According to the Hollywood trades, Anton Yelchin, who played Ensign Chekov in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, has signed on to play Dean Koontz’ short order cook/psychic detective Odd Thomas, who is able not only to see dead people but also to sort out their murders, in a movie that will be directed by Stephen Sommers (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra).

With the next Star Trek movie still in the “writing phase,” Yelchin should have time for the Odd Thomas project. Koontz has written three Odd Thomas novels and has plans for three more. Del Rey has published two graphic novel prequels, In Odd We Trust and Odd Is On Our Side, both of which have done very well in the bookstore market. Obviously an Odd Thomas movie would drive sales of both the prose fiction and graphic novels.