Anton Yelchin (JJ Abrams’ Star Trek, Charlie Bartlett) is in negotiations to star as John Connor’s father Kyle Reese in director McG’s Terminator 4 (which is still untitled… I say they just call it T4: The Future Begins). Yelchin would play a teenage version of Reese, who was played by Michael Biehn in the original James Cameron film.
According to Terminator mythology, Reese was born after the first war, and survived the capture and killing of his fellow humans only to serve as a Sonderkommando in one of Skynet’s concentration camps. A a resistance movement, led by John Connor, freed Reese and others from Skynet. Reese volunteered to travel back in time to the year 1984, in order to protect the young Sarah Connor, the known mother of resistance leader John Connor, from a Terminator sent by Skynet. On the run from the Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), Reese and Sarah shared a night of intimacy, in which her future son was conceived. Reese was later killed by his own pipe-bomb while attempting to destroy the Terminator.
In Terminator 4, Reese befriends Marcus (played by Avatar’s Sam Worthington), an early version of the Terminator cyborg played in previous films by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Christian Bale plays a 30-year-old John Connor. Terminator 4 is the first film in a three film story arc. The more and more I hear about the plot of this film, the more excited I get. I’m not sure about Yelchin as Reese, but there is no denying that he’s a talented actor. I’m very surprised at the level of talent they have been able to attract to this project so far.
David Campbell Wilson, John Brancato and Michael Ferris wrote the screenplay. Paul Haggis has also had talks about coming on board to do some script rewrites before principal photography begins in early May.
Discuss: Do you think Anton Yelchin will be a good Kyle Reese?
March 19th, 2008 at 2:44 am
As long as these movies are better than the TV show, I’ll be there regardless of who plays young Kyle.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:17 am
i think the tv show is ok. isn’t the movie just gonna feel like the matrix revolutions if it’s man versus machine set in the future instead of the present day thanks to a flux capacitor that makes you go naked?
March 19th, 2008 at 3:26 am
yelchin is a very talented and capable actor. i have no doubts about him in this role. kyle reese and pavel chekov; this kid could have two big roles in two of the biggest franchises on the horizon.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:56 am
I liked the television show, kind of a different take on the Terminator series from what I thought. I also love all of the films, with my least favorite being T2. I am thinking that this series has much more life in it in the future and with Christian Bale being a part of it, I can only see great things for this film. Just please keep him on for at LEAST one more sequel after this one. He is great and Terminator will have great success with any other actors attached to it with Christian Bale there no matter who they are…… Anthony
March 19th, 2008 at 4:15 am
I don’t know about Yelchin, but if Haggis is doing the final rewrite then it’s guaranteed to be awesome… better not f- this up McG….
March 19th, 2008 at 4:35 am
im not sure about this guy,but im ok about it and aslong as it re emerges with the first film and in t5 they replace reese with a more lookalike actor,and folows the plot then im fine with it
March 19th, 2008 at 6:07 am
you are all a bunch of f’in gongs
March 19th, 2008 at 6:08 am
get a grip
March 19th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Wow, I think this is a pretty choice.
@ fanboy d: Maybe but Revolutions really really blew. Terminator came first.
Anyways its not like the whole man vs machine impetus was just picked off the tree by Cameron but he did bring it to its pinnacle with T2, I’d argue one of the bast damn action movies ever made. Its one of those ideas that doesn’t have an expiration date.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:46 am
I thought T2 was the best of the films and T3 was a botch job beyond belief.
I’m pumped for these, but I’m not going to hold my breath because planning a new trilogy is a huge undertaking and, if the first blows, then we’re doomed.
McG has shown he’s got some range with directing, but I live in Huntington, WV where they filmed “We Are Marshall” and when I met him, he was a really decent guy. He paid our town and our school a lot of respect, so despite the fact that he’s made some crap flicks, I’ve got a little more faith in him that I probably should, just based on personal experience.
However, Christian Bale, Yelchin, Worthington…they’ve got the arsenal. Let’s just wait and see if the have the tactics.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
“According to Terminator mythology, Reese was born after the first war…”
That may be the case before the TV show. The season finale actually had John meeting a teenage Kyle Reese in a park, ergo Reese was born long before any war. Unless the TV show takes place in an alternate reality from the movies…
March 19th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
The guys writing Terminator 4 are the same guys who wrote Terminator 3. And Catwoman.
It’s being directed by McG (Charlie’s Angels).
There is a very real chance that this will blow. Big time.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:56 am
haha, hell no.
This film sucks even for cable.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
From what I’ve heard, the TV series happens in an alternate timeline…. or something. Because a lot of the stuff in the TV seried ruins T3 continuity. Unless they do something really crazy at the end of the TV series and go back it time and stop the series from ever happening.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
i think it has a huge shot, give screen time to bale,good visuals by camerons famous company,and punch in a good storyline
March 19th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
No. Just…No.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
k why do people not look stuff up :o
new series is awesome I think atleast I consider it the offical Terminator 3 since that movie was utter shit
the first two are both awesome
the new show ignores the 3rd movie. the events of t2 postponed Judgement Day so Kyle is born before
March 21st, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Ok ok ok.. Until the part about Reese befriending a Terminator..
WHAT, am I reading this right???
Reese: Hi Mr Terminator, Im Reese..
Terminator: ZAP!!! .. Wow what a great, albeit short, movie… UGH,
Can we actually STICK to the original concept? Bad guy = terminator, good guy= human…
I mean Ill accept T2, it was a good movie.. but CMON folks…
Use the friggin ‘buring earth’ stories from Dark Horse.. or anything other than befriending Terminators
April 20th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I can only hope and pray when the series does finally have an end that it has the the actor who played Kyle Reese in the first terminator movie in it. Now that the movies have finally reached the future it only makes sense that it ends with HIM going back in time to save Sarah Connor. Wake up hollywood and let the Master JAMES CAMERON direct that one.
May 10th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I’m an African-American guy and even I have a problem with a Russian playing a character who is supposed to be All-American! This is ridiculous. All-Americans are the majority in this country… you’re telling me there isn’t ONE All-American actor in this country that they can hire to play Kyle Reese? I’m effectively angered beyond belief. First the lame-arse title and now this.