Anton Yelchin Joins Terminator Cast

It looks like charlie Bartlett is going to be the father of John Connor. We get the following casting news from the murky caves of Yahoo:

Anton Yelchin, currently on the big screen as a misfit rich kid in “Charlie Bartlett,” is in negotiations to star in “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.”

Yelchin will play a teen version of Kyle Reese, the man who fathered world savior John Connor in the original “Terminator” film. In “Salvation,” the character is a young version of the one played by Michael Biehn, who traveled back in time in the original to impregnate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and father the world’s future savior.

I did’t care much for the film Charlie Bartlett, but I didn’t mind Anton Yelchin in it. He was spastic, and some parts were over the top, but I think this was the direction they were going for, and he did as he was told. Yelchin held his own in scenes with Robert Downey Jr. and I think this casting could actually work out.

The danger in doing followup films or prequels that have a younger version of a well known character, is that we are very unforgiving. When we are familiar with a character and have an idea in our own minds of what they would be like as a child; we can get very irate when the acting sucks, or their personality does not gel. Take for example The Phantom Menace. I have never been so pissed at a kid in my life; if Jake Lloyd heard all the horrible things I said about him as a 10 year old - he would shank me with a bottle. But he fucked up Darth Vader, and that’s unforgivable, regardless of age.

I have been letting my guard down when it comes to this upcoming Terminator film, largely due to Christian Bale. The idea of watching the future war against the robots appeals to me, but the more we see - the more mystery we erase. Sometimes it is better to have questions unanswered in a story, it adds to the mystique and allows us to fill in the blanks with wonder. With luck, Yelchin, will knock this out of the park and we will be better for it.

International friends - what are your thoughts on the casting? Is Yelchin a good choice or would you have preferred another?