This story is fascinating to me, which is surprising considering how few cares I have for the career of Taylor Lautner. I don't think he's bad actor by teen movie standards, but I also don't think he's a particularly exciting one, either. That said, my new found interest in Lautner's career has far less to do with my allegiance to Team Jacob and everything to do with how amusing it is to me that two rival toy makers that both want to dominate the movie business so they can make more toys are fighting for the same actor.In the post-Twilight wake, Lautner had been attached to star in both Mattel's Max Steel franchise hopeful as well as Hasbro's Stretch Armstrong. Things have changed, however, as Vulture is now reporting that Lautner has turned down the nano-machine enhanced superhero in favor of focusing solely on the one that ruins carpets if you rip him open. Why? Because Stretch Armstrong is totally a way cooler toy than lame-o Max Steel.
Well, not really. The actual reason is because Hasbro had the foresight to see that audiences will eat up movies based loosely on toy lines they're nostalgic for. In doing so, Hasbro was able to lay down tracks throughout the Hollywood production labyrinth for everything from Transformers to Candyland. Mattel, only just now getting into the game, doesn't have this advantage. Or, in short, Hasbro can get movies made right now, Mattel cannot.
The actor's camp was impressed by Universal's eagerness, as shepherded by prolific producer Brian Grazer, to have a Lautner-led Stretch Armstrong in 3D theaters by 2012. Mattel's Max Steel plan, it appears, wasn't quite so ambitious. So sorry Lautner fans, as of right now you're going to have to settle for a single toy-based movie. Though if you need your Lautner action-figure fix in the interim, you can always throw some money the loser's way and buy a Mattel-made Jacob Barbie Doll.
