UPDATE: This story has gotten even juicier. Click here for news they may shoot Transformers 4 and 5 back-to-back and Jason Statham may potentially star.
Transformers franchise star Shia LaBeouf told the “Los Angeles Times” back in June and just before Transformers: Dark of the Moon hit theaters, he would not be returning for Transformers 4 should another movie be made.
“When you’re a racehorse and you’ve got 20 trainers, all the trainers want the racehorse to run a certain way,” LaBeouf said. “I’ve been running for a team of people for a long time and I don’t take any of it back… I’ve learned a great deal about a certain type of filmmaking. But I have ambitions toward another type of filmmaking that I haven’t been allowed to engage in yet.”
He continued the thought with MTV saying, “I just don’t think right now there’s anywhere to take Sam [Witwicky]… [and] it’s not that I don’t enjoy working with Michael [Bay]. I love working with Michael. I would do any movie Michael wants to do. I just don’t think there’s anywhere to take [the Transformers 4] with Sam.”
As for director Michael Bay, he has already said he plans on doing Pain & Gain next, a smaller budget film based on a “Miami New Times” article (read here) about a couple of criminal bodybuilders involved in an extortion ring and a kidnapping plot. However, he’s been talking about doing that movie since before September 2009 when it was thought he might make that before returning for Transformers 3.
Bay did tell MTV back in February, however, Dark of the Moon was his last film saying, “[Transformers 3] does have an end, yes… because I am finished doing this.” But is he?
A new report from Deadline quotes Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner saying during his company’s third-quarter earnings conference call that the toy maker is in “active discussions” with Paramount, Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg about a fourth Transformers. He adds, “Hopefully I’ll have more news for you next quarter.”
Obviously, with a franchise that has grossed over $1.07 billion domestically and over $2.66 billion worldwide it only makes sense to make another one. Does it mean they have to return with Bay? Not at all if you ask me. In my opinion, any commercial director could churn out a similar film and not require as much money to retain them and honestly I don’t see Bay doing this. I know people like to clown on Michael Bay, because he is an easy target, but I just can’t see the guy dedicating another two years of his life to a Transformers flick.
Goldner certainly wants Bay back, telling MTV back in February, “I would say to you right now that I’ve so enjoyed working with Michael Bay. [He] has got this incredible visual sense for showing you things you’ve never seen before. Perhaps he’ll change his mind, perhaps he won’t, but I’d rather put out [Transformers: Dark of the Moon] first then cross that bridge at some point.”
Sounds like they are attempting to cross the bridge, but my guess is Bay will only remain attached as a producer and possibly take on something of a mentor role, the same as Christopher Nolan is doing with Zack Snyder on the new Superman feature, Man of Steel.
