Introducing New Moon

by Helen Earnshaw | 18 November 2009

To say that fans are excited over the release of New Moon is a little bit of an understatement but finally the movie is here.

New Moon, the second book in the Twilight Saga, follows the relationship between human Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen and, as you might expect, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart)

Stewart reprises the central role as Bella Swan in New Moon and life with Edward still isn't straight forward.

At Bella's 18th birthday party with the Cullens she slices her finger and thirst overcomes the vampires. As a result of the danger Bella was put through, the Cullen family decide to leave Forks.

As the heartbroken Bella sleepwalks through her senior year of high school, numb and alone, she discovers Edwards image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Her desire to be with him at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks.

With the help of her childhood friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella refurbishes an old motorbike to carry her on her adventures. Bella's frozen heart is gradually thawed by her budding relationship with Jacob

Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)

After protecting Bella from his own family Edward leaves Bella behind, in a bid to protect her, as his family moves to Washington.

Edward only appears as a figment of Bella's imagination as she purposefully puts herself in dangerous positions in order to get a glimpse of him.

But the bond between Bella and Edward is still strong and when Edward thinks she has died he wants to join her.

Travelling to Italy Edward plans to reveal himself to provoke the Volturi into killing him.

Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner)

It's a bigger role for Lautner this time around and the teenager had to under-go an intense training programme to show the physical changes in Jacob throughout the movie.

Jacob is Bella's childhood friend and is a shoulder for her to cry on as she gets over her heartbreak.

But as a member of the Quileute tribe Jacob has a secret of his own... he is a werewolf. As Jacob struggles with this transformation he spends more and more time with the pack and his friendship with Bella begins to deteriorate.

Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene)

Alice Cullen is Edward's sister and has become best friends with Bella. Alice can see "subjective" visions of the future.

When Bella's birthday party, which was organised by Alice, ends in disaster she goes with her family to Washington.

But she returns to Folks to see if Alice's vision of Bella's death was correct. When she finds Bella alive she tells her of Edward's plan to die. The pair travel to Italy in a bid to stop him.

Quileute Tribe

The Quileute tribe are a Native American people who hide a secret... that many of them are capable of shapeshifiting into wolves. The wolves are the enemy of the vampire.

The pack is led by Sam Uley. Quil Ateara and Embry Call are Jacob's best friends and Paul and Jared make up the pack. Paul is prone to angry outbursts and tries to attack Bella when he learns that Jacob has told her the truth.

Aro (Michael Sheen)

New Moon is the first chance we get to take a look at the Volturi, an ancient Italian vampire coven.

Aro is the leader of that coven and they enforcing the rule that vampires' existence remain a secret from humans.

He can read every thought a person has ever had once he has made physical contact.

The Volturi

The other core members of the Volturi include Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower) who has no know power, Marcus (Christopher Heyerdahl), who senses relationships, Jane (Dakota Fanning), who creates illusions of pain, Demetri (Charlie Bewley), who possess unrivalled tracking abilities together with strength and speed.