Summit Entertainment officially announced the cast for the upcoming and much anticipated “New Moon” movie.

The original actors for the characters in the first movie will be rejoining the cast: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Rob Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, Ashley Greene as Alice, Peter Facinelli as Carlisle, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme, Kellan Lutz as Emmett, Nikki Reed as Rosalie, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, Edi Gathegi as Lauren and Rachelle Lafevre as Victoria.

New actors will be playing the Volturi coven members and are as follows: Charlie Bewley as Demetri, Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius, Daniel Cudmore as Felix, Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus, Dakota Fanning as Jane, Cameron Bright as Alec, and Noot Seer as Heidi. Michael Sheen will play Aro, the Volturi leader.

The werewolve pack also features some new characters and actors, respectively: Graham Greene plays Harry Clearwater, good friend to Charlie and Quileute tribal leader. TInsel Korey will play Emily, Sam Uley’s fiancee.

“New Moon” will be directed by Chris Weitz, who won Academy Awards for “The Golden Compass” and “About a Boy,” and is now filming on location in Vancouver, BC and Tuscany, Italy.

For pictures of the New Moon cast, see the Photos page on this site.

The more I think about some worried parents’ concerns about the “obsessive relationship between Edward and Bella,” I think that the film “Twilight” does more in the way of inspiring beneficial things, rather than dangerous ones (unless you count dating vampires and hanging out with wearwolves).

The fact that Edward Cullen listens to Claire de Lune is huge. The Debussy song can even be found on the soundtrack! Although Mozart is my favorite, and some baroque music may have been more appropriate for the subject matter of the film, it definitely got me interested in at least checking out some more music of that genre.

In addition to that, Bella’s favorite book is Wuthering Heights, and she and Edward watch “Romeo and Juliet” in the novel. I think that these things encourage the average “Twilight” fan to invest some time into valuable cultural mediums.

Another prudent value which the movie and book seem to subliminally support is abstinence. It is too dangerous for Bella and Edward to have sex, so the reader and viewer are forced to made do with a PG 13 love affair. Abstinence is their only recourse.