Anton Yelchin's Parents Take Out Ad in Hollywood Reporter

Anton Yelchin's parents have taken out a full page ad in The Hollywood Reporter, to thank well wishers and others for their comforting thoughts during this difficult time. The 27 year old actor died in a car crash involving ugly his vehicle, June 19th.

Yelchin's parents, Irina and Viktor, took out a full-page ad in the July 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter to show their gratitude to those who've comforted them in recent weeks.

"Thank you to all of you who have sent flowers and gifts, for your condolences and kind words and to all who came to celebrate the life of our dear son, Anton," it says. "We are deeply grateful for your unconditional love... He would be surprised at how many hearts and souls he touched. Thank you very much."

The accident pinned Yelchin between his Jeep Grand Cherokee and a brick gate wall, just outside of his Los Angeles home. The car model had previously been recalled due to transmission issues.

Yelchin completed work on a few projects prior to his death, Star Trek Beyond, in theaters July 22, among them. He reprises the role of Pavel Chekov, whom he played in two prior franchise films.

Meanwhile, with all of the major cast members' contracts up after "Star Trek Beyond," the fate of the franchise probably depended on the box office returns of "Star Trek Beyond." But that was before Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in the last three "Star Trek" films, died in a horrific car crash in his driveway on June 19, clouding the future even further.

"Obviously right now the idea of going on without Anton is inconceivable," says Simon Pegg. "But I'm certain that Paramount would want the story to go on and if so, we'd have to find a way and it certainly would not involve recasting that character. That can not happen."

Director Justin Lin says the actors and filmmakers have struggled to proceed with the press tour for the film.

Born to a Russian Jewish family in Leningrad, Yelchin relocated to the United States as an infant. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television roles and the Hollywood films Along Came a Spider and Hearts in Atlantis (both 2001). His role as Jacob Clarke in the Steven Spielberg miniseries Taken was significant in furthering his career as a child actor.

He later appeared on the television series Huff and appeared in the films Terminator Salvation (2009), Charlie Bartlett (2007), Fright Night (2011), Like Crazy (2011), The Smurfs (2011), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) and Green Room (2015). He appears in Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and will appear posthumously in Star Trek Beyond (2016).

Early in the morning of June 19, 2016, Yelchin was found by friends pinned between his Jeep Grand Cherokee and a brick pillar outside his home in Studio City, California, in what was described as a "freak accident." He was pronounced dead later that day at the age of 27.