Transformers

Watch a Sneak Peek of the Super Bowl Commercial for TRANSFORMERS: THE RIDE – 3D

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 1st, 2012 at 11:18 am

Yep. Yet another trailer for a trailer that’s set to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday. This tease is for the new Transformers: The Ride – 3D that’s opening in May at Universal Studios Hollywood. The trailer is the very definition of a “tease”, but I was completely unaware of this ride until this tease was released. The ride “will tell a new Transformers story using original, photo-realistic 3D-HD media, sophisticated special effects masterminded by Indstrial Light & Magic, and one of the most elaborate roaming flight simulator ride systems ever created.” I’m assuming the ride will be along the lines of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Orlando. I have ridden that, and it’s pretty damn cool. Universal has been keen on the immersive effects-heavy motion rides in recent years, as both The Mummy and the central Harry Potter ride at Universal Orlando use similar technology.

Hit the jump to check out the teaser. During the full spot, which will air during the Super Bowl pre-game coverage, fans will be instructed to enlist at PrepareForBattle.com, which will kick off a viral campaign leading up to the ride’s opening in May.

Exclusive Key Art from TRANSFORMERS PRIME Season Two

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 7:01 pm

We’re happy to bring our readers an exclusive first look at key art from the upcoming second season of Transformers Prime. The animated series highlights the battle between archrivals Optimus Prime and Megatron as they fight for the future of Earth. The second season of the show finds the Autobots and Decepticons uncovering clues relating to secret artifacts. Hit the jump to check out the key art. Season two of Transformers Primes premieres on February 18th on The Hub.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks MAN ON A LEDGE, LAST STAND, and FIVE AGAINST THE BULLET; Confirms RED 2 and TRANSFORMERS 4

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 8:08 am

Since his days as president of production at Warner Bros., producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura had wanted to turn the script for Man on a Ledge into a film. He felt there was an inherent drama to the idea and saw it as a movie where things keep turning on themselves. There was something gripping about the idea of a man on a ledge and whether he was going to jump or not. What attracted him to the script was the potential for impending catastrophe and the possibility for a strong interactivity between the guy on the ledge and the people down below on the ground.

We sat down with di Bonaventura at a roundtable interview recently to talk about how he came aboard to help produce this film. He told us about the similarities Man on a Ledge shares with Red, why it’s dangerous to make movies that have disparate tones, why he would not have made the project without Sam Worthington, and why he enjoys making both smaller, intimate films like this and huge, spectacular films like Transformers. He also confirmed there will be a Red 2 and a Transformers 4, discussed his Arnold Schwarzenegger project, Last Stand, which South Korean director Jee-woon Kim is currently filming, and revealed his plans to make a Western with Bruce Willis entitled Five Against the Bullet.

Details and Cover Art for 4-Disc 3D Blu-ray of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 27th, 2011 at 10:24 am

Transformers: Dark of the Moon will get a second Blu-ray release in the new year, with a 4-disc Ultimate Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, and DVD combo pack due on January 31, 2012.  Director Michael Bay promises:

“This Blu-ray 3D of Dark of the Moon will blow you away.  If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get a 3D television, this is it.”

Additionally, if you are willing and able to spring for the 7-disc set with the whole Transformers trilogy, you receive a plaque of movie images signed by Mr. Bay.  The 4-disc set has nearly 4 hours of bonus features; the 7-disc set offers more than 10 hours.  Hit the jump for the full rundown on what to expect, plus cover art.

TOP 5: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Movie Stars Portray Famous Movie Villains, TRANSFORMERS 4, QUANTUM OF SOLACE Script Problems, Kathleen Kennedy Talks JURASSIC PARK 4, TINTIN, More

by Jason Barr    Posted: December 10th, 2011 at 12:40 pm

I think there’s something to be said for coming to your own conclusions. Case in point: I may currently be at odds with 77% of the Rotten Tomatoes critic community when I say this, but I found The Sitter to be worthy of my box office dollars. Was it the best comedy I’ve ever seen? Not even close. Was it the best comedy I’ve seen in the past six months? Nope. That said, I had been looking forward to the pic over the course of covering it for this site. When the critical negativity began pouring in, I could have easily passed on the film as a result (something I’ve been guilty of in the past). Instead, I decided to check it out and I laughed (quite a bit, actually). So, what’s the moral of my story? If you want to see a movie, go see it. Don’t let poor reviews detour you from something you think you may enjoy. Use reviews as a foundation for healthy debate rather than as an excuse to not give something a chance because someone else didn’t like it.

All ranting aside, in this week’s “Top 5″ installment, you’ll be able to read all about The Dark Knight Rises and its IMAX prologue, viral campaign, and potential IMAX footage runtime. You can also see George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Rooney Mara and more portraying classic movie “villains” of their choice, get up to date on Michael Bay potentially returning to direct Transformers 4, Daniel Craig discussing the script problems that plagued Quantum of Solace, and producer Kathleen Kennedy talking Jurassic Park 4, Tintin, Lincoln, and Robopocalypse. Check out a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

Michael Bay Returning to Direct TRANSFORMERS 4; Could Start Filming in Winter 2012 [UPDATED]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 6th, 2011 at 6:10 pm

Well that didn’t take long at all. Surrounding the release of Tranformers: Dark of the Moon was Michael Bay’s assurance that after helming all three flicks in the trilogy, he was done with the franchise. Cut to Dark of the Moon making a kajillion dollars for Paramount, and rumors began swirling that Bay might come back. The director denied any involvement and maintained that he was focused on making his “smaller” movie Pain and Gain. Just yesterday we reported that Bay is in talks with Dwayne Johnson to star in the $20 million dark comedy, and Bay seemed on track to move away from the robot series. Cut to today and now comes word that Bay will indeed be returning for the fourth Transformers film. Hit the jump for more.

[Update: Bay has commented on this report.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.]

Steven Spielberg Talks Michael Bay Returning for TRANSFORMERS 4; Plus an Update on INDIANA JONES 5

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 2nd, 2011 at 3:56 pm

Director Steven Spielberg has two very different movies coming out this holiday season. One is a fun, animated action-adventure (The Adventures of Tintin), while the other is a very serious drama about World War I (War Horse). In anticipation of the release of those films, The Beard recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly. His full interview will run in the latest issue, but the director made some comments regarding Michael Bay returning for a fourth Transformers pic and gave an update on Indiana Jones 5, both of which are now available. In addition, he addressed recent discouraging comments he made about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Hit the jump to see what he had to say. 

TOP 5: TRANSFORMERS 4 and 5, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, THE THREE MUSKETEERS Interviews, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, William Monahan on SIN CITY 2 and More

by Jason Barr    Posted: October 22nd, 2011 at 11:11 am

I’m writing to you this week in full “World Series Mode.” While there are plenty of things going on around the Midwest this time of year (homemade haunted houses are always a welcomed annual treat), a majority of my focus is on trying to will my beloved Cardinals to Fall Classic glory. Combine that with the fact that Batman: Arkham City is consistently calling my name and it’s a wonder that I’m even writing this right now. Hold on, what’s that, Arkham City? Okay, okay…I’ll be there in a second…

…In this week’s installment, you’ll find talk of Transformers 4 and Transformers 5 shooting back-to-back with Jason Statham potentially starring, a six-minute prologue for The Dark Knight Rises being attached to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol‘s IMAX release, interviews with director Paul W.S. Anderson and the cast of The Three Musketeers, David Fincher and Rooney Mara talking about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and William Monahan discussing projects including London Boulevard, The Departed sequel, Sin City 2 and more. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

Michael Bay Denies Involvement with TRANSFORMERS 4 and 5; Hopes to Shoot PAIN AND GAIN Next

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 19th, 2011 at 10:12 am

Just a couple days ago, it was reported that Paramount was in discussions with producer Steven Spielberg and director Michael Bay to return for Transformers 4 and 5 which they are considering shooting back-to-back. The news was a little strange, as Bay had previously declared that Transformers: Dark of the Moon would be his last outing with the robot franchise (Shia LaBeouf said he was done as well). Now Bay is setting the record straight, as he confirms on the Shoot for the Edit message boards (via Tformers) that he’s not involved with the next two Transformers films at all:

“I am currently not talking to Paramount on T4 and T5 despite reports. I’m looking at a lot of possibilities coming my way right now weighing options. Most likely going to be doing the low budget Pain and Gain, a true story crime thriller. It’s a very quick shoot and quite funny. Also just finishing the 3 disc set of the Transformer trilogy.”

Pain and Gain is, of course, the low budget passion project that Bay has been itching to take on for quite some time now. So folks can rest easy that another director will be given the keys to the billion-dollar toy franchise, and we’ll be seeing a new iteration of Transformers within the next few years (possibly starring Jason Statham?).

TRANSFORMERS 4 and 5 to Shoot Back-to-Back; Jason Statham May Star

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 6:24 pm

In a down economy, everyone is looking for unique ways to save a few million dollars. When you have a billion dollar franchise like Hasbro’s Transformers, every million counts. Noting the rising costs of special effects, advanced planning for marketing tie-ins and laborious contract negations, Paramount is considering shooting the fourth and fifth installments back-to-back. Hasbro CEO announced at the company’s third quarter earnings conference that they were actively discussing this strategy with Paramount, director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg. With Shia LaBeouf not returning, this frees up some room for a new face of the franchise…perhaps, Jason Statham?

Hit the jump for more on Transformers 4 and 5.

Updates on TRANSFORMERS 4, MICRONAUTS, and Other Hasbro Boardgame Movies like RISK, CLUE, and MONOPOLY

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 7:46 am

On a conference call to discuss third-quarter earnings, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner gave updates on a number of movies. While much of what he said we’ve previously written about, this was the first time anyone had given an update on the status of Transformers 4 and when it might be officially announced.  Here’s the highlights of his conversation:

• Goldner hopes to be able to announce Transformers 4 next quarter as they are talking with Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay and Paramount.
• The Ouija script is “in good shape and is being polished now, meaning that the film could be back with a studio shortly.”  via THR.  We previously posted how Universal dropped the project but maybe with a lower budget the film could move ahead.
• A Micronauts movie script is being written with J.J. Abrams producing and it’s set up at Paramount.  We’ve know this for awhile.
• Goldner doesn’t see Hasbro producing their own films like Marvel.
• Hasbro is still developing movie scripts for Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Stretch Armstrong and Candyland.

With every kid growing up playing Hasbro board games and name recognition being so important in marketing, it’s no surprise the studios are trying to make these projects work.  However, many of these board games seem like long shots to ever hit the screen.  The big info is Transformers 4.  With Bay saying the 3rd Transformers movie would be his last, who will Hasbro get to replace him?  Matt wrote about the six directors who could take over the franchise.  I think a few of them would be great choices.

Paramount Announces Remastered IMAX 3D Re-Release for TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 22nd, 2011 at 7:56 pm

Did you miss a chance to see Transformers: Dark of the Moon on IMAX in its initial run?  No, you did not.  It has made over $1.1 billion.  Still, if Michael Bay did one thing right (and that may be the case), it was the production of a truly IMAX-worthy spectacle.  Consequently, Paramount has decided to re-release Transformers 3 in 246 North American IMAX theaters from August 26-September 8.  Even better:

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon: An IMAX 3D Experience has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology for presentation in IMAX 3D.”

I couldn’t tell you exactly what all that means, but I imagine the trademarked remastering process will take a pretty awesome experience and make it marginally better.  Are you in?

PSA Sunday: Don’t Bike At Night Without Reflectors

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 17th, 2011 at 5:25 am

With news being slow on the weekends, a few weeks ago I started a column called PSA Sunday.  As you can probably deduce from the title, every Sunday we post a PSA featuring TV or movie characters and/or a celebrity telling you not to do something.  The first few weeks focused on vintage Star Wars PSA’s (the Cantina aliens in a “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk” campaign, C3P0 and R2D2 talking about the dangers of whooping cough, C3PO and R2D2 warning you about smoking) Clint Eastwood telling you not to do crack cocaine, and the Transformers warning kids about running away from home.

For this weekend’s PSA, we’ve got the Transformers telling you not to bike at night without reflectors.  Hit the jump to watch.

TOP 5: Potential TRANSFORMERS Directors, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Set Visit, STAR TREK Video Game, THE HOBBIT, Guillermo del Toro and Katie Holmes Video Interview

by Jason Barr    Posted: July 9th, 2011 at 3:42 pm

With the weekly “Top 5″ feature now in full-swing, I feel obliged to remind readers that these are indeed meant to synthesize what we perceive as our top five pieces into a recap article. We do this with the hopes that readers will not miss out on some of the best stuff we have to offer on a weekly basis. This in mind, if you are an extremely loyal visitor (for which, we say a sincere “thank you”) who is 100% positive that you’ve read all we have to offer, the recaps may seem somewhat redundant. The best remedy for such redundancy is to steer clear of the jump. Otherwise…

…In this week’s “Top 5″ you’ll find us musing on which director might take over the Transformers franchise, our Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows set visit and video blog, our take on the next Star Trek video game acting as canon, the first look at Nori, Ori, and Dori in The Hobbit, and Steve’s video interview with Guillermo del Toro and Katie Holmes. Hit the jump for brief recaps and links to each.

Exclusive: Tyrese Gibson Talks TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, FAST FIVE and FAST SIX, Music, Twitter, His Book, More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 5th, 2011 at 6:55 pm

Shortly before Transformers: Dark of the Moon was released, I got the chance to speak with Tyrese Gibson on the phone.  Since I hadn’t yet seen the film, I couldn’t ask specific questions about the plot or his character.  However, since I was able to visit the editing room earlier this year, where I also saw about 15 minutes of the film before its release, I knew enough about the story and the insane Chicago action sequence that we had plenty to discuss.  In addition, Gibson talked about Fast Five and Fast Six, filming Transformers in 3D, if he has the desire to direct, how he ended up writing a bestselling book (How to Get Out of Your Own Way), his new album Open Invitation, Twitter, and a lot more.  Hit the jump for the audio and transcript.

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design