So much for Taylor Lautner being a big action star — at least for now.

The “Twilight” hunk’s turn as a Jason Bourne-like mover and shaker in Lionsgate’s “Abduction” opened to just $11.2 million — enough probably for the studio to make its money back, but not enough to launch Lautner into action-hero stardom.

“If ‘Abduction’ works, he’s a movie star,” an individual with ties to the Lautner camp told TheWrap Friday, before the movie’s box office numbers came in.

And if it didn’t have a big opening? “Studios are certainly not going to greenlight a $50 million movie with him in the lead.”

With Lautner’s name leading the development of several studio tentpole projects — notably Universal’s “Stretch Armstrong” — that sentiment could become an issue.

Certainly, with Lionsgate winning a bidding war for the “Abduction” script, and producing the film itself on a budget of around $35 million, the movie was a gamble for Lautner, too. Although he was a proven commodity in the “Twilight” movies, he had never carried a film on his own.

Lautner’s gamble illustrates how tricky it is to manage the career of a young actor who wants to be a movie star — like now.

“If you’re 20 years-old, there’s no rush to be the only guy in the movie, because you’re the only guy it gets pinned on when it fails,” said an agent who handles young actors. “And I don’t think at 20, whether you’re an actor or a student, anyone is ready for that pressure.”

Contrast Lautner’s career choices to those of his “Twilight” co-star, Robert Pattinson.

(Read More…)