There’s only one reason why this is even on my radar.

My 14-year-old niece text messaged me a few weeks ago to tell me that she read this teen vampire book by Stephenie Meyer called Twilight, which is book one of The Twilight Saga. I had never heard of it before, but with one quick search, I found it and ordered its two available sequel novels for her. The niece was just at my house, clutching the 608-page hardcover edition of the second book, New Moon, reading obsessively all weekend on the couch, in the car, out to dinner, you name it. With enthusiasm like that, I thought I’d try to find out more info on the series.

That’s when I found out — on MySpace — that the first book was being adapted for the big screen with Lords of Dogtown director Catherine Hardwicke at the helm and a script by Melissa Rosenberg. Kristen Stewart (who played Jodie Foster’s daughter in Panic Room) will star as Bella Swan, a teenage girl whose life gets turned upside-down after she meets and falls in love with the vampire Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson, who starred as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).

Now, the Twilight movie blog has been updated to announce the actors cast as members of the Cullen family — Peter Facinelli as Carlisle, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, Nikki Reed as Rosalie, Ashley Greene as Alice, and Kellan Lutz as Emmett. There’s also three photoshoot images of the Cullen family, which include Pattinson, on the site (see one here at top).

While the cast is comprised of relative unknowns, they are a bit familiar. Here’s some background info on the cast from the movie’s blog:

For more information on the film, check out MTV‘s feature story. Rachelle Lefevre (“What About Brian”), Cam Cigandet (“The O.C.”), Michael Welch (“Joan of Arcadia”), Justin Chon, and Anna Kendrick (see MTV‘s casting news).

Twilight is currently beginning production in the Portland, Oregon, area and is scheduled for a late 2008/early 2009 theatrical release.