Dang. It appears we are watching Dakota Fanning grow up ... and with that are some big time, mainstream choices. According to Marc Malkin at E!, Dakota Fanning has been offered a role in New Moon and is currently in negotiations. If all goes well, Fanning will be slotted to play the porcelian, pint-sized terror Jane, who is a member of Italy's Volturi. The Volturi are one of the oldest vampire families in Stephenie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series and Jane is arguably the one of the more perilous and fascinating family members.

Fanning is a well-known child actor, co-starring with an impressive litnany of actors, including Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington. Now that Fanning has gone from precocious waif to teenager, she is starting to build up a tween fanbase with Push (out February 6) and, hopefully, she will also join the all-powerful Meyer's firestorm known as New Moon.

By all accounts, the fans are pleased by the choice. Fanning supporters started an online petition to cast her in the role and it could, if done well, be an excellent addition to the series.

Source: E! New Moon Release Date (tentative): November 2009