Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke thinks New Moon could be completed by 2009, giving credence to a 2009 release date, although it’s still not clear if she’ll definitely be directing–

“I would say that the film could be finished by the end of 2009, if not the beginning of 2010; cameras could be rolling in about five months,” Hardwicke said of her March/April timetable, should she return to helm the pic. “We spent about a year and three months getting ['Twilight'] ready, between writing the script and casting. We could probably do things a little bit faster this time, but who knows? It depends. And sometimes you can do things really fast. You can get two editors on, and you can just zip through.”

As for the Jacob question–will Taylor Lautner be able to stand up to the formidable frame of the giantly transformed Jacob?–Hardwicke is confident:

She also reiterated her confidence in Lautner’s ability not only to accurately portray Jacob — described in the books as growing to a muscular 6-foot-7 during “New Moon” — but also to carry a romantic storyline with Kristen Stewart’s Bella for much of the next film. “We are putting him on a medieval torture thing and stretching him,” Hardwicke laughed. “No, he’s only 16, so he is still growing. His dad is tall, and he’s working out, so you never know. … [Creating the love triangle] will definitely be the challenge. That would be a thing to work on too. How do you deepen that chemistry and make it go to the next level?

There is even some chatter about the casting for new roles in the movie–such as the regal Italian Volturi vampires–

As for the actors who’ll play the pivotal roles, she cryptically revealed: “Stephenie [Meyer] actually has a few people in her head right now that she’s mentioned could be cool. But before I say who, we have to see their schedule and if they’re interested in doing it. … [One is] a very cool, unknown person.”

‘Twilight’ Director Catherine Hardwicke Aims To Finish ‘New Moon’ By End Of 2009 — If She Gets The Gig