Did you ever find yourself getting a little star-struck or tongue tied around any of them?
Nope. They’re just normal people.

How would you describe your vision of Emily Young?
Oh god, I don’t think I’m allowed to right a novel for this interview. Lol. So let me summarize in one sentence. She’s a survivor, the heart and soul of the team, when they’re down she brings them up. She’s the one you want to have in your corner.

Do you have anything more that you’d like to share with Twilight fans?
I’d like to thank them for all the support I’ve received and I’m glad I get to be on this journey with them. HUGZ.

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Taylor Lautner New Photo as Jacob Black

A year ago, no one knew who the heck Taylor Lautner was, and Robert Pattinson was just some British guy from the fourth Harry Potter movie. Then thousands of fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight book series descended on Comic-Con for a peek at the movie, and the rest is history. This year, Lautner and Pattinson are in New Moon, directed by Chris Weitz. No word on whether the hot young stars will be at Comic-Con but new footage from the November release will be shown.

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Taylor Lautner finds his inner-wolf in 'Twilight Saga: New Moon'

Becoming a movie heartthrob is never easy and Taylor Lautner is handling it with as much patience and class that you could expect for a 17-year-old whose become instantly recognizable to almost every teenage girl in his peer group. So, when this writer and a number of journalists visited the set of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" in May, Lautner was kind enough to journey to the Vancouver studio during his offtime to chat about the highly-anticipated sequel. It's well documented how much work Lautner did to gain the muscle mass to play Jacob, a character that is described as physically imposing in Stephenie Meyer's books.

Lautner spoke in detail to the few reporters on hand about his training regime, meeting "Eclipse" director David Slade or the first time and how painful it is to play Jacob's unrequited love for Bella.

(Oh, and in case there was any doubt, this writer did not ask how often Lautner spends shirtless in "New Moon.")

Q: Were you doing any stunts today?

I’ve been doing a lot recently, yeah. The cool thing is, they’ve pretty much let me do most of my stunts. I got to do all the dirt bike riding, I got to do this really cool sequence that I’m actually not going to tell you about, because I want you to wait to see it. But yeah, the stunts have definitely been my favorite part so far.

Q: What physical preparation did you have to do to get ready for the stunt work?

Well, I had to put on some weight. (Laughs.) While filming 'Twilight,' I knew that Jacob’s character transforms, not only emotionally and mentally but also physically, so I immediately, the day after filming Twilight, hit the gym, started eating a lot – good food – trying to pack on pounds. And here I am, thirty pounds heavier!

Q: Was it harder or easier than you thought it would be?

The actual getting into the gym and working out process was easier, but the eating was harder. Because I had to eat, and everyone’s like 'Are you kidding me? I’d love to eat like that!' I had to eat every two hours. At one point, my trainer said, 'Put anything in your mouth. Go to McDonald’s, get the biggest shake possible, I just need to get calories in you.' Because my body fat at the time was only, like, seven and a half percent.

Q: So you were on the Michael Phelps diet?

Yeah! Seriously, I’d wake up and my trainer would say, 'You need to have six egg whites, and bacon and toast and...' It became a lot, so that was the hardest part. Especially putting something in my mouth every two hours.

Q: Are you still eating like that? You still have to maintain the regimen?

Yeah. I’ve gotten used to it, but I definitely didn’t want to show up on set – now is the most crucial time, when I’m filming – so no, I’m definitely keeping it up while I’m up here.

Q: Can you describe the new movements you had to learn for your Wolf Pack scenes?

Well, I didn’t have anything to do with the Wolf Pack, but I did go through some dirt bike training, because I really hadn’t ridden before. So I had a couple lessons, so when they threw me on the bike I didn’t die. The biggest thing with Jacob’s physicality is, pre-transformation he’s described as clumsy, he trips over his own feet, he’s a little kid. Then, as soon as he transforms, he all of a sudden becomes very agile. So, it wasn’t certain movements or specific things I had to do, it’s just all of my movements together, even as simple as walking, had to have more of a presence, definitely easier than before.

Q: Do we get to see you phase?

Um…yeah! You will. You’ve got to wait and see, but it’s definitely going to be cool.

Q: What percentage of time would you say you spend shirtless? 

I’d say the same as the books. I’m not going to give you a specific percent, but the great things about this series, and the movies , is we stay true to the books. So if you read the books, you know what the movie’s going to look like.

Q: Are you using your martial arts expertise a lot?

No – I mean, Jacob doesn’t do martial arts. It helps with the agility, yes; that’s what it does help with, but it’s not like Jacob comes out and [uses] kung fu on the vampires. (Laughs.)

Q: Have you seen any production art of what your character looks like after transformation?

Very sketchy ones. They’re literally, like, drawings, nothing in detail. So it’s really going to suck, waiting all this time – even though it’s such a quick turnaround. I mean, we’re finishing up here end of May, and it’s coming out at the end of November already. Those months in between are definitely going to be hard, because I’m really excited to see what everything’s going to look like.

Q: They said that for your Jacob the wolf scenes, they’re going to keep your eyes.

I believe so, because when Bella, all through the books, when she looks into the wolf’s face she sees Jacob’s eyes.

Q: Does that mean you’ll spend extra time in a CG studio to capture that?

I don’t know. I think it’s as simple as taking a picture of my eyes and just pasting that on the wolves. I did get body-scanned, is that what they’ll use? Gotcha. Oh yeah, my head body-scanned. Yes, yes, yes.

Q: And did you have any time to do anything between this and 'Eclipse' or are you just going to take a break?

I’m actually not sure yet. While I’m up here I want to focus as much as possible on 'New Moon.' I’m leaving everything to my team back home to work on. But yes, we’re definitely working on things. Nothing is solidified yet.

Q: Will you try to bulk up even more for 'Eclipse' and put on more weight?

Yeah, I am. Jacob continually grows throughout the series, so that means…no matter if I’m doing a film or not, I’m still going to have to put on a little bit more weight.

Q: Do you have a target weight right now?

I’m going to try and put on another…I’ll shoot for another ten. We’ll see what I can do, but I’ll be working hard.

Q: How often do you go to the gym? 

About five days a week. At one point, I realized I put on a lot of weight, and then I started losing weight dramatically and I was like, what’s going on? Why am I losing all this weight that I put on? And what I realized is that I was actually over-working myself. I was going seven days a week, I wouldn’t take a day off, and I would be in the gym for two and a half hours, and I was just burning more calories than I was putting on. That was my biggest problem. So then, I had to cut back; four or five days a week, and not be in the gym too long.

Q: That sounds like reportedly what Rob’s experience was like on the first film.

Oh, really? I’m not familiar. (Laughs.)

Q: That was your real hair, right?

No. This is! But no, the long hair is definitely a wig. I just wrapped the wig a couple of days ago; that was amazing. The whole crew gave an applause, I was so happy. They’re like, 'So, do you want to keep it?' I’m like, 'If you give it to me, I will probably burn it.' (Laughs.)

Q: What’s been the biggest difference between this shoot and the Twilight shoot?

We know what we’re making this time around. I mean, for the first film, we really had no idea we were making a big film, we just knew that we were all in love with the series and wanted to make a great movie. But we didn’t know that all the people were going to fall in love with the movie and it was going to be as big as it was. Now, we’re coming into 'New Moon,' you know, with a little bit more pressure, but we’re trying to push that behind us and not think about that, and stay focused on what we need to do.

Q: What’s the difference between working with Catherine Hardwicke and working with Chris Weitz?

They’re both so talented in different ways. What I love about Chris is the set is very calm and we’re just having a lot of fun making the movie. And then you sit back and you look at the results that are happening and it looks amazing so far. I’m so excited to see it. And you just sit back and see what’s going on, and you’re like, 'How are we having such an easygoing, relaxed time making this movie, and it’s turning out the way it is?' At the same time, the conversations with Catherine – she just related to us so well. So does Chris. They’re both talented directors, and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to work with both of them.

Q: Have you had a chance to meet David Slade yet? Has he come to set or met anybody?

He came up here, briefly. I was in the middle of a stunt rehearsal, and he showed up with Wyck, one of our producers, and Wyck was like, 'Hey, this is David.' And at that point he wasn’t signed on to the film and I had no idea who he was. Then all of a sudden he started putting up these ‘camera hands’ in my face; 'Yeah, I think this would be a good angle right here.' And I’m just sitting there going, 'What is he doing?' Then finally, as he’s doing it, Wyck says, 'Oh, I probably should tell you who this is. This is David Slade. He’s probably going to be doing 'Eclipse.'' I was like, 'Oh, that makes sense now!'

Q: If you could give Jacob, as a werewolf, one more power, what would it be?

Oh boy, that’s a tough question. Um…I want to steal one of Edward’s powers, because I like them. But then I’d feel like I’m betraying Jacob if I said that. (Laughs.)

Q: Which one of Edward’s powers would you take?

Well, I don’t want to sparkle. Definitely, I don’t want to sparkle. We [wolves] can read minds, though, right? Each others’, but not anybody’s. Ok, well, I’d like to read Bella's.

Q: Are you liking having a Wolf Pack? You’re not the only one anymore.

Yeah, it’s fun! They’re a lot of fun, they’ve got a lot of energy, they’re fun to have around. I’m really glad that they were able to come up and have fun with us.

Q: There’s a lot of talk about the fight scene between Jacob and Paul…

The sad thing is, it’s not gonna be me. It’s gonna be a CGI wolf. But I’m sure it’s gonna look just great.

Q: How did you all develop the bonds that have to translate on screen?

We hung out, while they were up here. We went to dinner, we went to some movies. We all get along, so I definitely think you’re going to see that in the film. They’re fun guys, they’re easy to get along with.

Q: Are you all BFFs now?

I don’t know if we’re BFFs! But we’re friends.

Q: Have you wrapped, or how much more shooting do you have?

Let’s see. We’re almost done. I think we’ve got another two weeks left, and they’ve got a couple of scenes left. It’s sad, but it’s alright. We’ll be back soon.

Q: What’s been your favorite scene to film so far?

Um…I’d either say, some cool action scene I got to do, because I really do like the action, or I really like the break up scene. We call it 'the break up scene.' It’s the first time Bella sees Jacob after he’s transformed. When she comes to his house, and she sees for the first time that his hair’s cut, he’s different, what’s up…? And he tells her, 'We shouldn’t be friends.' It’s a really emotional scene.

Q: Considering how moody Jacob gets in 'New Moon' – toying with Bella’s emotions – do you feel bad at all?

I don’t feel bad one bit; I feel bad for myself! (Laughs.) No, when I was reading the books, I felt so bad for Jacob’s character. But now that I’m actually living him, I feel way worse. Bella’s toying with Jacob! I don’t care if she’s ripped between the two guys, I feel so bad for Jacob, because she confused him; one moment, she’ll want to kiss him, and the next moment, she’s ditching him for Edward. I mean, yeah, I understand where Bella’s coming from, and it’s a crappy situation for all of them. But I feel really bad for Jacob.

Q: A lot of fans are looking forward to the scene in 'Eclipse' where Jacob and Bella finally have the kiss.

Yes, so am I.

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An interview with Kiowa Gordon

“What character do you play in the movie?’” a young female fan asked as Kiowa Gordon posed for pictures. “Embry Call,” replied Gordon, who was recently cast as one of five werewolves in the upcoming sequel to the blockbuster “Twilight” called “New Moon.” The movie and its sequels are based on novels by Stephanie Meyer. The fan screamed excitedly as she ran through the crowd at the San Carlos High School graduation.

Gordon, 19, Hualapai, agreed to attend the graduation as a special guest. It was his first major public appearance since filming with the rest of what Gordon refers to as the “wolf pack” in Vancouver, British Columbia, earlier this year.

For those unfamiliar with “Twilight,” the movie is about a high school girl named Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart) who moves from Arizona to Washington state where she meets a boy named Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson); and the two fall in love.

Through research and the help of a Native American teenager named Jacob “Jake” Black (Taylor Lautner), she discovers Cullen and his family are vampires. Black, a member of the Quileute Tribe, is part of an ancient line of werewolves unbeknownst to Swan. In the sequel, to be released in November, Black and four other Native American young men emerge as werewolves.

Thousands of Native young men from the U.S. and Canada tried out for the four new roles. Gordon; Alex Meraz, Purepecha (Tarasco); Chaske Spencer, Lakota; and Bronson Pelletier, Cree-Metis, were fortunate enough to be cast.

According to Gordon, Embry Call is Jake’s right hand man, tall, skinny, shy and the fourth to turn into a werewolf. “We protect the tribe, protect them from vampires.”

At the graduation, Gordon signed autographs, smiled for photographs and endured surprise hugs and a kiss on his hand. The non-stop attention provided Gordon a glimpse of what is to come when “New Moon” hits the big screen.

The movie “Twilight” became a worldwide sensation generating $191 million in box office sales. The sequel is expected to bring in $200 million.

Surreal is a word Gordon used to describe his experience. And no wonder; he was a virtual unknown when he landed the coveted role. Prior experience includes bit parts in Rick Shroder’s “Black Cloud” and PBS Pictures’ “Skinwalker.” “New Moon” is his big break. Would you believe he got a “C” in his acting class at Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Ariz., his hometown? Fellow werewolf Meraz also lives in Cave Creek.

During an interview prior to the graduation, Gordon said he was on track to earn a high school diploma at Career Success High School when he responded to the open casting call. He’s now set to earn a G.E.D.

“An acting coach worked with me for about an hour before the audition,” Gordon said. Ironically, “Twilight” author Stephanie Meyer is a member of Gordon’s church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They attend the same ward; Meraz is also LDS.

Within a couple of weeks word came he landed the part of Embry Call. “My mom got an e-mail. She was ecstatic.” After speaking to the director on the phone, he was off to Los Angeles for a “cyberscan.” It’s a technique used in many movies to create real-life animation. “A machine went around my body to create a computer image so I could be transformed into a werewolf.”

“When I went to Vancouver, the first person I met was Alex Meraz. During the first three weeks I hung out with the wolf pack. We worked with a personal trainer. I gained five pounds. We all bonded and became like brothers,” Gordon said. “I’m the smallest (physically) but I’m the tallest.” Gordon is 5 feet 11 inches tall.

He describes a day of the set. “We spend an hour in makeup (basically) getting darker and they enhanced our abs,” laughs Gordon. “It was really cold, one degree Celsius. We wore robes before our shoots. All our scenes were outdoors. We had to get in the rain.”

Gordon met all the major actors and shot a scene with Stewart. “I’ve had long hair since the seventh grade, to my shoulders. Our hair has to be short when we become werewolves. I had no idea they were going to cut it. Oh man!”

“Twilight’s” worldwide massive fan base enthusiastically embraced the wolf pack. Gordon, who has a MySpace page, said before he landed the role he had 200 “friends.” Now he has 2,500 “friends.” During his down time in Vancouver, he and fellow werewolves dealt with the paparazzi who were eager to snap photos.

Gordon admits fame has its drawbacks. “People think I have money,” he said with a smile. While he landed a big role, filming lasted only two weeks although he flew back to Vancouver for a few more days for last scenes. “People also think I can coach them with their acting; I’m the last person they should be asking.”

His acting skills must be better than he thinks. He signed a contract to reprise the role in future sequels. In the meantime, he’s spending time in Germany learning to speak German. (He caught a flight to Frankfurt the day after the graduation). Gordon also hopes to go on a two-year mission for his church.

Gordon is the second youngest of seven children, he has lived on the Hualapai Indian Reservation in northern Arizona as well as Utah and California. His mother, Camille Nighthorse Gordon, is also an aspiring actress who also had a part in “Black Cloud.”

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‘New Moon’ Follow Up, ‘Eclipse’ Movie Casting Has Started

According to my sources, the third installment of the Stephanie Meyer’s Book series,”Twilight Saga” franchise, “Eclipse” is now casting for three new characters which include : vampire Riley and his two siblings, Seth and Leah Clearwater. “Eclipse” is supposed to start filming in August of 2009.

The character, Riley is supposed to be a handsome blonde, clean-cut college boy who falls victim to the vampire named, Victoria.He is in his mid 20s and is supposed to be an integral part in Victoria’s attempt to murder Bella Swan. The producers are looking for Native American or First Nation actors to play the Clearwater siblings Seth and Leah .

The character of Seth is supposed to idolize Jacob Black played by Taylor Lautner. His physical characteristics are that he’s a tall,gangly limbed boy with a huge,happy grin. Then Leah is supposed to be about 19 years old,and is the only female member of the “Wolf Pack”. Her physical description,is that she is tall and slender with beautiful skin and short cropped black hair. She would be considered gorgeous if not for the perpetual scowl she carries due to a broken heart and anger issues.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will of course return to play Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in this third installment. David Slade who worked on the movie “30 Days of Night” will be the director for “Eclipse”.

If you’d like to send in your own audition tape,you can send it to yourhere.mtv.com.

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New Moon Book Review | Ashley Greene Dishes New Moon Romances

Beck Starr/Getty Images

Twilight cutie Ashley Greene hosted an event at Kitson last night benefiting the Donate My Dress Charity in WeHo.

We heart Ash, so natch we had to snatch her first and get some of those nasty little hookup questions off our chest, before going back and celebrating a great cause.

Ash dished the possibility of Robsten and...Jackley?

Filming New Moon seems different from Twilight. Is it too overwhelming now?
It's seriously so much fun still. Not too overwhelming yet, because I'm really enjoying and lucky to be doing what I'm doing. Everyone on the set is friends—we all go out together and have dinners. But yeah, it's crazy because all of a sudden everyone cares what you're wearing, what you're drinking, who you're kissing.

Who you're kissing, huh? Does that mean things are getting frisky up in Vancouver? We hear things about Rob and Kristen.
This is the thing, I look at magazines. I don't know why, but other people's lives intrigue us for some reason. Especially with this movie in particular, all of our chemistry is so great onscreen that people want it to be real offscreen, and even if it isn't, they are still going to say that it is.

Well, we also hear you might be dating your onscreen love, Jackson Rathbone, too. True?
[Grins] Um...Jackson is a sweetheart. But we're...um. No.

Well!

Ashley's publicist then came up and said that J & A "seriously" weren't dating, but we think everything was in that sexy little smirk. Dating was probably the wrong word. Maybe (and hopefully) they are just enjoying their time filming together, like so many others up there are.

Ms. Greene is quite refreshing. It's rare in this town to find a gal who is actually having fun and who is grateful for a job tons would kill for.

Can't wait to hear what happens when Rob, Kristen and Ashley go to Italy in a bit to start filming over there.

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New Moon Cast of Characters

Cast and Crew

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Director

Chris Weitz

Producer

Mark Morgan

Screenwriter

Melissa Rosenberg

Starring

• Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
• Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
• Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
• Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen
• Peter Facinelli asDr. Carlisle Cullen
• Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black
• Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale
• Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale
• Kellan Lutz as Emmet Cullen
• Dakota Fanning as Jane of Volturi
  
• Michael Sheen as Aro
• Cameron Bright as Alec
• Billy Burke as Charlie Swan
• Chaske Spencer as Lakota
  
• Bronson Pelletier as Jared
  
• Alex Meraz as Paul
  
• Tyson Houseman as Quil Ateara
  
• Edi Gathegi as Laurent
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius

WOLF PACK CAST