Dayo Okeniyi (maybe most recognizable to most as Thresh in The Hunger Games), has landed what could be the highest profile gig of his young acting career, playing what is being described as a star-making pivotal role as one of the leads in Terminator: Genesis, the reboot of the hit franchise, set up at Paramount Pictures and produced by Skydance Productions.
Okeniyi won the role over his competition for it, John Boyega; Both actors are said to have been the top 2 choices for the part.
Apparently, both Okeniyi and Boyega were also battling for a lead role in JJ Abrams Star Wars reboot; So with Okeniyi moving into Terminator: Genesis, could we maybe say that Boyega will indeed be in Star Wars then?
Per Deadline, Okeniyi will play Danny Dyson, son of the cyborg developer Miles Dyson (who you might recall was played by Joe Morton in Terminator 2: Judgment Day). Danny Dyson is described as a Steve Jobs-like tech genius character who figures heavily into the conclusion of the film. He holds the key to the technological development that makes Skynet possible.
Okeniyi joins Emilia Clarke is Sara Connor, Jason Clarke as her son John Connor, Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese, and Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as the cyborg. Alan Taylor is directing the film, which is set for a July 1, 2015 release.
This will be the first of a new trilogy of Terminator films, scheduled to begin shooting in Louisiana in the next couple of months.
Okeniyi recently co-starred opposite Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde in Universal’s Endless Love.
He also appeared in an indie coming-of-age drama titled The Spectacular Now, an adaptation of a novel by Tim Tharp, directed by James Ponsoldt (Smashed).
