'Transformers 3' Director Michael Bay Testing 3-D, Promises 'New Characters,' 'A Lot Of Twists'



Make no mistake, "Transformers 3" is coming. It might not have been the best film of 2009, but "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was a HUGE box office success and moviegoers are always game to see what director Michael Bay will blow up next and how big the explosion is.

Bay appeared on Starz' "In the House" last night and he spent a little time talking about the next installment of Paramount's toy-cartoon-comic book (and now movie) franchise. There had been rumblings around the industry that the filmmaker had plans to direct something before the next "Transformers," and he addressed that first.

"The true story is we went to Vegas to celebrate ['Revenge of the Fallen'] crossing the $400 million mark domestic. I said I'm excited to do my small little movie. They said, well we're here to talk about that. I've become friends with these guys that run Paramount and they [told me,] 'We're going to get fired if we don't have a 2011 franchise,' so I'm like you can't let these guys down."

"The economy's been so rough, it's kind of important. When you say yes to movie like this you automatically give 3000 people jobs. 1000 for the toys. 2000 for the filmmaking. I'm going to put [the small film] on hold and do it right after ['Transformers 3']."

So for now, Bay is focused on bringing us more of that Autobots vs. Decepticons conflict. When giant robots fight, Earth is the only guaranteed loser. But we audiences get to see tons of s--t explode, so it's cool. Bay's plans to keep things fresh include one simple idea: more.

"You can't just rehash the old," he explained. "We're adding a lot of new elements. We're adding new characters. We're adding a lot of twists." Characters? Twists? "Transformers" fans-- let your speculation begin!

Of course, it wouldn't be a chat about an upcoming effects-heavy blockbuster without some discussion of 3-D. Anyone who doesn't think "Avatar" changed the game needs to pay more attention: everyone's been talking about it, considering it, putting plans into action, Bay included.

"It's a process we're testing with some 'Transformers' scenes," he said. "How successful it is with my movie in terms of a lot of real stuff coming out of the frame, real dirt, real complicated little particles coming towards the lens, because hopefully that process will work. I've seen some tests that look great on other movies. I just want to see how it looks on my footage."

ShoWest: Transformers 3 Script Finished, Shooting This Summer



We caught up with Transformers star Josh Duhamel at ShoWest today, and he offered an update on the status of Transformers 3. In case you’re were wondering, it sounds like he’ll be in it.

What’s more Duhamel says he met with Michael Bay yesterday and the Transformers 3 script is now complete. They’re preparing to start filming it this summer. If Bay sticks to what he told us a few weeks ago, that should mean at some point this summer Duhamel and the Transformers cast will show up in Chicago and Moscow, where scenes from the film are slated to be shot. Chicago Blenditos: Beware of evil transforming robots.

Megan Fox Not Returning for Transformers 3

Earlier this month, Megan Fox was spotted doing previz shots for Transformers 3, but now Variety is reporting that she will not appear as Mikaela in the third installment after all.

Paramount Pictures reportedly decided not to pick up her option as the studio and director Michael Bay want to take the story line in another direction and plan to cast another actress as the love interest for Sam Witwicky, played by Shia LaBeouf. The trade says the decision "was unrelated to a September interview with a British magazine in which Fox compared Bay with Adolf Hitler."

The third installment is scheduled to hit theaters on July 1, 2011.

From Michael Bay's official site:

Nelson here...

I received this letter from crew members who've worked with Michael on Transformers. Below is their response to Megan Fox's recent comments in which she hurled insults at Michael Bay.

******

Nelson,

This is an open letter to all Michael Bay fans. We are three crew members that have worked with Michael for the past ten years. Last week we read the terrible article with inflammatory, truly trashing quotes by the Ms. Fox about Michael Bay. This letter is to set a few things straight.

Yes, Megan has great eyes, a tight stomach we spray with glycerin, and an awful silly Marilyn Monroe tattoo plastered on her arm that we cover up to keep the moms happy.

Michael found this shy, inexperienced girl, plucked her out of total obscurity thus giving her the biggest shot of any young actresses' life. He told everyone around to just trust him on his choice. He granted her the starring role in Transformers, a franchise that forever changed her life; she became one of the most googled and oogled women on earth. She was famous! She was the next Angelina Jolie, hooray! Wait a minute, two of us worked with Angelina – second thought – she’s no Angelina. You see, Angelia is a professional.

We know this quite intimately because we’ve had the tedious experience of working with the dumb-as-a-rock Megan Fox on both Transformers movies. We've spent a total of 12 months on set making these two movies.

We are in different departments; we can’t give our names because sadly doing so in Hollywood could lead to being banished from future Paramount work. One of us touches Megan’s panties, the other has the often shitty job of pulling Ms. Sour pants out of her trailer, while another is near the Panaflex camera that helps to memorialize the valley girl on film.

Megan has the press fooled. When we read those magazines we wish we worked with that woman. Megan knows how to work her smile for the press. Those writers should try being on set for two movies, sadly she never smiles. The cast, crew and director make Transformers a really fun and energetic set. We’ve traveled around the world together, so we have never understood why Megan was always such – the grump of the set?

When facing the press, Megan is the queen of talking trailer trash and posing like a porn star. And yes we’ve had the unbearable time of watching her try to act on set, and yes, it's very cringe-able. So maybe, being a porn star in the future might be a good career option. But make-up beware, she has a paragraph tattooed to her backside (probably due her rotten childhood) easily another 45 minutes in the chair!

So when the three of us caught wind of Ms Fox, pontificating yet again in some publication (like she actually has something interesting to say) blabbing her trash mouth about a director whom we three have grown to really like. She compared working with Michael, to “working with Hitler”. We actually don’t think she knows who Hitler is by the way. But we wondered how she doesn’t realize what a disgusting, fully uneducated comment this was? Well, here let’s get some facts straight.

Say what you want about Michael – yes at times he can be hard, but he's also fun, and he challenges everyone for a reason – he simply wants people to bring their ‘A’ game. He comes very prepared, knows exactly what he wants, involves the crew and expects everyone to follow through with his or her best, and that includes the actors. He’s one of the hardest working directors out there.

He gets the best from his crews, many of whom have worked with him for 15 years. And yes, he’s loyal, one of the few directors we’ve encountered who lowered his fee by millions to keep Transformers in the United States and California, so he could work with his own crew.

Megan says that Transformers was an unsafe set? Come on Megan, we know it is a bit more strenuous then the playground at the trailer park, but you don’t insult one of the very best stunt and physical effects teams in the business! Not one person got hurt!

And who is the real Megan Fox? She is very different than the academy nominee and winning actors we’ve all worked around. She’s as about ungracious a person as you can ever fathom. She shows little interest in the crew members around her. We work to make her look good in every way, but she's absolutely never appreciative of anyone’s hard work. Never a thank you. All the crewmembers have stopped saying hi to Ms. Princess because she never says hello back. It gets tiring. Many think she just really hates the process of being an actress.

Megan has been late to the sets many times. She goes through the motions that make her exude this sense of misery. We’ve heard the A.D’s piped over the radio that Megan won’t walk from her trailer until John Turturro walks first! John’s done seventy-five movies and she’s made two!

Never expect Megan to attend any of the 15 or so crew parties like all the other actors have. And then there's the classless night she blew off The Royal Prince of Jordan who made a special dinner for all the actors. She doesn’t know that one of the grips daughters wanted to visit their daddy’s work to meet Megan, but he wouldn’t let them come because he told them “she is not nice."

The press certainly doesn’t know her most famous line. On our first day in Egypt, the Egyptian government wouldn’t let us shoot because of a permit problem as the actors got ready in make up at the Four Seasons Hotel. Michael tried to make the best of it; he wanted to take the cast and crew on a private tour of the famous Giza pyramids. God hold us witness, Megan said, "I can’t believe Michael is f***ing forcing us to go to the f***ing pyramids!" I guess this is the “Hitler guy” she is referring to.

So this is the Megan Fox you don’t get to see. Maybe she will learn, but we figure if she can sling insults, then she can take them too. Megan really is a thankless, classless, graceless, and shall we say unfriendly b****. It's sad how fame can twist people, and even sadder that young girls look up to her. If only they knew who they're really looking up to.

But ‘Fame’ is fleeting. We, being behind the scenes, seen em’ come and go. Hopefully Michael will have Megatron squish her character in the first ten minutes of Transformers 3. We can tell you that will make the crew happy!

-Loyal Transformers Crew

Gemma Arterton Replacing Megan Fox in Transformers 3?



With the news that Megan Fox is not returning for Transformers 3, speculation has already begun about who may replace her in the now coveted role. After the news hit earlier today, TheWrap posted an interesting bit:

"Prince of Persia" star Gemma Arterton is the front-runner to replace Megan Fox in "Transformers 3," TheWrap has learned.

An individual close to the casting process says the actress has already had discussions with Bay about the coveted role. Other possible replacements for Fox include models Bar Rafaeli, Miranda Kerr and Brooklyn Decker.

Sauce: http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/exclusiv...formers-3-17549

The hawt mama from Clash of the Titans is replacing Megan F*** yo!