Interesting one, this: so hot right now star Michael Sheen has signed on to play a vampire in Twlight sequel New Moon*, meaning that he's done the double by playing both a vampire here and a werewolf in the **Underworld **franchise. A turn as Frankenstein can only be a matter of time.
Sheen is set to play Aro in the film, leader of the 'Volturi' vampire coven who basically rule the vamp world. Over three thousand years old, the Volturi police vampirism from their base in the fictional city of Volterra, Italy, ensuring that no bloodsucker goes on Oprah to reveal their existence.
Director Chris Weitz said that he "agressively" pursued Sheen for the role, and says that Aro is "on the surface, a very gracious and friendly vampire, but beneath that he is a tremendous threat."
To describe the exact role of the Volturi in the film would be spoilerific, so we won't (if you really love spoilers, head to Wikipedia){href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_moon_(novel)' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'}) but suffice to say that they don't come calling with Easter eggs and baby bunnies.
So what do we think about Sheen's casting? It's an interesting throwback to his Underworld days, reminding us all that he was a big hairy werewolf before he became internationally acclaimed, but it's a surprising follow up to his recent dramatic turns. Still, at least he can give the wolfy shapeshifters in the film a few pointers on their performances.
*OK, The Twilight Saga: New Moon if you prefer the full title.