Could Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins aka Terminator Salvation aka Terminator 4, or whatever it's going to be called when it's finally released, actually be any good?

Well the addition of Helena Bonham Carter, if that rumour does turn out to be true, and the latest words from Christian Bale might just point that way, as he is now saying that he initially turned away from the idea, until he heard the story.

Another Terminator from the Director McG hasn't been a promising idea. The series took a downward turn with the third and this line up didn't look like it had more potential. However there was the fact that John Connor was going to be played by Christian Bale, and you couldn't imagine him just taking any role, it's not even as though he needs the cash.

Through Sci Fi Wire he reveals that he doesn't want to do it unless they can do it right:

"There's no point in making it if we don't achieve this: ... Reinventing that mythology, and there's a great deal of potential for that, and that is what I'm attempting to do. Anything less than that would be us failing."

More importantly he goes on to say that they all have a responsibility to the franchise to make it right, and those are promising words. Of course, with my cynical head on, he's now signed up to perform a role and so he's going to sell it isn't he?

Then there's the rumour today that Helena Bonham Carter might well be interested in taking up a pivotal role in the film - another pivotal role - one that is short, but plays an important part. I wonder if she might be playing the role of his mother in flashbacks, or even perhaps Kate Brewster?

Other roles already lined up are Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese, Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright - who I already wrote about and the huge plot reveal there - Moon Bloodgood as Blair Williams, Common as Barnes and Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Connor taking over from Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Yes there are other rumours, but those are the bigger confirmations so far, and that list looks pretty good to me.

The question is will the story hold up to the promise of these characters, or has the investment been in a few big names to cover up a sub-standard Terminator script such as the last one? Perhaps there really is something strong here and McG is going to surprise us all.