by Larry Richman
March 23, 2008 11:02 PM

I've been grappling with a bit of a dilemma. It shouldn't be news to most people who pay attention to the latest film industry chatter, especially to anyone following the career of Anton Yelchin, that the Internet has been awash in stories about his being cast as Kyle Reese in the forthcoming Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins with Christian Bale as John Connor.

Some people have looked here and been surprised that it hasn't been mentioned. Well, for one, I haven't joined the fray because he was still reported to be "in negotiations," according to the article which broke the news in The Hollywood Reporter and, for reasons I won't go into here, I prefer not to comment on actors being cast until the filmmakers or publicists officially announce it.

I haven't yet seen anything from a source I can trust which states that the deal has been completed, although a lot of the reports confuse "in talks" with "has signed" with "is going to star in." There is a difference but many writers don't recognize that distinction. At any rate, that's why I haven't said anything even though the press surrounding this has just been overwhelming.

But people who follow this blog know that I have closely followed Anton's career for several years. We covered the World Premieres of both Alpha Dog at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and Charlie Bartlett at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as Fierce People at the 2006 Woodstock Film Festival. We were among the first to post reviews of all three films. We also posted exclusive pictures and video of Anton at the Q&As he attended. All three films have been among my Top Picks of the past several years and I've followed their progress here from first screening to theatrical release to DVD as extensively and in-depth as anyone in the industry. A brief glance back at the posts here will show this to be true.

Which brings us to my dilemma surrounding Anton's apparently being cast in T4, as it's affectionately being called, and this isn't the first time I've wrestled with this. Since I focus almost exclusively on indies, Anton's role in Star Trek was something I heralded but did not report on beyond the initial announcements. It's a dichotomy that lovers of independent film have to deal with when they are also championing the careers of the actors who do them. It happened with Emile Hirsch after he was cast in Speed Racer and it's happening now with Michael Angarano in The Forbidden Kingdom. Do I report on the progress of these films even though they really don't fit the definition of what most people would call "true indies?"

I certainly don't want to turn my back on the actors whose work I admire. I have little doubt all the aforementioned still have independent films in their future and have not "sold out" to Hollywood. Think of Johnny Depp as a model. But I've got mixed feelings about devoting time to this story. Nobody is happier for Anton than this reporter. But, as a blog which focuses on independent films, I'm not sure how much space we should devote to it. For now, kudos and congrats to Anton. Nobody deserves it more. And I really mean that.