Transformers (film)
| Transformers | |
|---|---|
| File:TF TeaserPoster1.jpg | |
| Directed by | Michael Bay |
| Written by | Alex Kurtzman Roberto Orci John Rogers |
| Produced by | Tom DeSanto Don Murphy Lorenzo di Bonaventura Steven Spielberg |
| Starring | Shia LaBeouf |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks / Paramount / UIP |
Release dates | July 4, 2007 (USA), (Canada) |
| Language | English |
Transformers is a live action film based on the popular Transformers franchise and toy line. The film has a projected release date of July 4, 2007 and is currently filming. The feature is being directed by Michael Bay with Steven Spielberg acting as the executive producer. The official announcement of the project was made at Comic-Con International in July 2005. The Transformers characters are expected to be CGI. Filming officially commenced on May 29,2006.
Transformers is a joint collaboration among DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures, and Hasbro, Inc. DreamWorks is the domestic distributor, while Paramount (through its joint venture with Universal Studios, United International Pictures) will handle the international release. Hasbro will take an active role in the film's production, along with its promotion and merchandise tie-ins, and in fact this is part of a deal between Hasbro and Paramount (which, like DreamWorks, is owned by Viacom).
Plot details
Writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci said that the storyline will not be based upon the original Generation 1 series, but will feature many of the original characters.
Director Michael Bay recently revealed on his official forum that these are "codenames" for the actual characters set to appear in the film. The real names will not be revealed until the toy boxes are printed [1]. However, there is strong suspicion among many fans that this is simply a ruse.
On April 23, 2006, Ain't It Cool News posted an interview with Bay that took place at the director's offices in Los Angeles [2]. Amongst the subjects covered included confirmation of Scorponok's existence in the film, a chase scene featuring Optimus Prime and an unidentified Decepticon truck, and the fact that Prime's faceplate would be retractable so that his mouth would be visible. The subjects most heavily stressed, however, were the advanced kinematics and realistic engineering of the Transformers themselves. Arcee, who was originally announced to be among the ten, has since been announced to be removed, for "story purposes."
If recent live-action films are an indication, the film will likely include a fair amount of CGI.
Transformers on screen
An official list of Transformers slated to appear in the movie has yet to surface. Director Michael Bay has stated on his personal message boards that with the exception of Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, and Starscream, they cannot reveal the names of any other Transformers appearing in the movie until Hasbro has movie merchandise prepared.[3] Indeed, many of the Transformer names found in an early script that was leaked were confirmed by both Bay as being placeholder names. Among the Transformers that have been hinted at by Murphy and found in the leaked script are:
- A beat-up Chevrolet Camaro as Bumblebee (the sighting of both an older-model Camaro and a Saleen-modified concept Camaro suggests that Bumblebee will get an upgrade at some point during the movie).
- A military mine-clearing vehicle named Bonecrusher (the sighting of a large military vehicle marked “Bonecrusher” seems to confirm that this will be the final name for this Transformer).
- A Decepticon police car named Brawl (the sighting of a Saleen-modified Ford Mustang police car on the set confirms this).
- A large tank named Devastator (an on-set sighting of a modified tank with two different turrets seems to confirm this, though Bay specifically used this one as an example for a script-name that isn't the real one).
- A mechanical scorpion appropriately named Scorponok (mentioned in an interview with director Michael Bay on Ain’t It Cool News; a newspaper article in the Northwest Florida Daily News confirms a scene between the military and a large mechanical scorpion).
- A Special Ops helicopter that can deploy “minions”. Originally slated to be Soundwave after early CG cinematics were shown at San Diego Comic Con in 2005, fan outcry over his new alt mode may have changed Soundwave’s alt mode and role in the movie.
- A fire rescue vehicle (not necessarily a fire engine) named Ratchet (was mentioned during pre-production by Murphy several times; it is unknown if Ratchet survived to the final script).
- Fan-favorite Jazz was hinted at as being one of the main Autobot characters early in development by Don Murphy. It’s unknown if Jazz is still in the final script.
- Cybertronian forms and alt modes as well as Cybertron itself are hinted at making an appearance in the movie.
Autobots
Decepticons
Production history
Producer Don Murphy has stated that he wishes the original voice cast of the animated series to reprise their roles, especially Frank Welker and Peter Cullen as Megatron and Optimus Prime, respectively. The logic to this is that a famous name makes no difference to the one half demographic which is children, while retaining the original voice cast would please the fans. New voice talent is all but guaranteed, since several original voice actors such as Scatman Crothers (Jazz's voice actor) and Chris Latta (Starscream's voice actor) are deceased. Jon Voight has recently been confirmed as playing Secretary of State "Keller" alongside the already-cast Shia LaBeouf as "Spike" and Megan Fox as "Mikaela," the love interest, and Kevin Dunn as "Spark Plug," Spike's dad.
Murphy negotiated the rights with Hasbro for a Transformers film. He then brought on DeSanto who had worked on X-Men. The two were turned down by every studio, since the heads of those studios were too old to remember the property. Eventually Mike DeLuca at DreamWorks "got the property" and bought it.
Confirmed
| Actor | Role | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Main Characters | ||
| Shia LaBeouf | Sam ("Spike") Witwicky | [4] |
| Jon Voight | Secretary of State ("Keller") | [5] |
| Megan Fox | Mikaela | [6] |
| Josh Duhamel | Lennox | [7] |
| Kevin Dunn | Sparkplug Witwicky | [8] |
| Bernie Mac | Bobby Bolivia | [9] |
| John Turturro | Simmons | [10] |
| Travis Van Winkle | Trent | [11] |
| Tyrese Gibson | Epps | [12] |
| Anthony Anderson | Allsparkor Thedouche | [13] |
Initial cast
It has said that along with the most popular Transformers characters, there is a possibility of some new characters created for the film.
Production
ILM is producing CGI models. Principal photography began on May 22, 2006. Bay had originally confirmed a teaser trailer and teaser poster would be released on July 4, 2006, however, the poster (above) was released at the time the teaser site went live. The teaser trailer was released on June 29, 2006 at both the Transformers teaser website, as well as on Michael Bay's website.
Two Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey helicopters (of only three in the United States Air Force inventory) were filmed in flight at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, on May 26 for the film. Other military aircraft are also being filmed at Holloman and at nearby White Sands Missile Range.
As of June 9th, filming was onsite at the Hoover Dam with several vehicles and military helicopters.
Trivia
- Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight worked together in Holes.
- Bumblebee's robot mode has been constructed on set as well created as a CGI model. [1]
- This will be the Transformers' first return big screen movie after just over two decades. The last Transformers feature was Transformers: The Movie, released in 1986.
- The first teaser trailer was released on the internet on June 29, 2006 on the official website and Michael Bay's official website. Mars was where most of the action took place, and this caused some suspicion with fans. Bay assures fans that none of the film will take place on Mars.
- The very same teaser trailer mentioned above was actually meant to be released online on July 4--exactly a year before the actual movie's release--as suggested by a timer that was on the teaser site before the trailer's release. However, an intentional leak by an unknown source of the teaser onto popular website YouTube prompted decisions by the studio to officially release the teaser the same day.
References
- Transformers Touchdown In 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2005.
- Is Transformers Happening?. Retrieved July 17, 2005.
- Concept Chevrolet Camaro From the Transformers Movie
- New Chevy Camaro to star in Transformers Movie