Catalina Sandino Moreno som Maria i Eclispe!
"Eclipse" has found its Maria, and she's full of grace.
Producers on Summit's third "Twilight" pic have cast Catalina Sandino Moreno, best-known for playing the title character in the indie drama "Maria Full of Grace," to play the vampire character of Maria.
The CAA-repped actress will take on the role of a woman who tries to create a newborn army of vampires, recruiting the Confederate soldier Jasper to her cause. In Stephenie Meyer's book, the character is described as a petite brunette with a soft voice.
The Colombian-born Sandino Moreno most notably starred in "Grace," in which she played a pregnant teacher who becomes a drug mule, as well as Steven Soderbergh's epic "Che" and the upcoming indie drama "Frail," in which she plays the title character, who's described as a naive Midwestern girl.
The actress joins an "Eclipse" ensemble that -- in addition to stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner -- includes Jack Huston as a human who lived during the Great Depression, Xavier Samuel as a newborn vampire named Riley and Bryce Dallas Howard as the villainous Victoria, The actress replaces Rachel Lefevre last month in what amounted to a controversial casting switch.
"Eclipse," directed by David Slade, begins shooting next week in Vancouver.
