Common joins Terminator: Salvation

Rapper-turned-actor Common has been slowly notching up the film appearances – he’ll next be seen in Wanted this summer- and now he’s leapt on board the Terminator franchise.

He’ll play a supporting role in the film, which started shooting this week and already stars Christian Bale as John Connor, fighting the machines for the survival of humanity. Variety has the casting info.

But the trade mag is also reporting that producers Halcyon are aiming to produce a PG-13 Terminator with this latest instalment. Which means that as the story reaches what promises to be its most violent point, the war will seem rather more bloodless than we might expect. And while they’re pointing to the widespread appeal and marketing possibilities, we remember the torrent of merchandising that followed the distinctly higher rated T2. Oh well – maybe The Dark Knight will showcase a new, envelope-shoving example of the lower rating…