Taylor Lautner is STRETCH ARMSTRONG

From ComingSoon.net:

"Universal Pictures has announced the The Twilight Saga star Taylor Lautner will will play the title character in Stretch Armstrong, which will be made in 3D, while the studio has moved back Battleship to Memorial Day Weekend in 2012:

'Universal Pictures announced breaking news about two of its upcoming event films based on popular Hasbro brands, Stretch Armstrong and Battleship. The announcements were made today by Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley.

Taylor Lautner (The Twilight Saga) will play the title character in the upcoming 3-D superhero adventure Stretch Armstrong, to be released in 2012.

The epic action-adventure Battleship has moved its release to May 25, anchoring the Memorial Day weekend of 2012.

'Universal has put all the elements in place to successfully launch two of our classic Hasbro brands on the big screen,' said Brian Goldner, President and CEO of Hasbro, Inc. 'The addition of Taylor Lautner and the 3-D twist to Stretch Armstrong, in addition to giving Pete Berg and the filmmakers the extra time and resources to make Battleship an even bigger summer blockbuster, is sure to pay dividends when the film is released in 2012.'

Peter Berg (Hancock, The Kingdom) came aboard in Fall 2009 to produce and direct Battleship, which will unfold as a massive Naval adventure across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force. Originally slated for release in July 2011, the film was moved to give it the time and resources to thoroughly realize its huge-scale ambitions and position it for Memorial Day weekend in 2012. Scott Stuber (The Wolfman, Couples Retreat) is producing Battleship through his Universal-based Stuber Pictures, and Sarah Aubrey (The Kingdom, upcoming Dune) is producing with Berg for Film 44. Brian Goldner and Bennet Schneir are producing for Hasbro.

'We believe in Pete Berg and the incredible vision that he and the Battleship team have for this film,' said Fogelson. 'We're honored that Hasbro is partnering with us to turn one of its landmark properties into a huge summer box-office hit.'

Stretch Armstrong is moving to 2012 to allot time to shape the project into a 3-D superhero adventure and to accommodate Lautner's existing commitments.

'In the past two years, Taylor has emerged as a real star at the global box office. He brings the perfect balance of energy and athleticism to the role of an unlikely super hero with a fantastic super power,' said Langley. 'We couldn't be more pleased that he has agreed to be our Stretch.'

Stretch Armstrong is based on the iconic action figure made popular around the world beginning in the 1970s and re-launched in the 1990s. Academy Award®-winning producer Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind, 8 Mile, American Gangster) will team with Hasbro to bring Stretch Armstrong to life. Steve Oedekerk (Bruce Almighty) has written the screenplay, and Hasbro's Goldner and Schneir also produce."

You know what this means, don't you? Girls will now be able to purchase their own stretchable Taylor Lautner. Know what I mean? Let's just hope they don't rip whatever's in Stretch Armstrong all over themselves.

UPDATE:

"Universal Pictures announced on Friday that the Peter Berg-directed Battleship was moving from July 29, 2011 to May 25, 2012. That would have left the July 29 spot to only Sony's The Smurfs, but Universal now also says that the Jon Favreau-directed Cowboys & Aliens will be coming to theaters that weekend.

The DreamWorks project, based on the Platinum Studios Comics graphic novel written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley, will star Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde. Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof wrote the script.

The sci-fi Western explores what would happen if the traditional Old West enemies -- cowboys and Native Americans -- found the prairie attacked by aliens in mid-1800s Arizona."

Taylor Lautner is MAX STEEL

From ComingSoon.net:

"Variety has confirmed that Twilight franchise star Taylor Lautner may be the frontrunner to play the title role in Paramount's Max Steel, based on Mattel's action figure toy line.

The 17-year-old will play a 19-year-old extreme sports junkie recruited by a secret agency after an experiment infects his body with nanobots, making him superhuman.

Mattel introduced the character in the U.S. in 1999 as an action figure, and soon after in an animated series that ran from 2000-2002.

The newspaper adds that J.P. Lavin and Chad Damiani are writing the script for the film."





UPDATE:

From ComingSoon.net:

"Vulture is reporting that The Twilight Saga star Taylor Lautner has dropped out of Mattel's Max Steel so that he can concentrate on Hasbro's Stretch Armstrong instead.

He had originally been signed to do both projects, but according to the site, 'in the weeks after signing on to play Steel, Lautner became increasingly convinced that Hasbro was playing its hand better than Mattel. Thanks to WME, Hasbro was moving with far greater speed through Hollywood's development maze than Mattel, not only setting up projects, but quickly moving them forward.'

Vulture adds that Universal began conversations earlier this month with Rob Letterman (Monsters vs. Aliens, upcoming Gulliver's Travels) about directing Stretch Armstrong for a 2012 release."