LOS ANGELES, CA – Twilight Saga star and Hollywood heart-throb Robert Pattinson has confirmed that he is not going to appear in the Eclipse sequel, Breaking Dawn . Pattinson’s next film, the latest in the Twilight Saga , Eclipse , is set to hit theaters June 30, 2010. Although appearing as the “virtuous” Vampire Edward Cullen in the first three Twilight Saga films, Pattinson has stated that a heavy workload and scheduling conflicts have come between him and returning as Edward Cullen in the final Twilight episode, Breaking Dawn . “I really loved playing Edward. I loved working with [ Twilight co-star and onscreen love interest] Kristen [Stewart]” Pattinson reminisced. “I’ll miss being on set, the energy, and all of the amazing Twilight fans out there.” Summit Entertainment Rep Stacy Williamson has come out and stated that, “While we were initially saddened by Rob’s decision, we feel the fans will ultimately be open to the idea. I mean, James Bond wasn’t always played by Sean Connery. It’s not a big deal.” So far fan reaction is anything but mixed. When Arby’s employee and self-proclaimed “Twi-hard” Jessica Linfield, 17, heard of Robert’s decision, she was less than thrilled. “OH MY GAAHH! [sic] ROBERT IS EDWARD. HE WILL FOREVER BE EDWARD. NO ONE CAN REPLACE HIM!” Seeing Jessica upset, co-worker and toy-train enthusiast Mark White, who has had feelings for Jessica for the past 3 months, attempted to console her saying, “Jessica, he clearly never cared about the fans. He left Twilight . He left you.” Jessica turned to violence, striking Timothy across the face and exclaiming, “Get away from me, you freak! Stop trying to be as cool as a Vampire! You will never have my heart. You’re nothing but an animal!” Mark, clearly wounded, retorted, “Jessica, I would never hurt you.” Jessica was last seen clutching a 4×6 of Robert Pattinson, crying. As of press time, Summit has yet to name a definite substitute for Pattinson, however, they have narrowed their search down to four potential Edward-replacements. They are: Johnny Galecki. The affable geek from CBS’s hit show The Big Bang Theory . Many at Summit believe he has the ‘brooding look’ that really makes Edward who he is. As of now, his schedule appears to be fairly open. Also, initial reports state that his chemistry with Kristen Stewart (who is believed to remain playing Bella) is superb. Johnny’s height, 5’5″, may be an issue if he is to play Edward Cullen, who Robert Pattinson portrayed at 6’1″. If Johnny is cast, he may wear some sort of lifts, or Kristen Stewart may simply act on her knees. Michael Welch. Although he already had a role in Twilight & New Moon , Michael Welch has made Summit’s top four to replace Robert Pattinson. When asked about this, Rep Williamson said, “Michael is a brilliant actor. He has great range.
