As one of the biggest film franchises of all time, Twilight took the world by storm and became a juggernaut on the big screen. It turned Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner into household names, and it seemed like the success of those films set these performers up for life.
Since his time in the franchise, Lautner has steadily decreased his acting output, and these days, he remains out of the spotlight, as well. At one point, Lautner starred in a film called Abduction, which was supposed to turn him into an action star. However, the film’s lukewarm reception has some wondering if it ruined his career.
Let’s take a look at Lautner’s journey and see if Abduction changed things for his career trajectory.
‘Twilight’ Made Lautner A Mainstream Star
After becoming a worldwide success in the pages, the Twilight franchise made a wise decision to head to the big screen in order to capitalize on its built-in audience. The gamble wound up paying off, as the movie franchise was able to generate billions of dollars at the box office. During his time as Jacob Black in the franchise, Taylor Lautner became a mainstream superstar.
Landing a role in a major franchise is exceptionally difficult, but the lucky performers that are able to secure a role find themselves gaining legions of fans in no time. Thanks to playing one of the primary characters in the Twilight franchise, Taylor Lautner’s name was quickly thrust into the spotlight.
After the first three Twilight movies became mega hits at the box office, movie studios grew interested in working with Taylor Lautner and capitalizing on his newfound name value. It makes sense that they would have such an interest in the young star, given the fact that he had already shown the ability to draw a crowd to the box office.
So, in 2011, Lautner was cast as the leading man in the film Abduction, which was set to be a starring vehicle for the performer.
‘Abduction’ Was A Misfire
Being one part of a large franchise is one thing, but being a true leading man in Hollywood is something entirely different. Most stars want nothing more than to prove to the world that they can anchor their own major films, and Taylor Lautner was given the keys to the kingdom when he was cast in Abduction.
Now, Lautner was already making a ton of money for his time as Jacob Black, but he was able to secure a lucrative deal for his starring role in Abduction. Normally, a star won’t get paid more than $5 million for their first starring role, but Lautner was able to convince the studio into paying him a whopping $7.5 million. Clearly, the studio saw the investment as one that would pay off.
At the box office, the film was able to generate $82 million against a budget of $35 million, making it a modest success. It was not, however, a sign that Lautner was ready to step out on his own as a leading man on the big screen.
After two more Twilight movies coming out on the heels of Abduction, things have slowed down considerably for Lautner. It certainly has some wondering if Abduction caused things to go sideways for him.
His Career Has Slowed Since
So, why did things slow down for Taylor Lautner?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Insiders point to 2011’s Abduction, which was critically panned (it earned $82 million worldwide). After that, Universal put Stretch Armstrong into turnaround, and the leading-man offers dried up.”
It would certainly seem like Abduction’s lukewarm run caused studios to think twice before shelling out the big bucks for Lautner to lead a project.
“His first movie just wasn’t very good, and it didn’t justify what he was asking for at the time,” a producer said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
At this point, the star hasn’t had a major role since 2016 and largely remains out of the spotlight. He did earn millions of dollars during his time in acting, and it is entirely possible that he is simply choosing to relax and enjoy his time away from the cameras.
Truthfully, it’s impossible to tell if Abduction did ruin things for him on the big screen, but it does warrant some discussion. After all, he seemed destined for a long and fruitful career during the height of Twilight’s popularity. Whenever he does decide to make a major comeback, you had better believe that there will be a ton of buzz about it., especially from Twilight fans who would love to see him back in action.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGibopxdlq%2BlwcKtoKimXafCqrqMrZiypJ%2Bneq2t1K2lnqqjYrCivsSeqWg%3D