Anton Yelchin to Star in Stephen Sommers' 'Odd Thomas'

Even though Anton Yelchin is closing in on the youthful age of 22, I've always felt he's one of the best, young actors working today.  Sure, he's done commercial fluff (Star Trek, Terminator Salvation) that he's handled very well, but his work in smaller films has really shown in true talent (Alpha Dog, Charlie Bartlett).  Not to mention, he seems to have a good head on his shoulders so he's not going all Charlie Sheen anytime soon.

With that said, Shock Till You Drop is reporting that Yelchin has signed on to star in Stephen Sommers' adaptation of Dean Koontz's novel, Odd Thomas.

Yelchin would play the main character, Odd, who, though is just an ordinary man, has the ability to communicate with the dead.  This extraordinary gift leads him on a path to use his abilities to prevent a mass catastrophe that threatens everyone and everything close to him.

Sommers (who recently dropped out of directing G.I. Joe 2...or was he given the boot?) is currently in pre-production on the film which is set to start filming later this year.  Hopefully he can tone down the special effects and actually make a quality film.  An actor of Yelchin's talent deserves it.

Full synopsis for Koontz's Odd Thomas below [via Amazon]:

Adult/High School-Odd Thomas is just that. He works as a fry cook in the fictional California town of Pico Mundo. Should he ever leave that position, he sees a future in selling tires or shoes. What he lacks in ambition, he makes up for with a special gift. He communes with and sees the dead, some of whom enlist his help in avenging their deaths from foul play. His gift is a secret from everyone except his beautiful girlfriend and the Chief of Police, who never questions Odd's tips, advice, or presence at a murder scene. The man sees "bodachs" as well, small, evil creatures, fluid in shape, that feed upon horrific acts of carnage. He is horrified to see hordes of them gathering in his town. He spots a weird looking stranger in whom the bodachs appear very interested, nicknames him Fungus Man, and rightly assumes that he is involved in the impending disaster. Breaking into the man's house, Odd finds a mysterious black room, a shrine to serial killers, and a page from a calendar that tells him the date of the planned event. Now it's a race against time to foil the plot.