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.
News of the “rolling shoot” strategy by Paramount and Hasbro comes by way of Variety, whose sources say there may very well be two films headed into production instead of one. The tactic has worked before, going as far back as The Matrix: Reloaded and Revolutions to the divide-and-conquer approach of the final film of both the Harry Potter and Twilight series. (Director Justin Lin’s Fast Six and Fast Seven may be headed down the same path). This strategy pays off in a number of ways, which I will attempt to break down.
Creatively, everyone can get on the same page and develop a plot treatment for two films at one time. Screenwriter Ehren Kruger (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers: Dark of the Moon) is reported to have ideas that are in lockstep with the studio, but has only just begun creative meetings with writers. Michael Bay, who is currently only slated as an executive producer with Spielberg, is said to have interest in directing if he can have some time to work on his passion-project Pain and Gain. Bay is also a creative consultant on Transformers: The Ride 3D which opens at Universal Studios Hollywood next spring. Planning two films without a break would be easier on everyone’s schedules.
Contractually, getting cast and crew on board for two films would save time and money over renegotiating between shoots. One familiar face of the franchise is definitely out, as Shia LaBeouf has stepped aside. This frees Paramount up to put a new stamp on the franchise and allows the writers to take more liberties with plot lines. The aforementioned Jason Statham has been on the radar, but no offer is on the table as of yet.
Lastly, the marketing advantage to planning two films consecutively is money in the bank for Hasbro and Paramount. The toymaker has made over $1 billion in toy sales alone from just the first two movies. Hasbro reported a 10% rise in profits from one year ago, due in large part to the Transformers tie-in sales. Although the company has plans to make feature films from some of its other products such as Micronauts, Candyland, Risk, Stretch Armstrong, Clue, Monopoly, Ouija and Battleship, there is no desire to turn into a Marvel Studios-type filmmaker. CEO Goldner seems content to do the toymaking while studios continue to do the filmmaking. If you ask me, it’s worked pretty well so far.
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Thank God! Shitty LeBeef ruins everything he’s in. The worst part of the Transformers films was Shitty LeDouche, everything else was dope!
NOOOOOOOOO NOT MICHAEL BAY!!!!
3 Transformers films with Bay is ENOUGH. Am not one of those people who Hate Bay with a passion but I want to see someone else tackle this franchise. Christopher Nolan would be amazing. change Hollywood again just like Dark knight
Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Dude…Chris Nolan would never do a Transformers movie, and I wouldn’t want him to either. I would rather have another original movie from his brilliant mind. I definitley agree with you on letting someone else take over the franchise though, I’m tired of Michael Bay’s take. I was thinking maybe Rupert Wyatt, or Peter Berg, or Jonathan Mostow…someone along those lines who would be reasonable to get to do it. Maybe even letting Joe Carnahan’s crazy ass takeover for a downright crazy no holds barred Transformers.
Peter Burg? get the hell outta here. Battleship is going to be horrible. Fun but horrible. Hell why were at it get José Padilha OR Neill Blomkamp. I just hope they don’t get one of those generic directors. I got it! get Tim Burton! lmao
obviously this is just fan obsession, but I do believe that the companies involved have no choice but to stay with Bay. Transformers is a blockbuster movie that has to cater to every one, not just the die hard fans. Most teens dont know the transformers myths and lore, but they love the movie and they are the real target audience so you have to make it work for them, and they want giant robots fighting in multiple death matches and then role credits. I think it is possible to take the transformers in a new direction like the dark knight, where it is well done and awesome as shit, but the kids dont want that, so it wont sell well enough, and hasbro has to also consider the toy line, if you are going to spend 200 million dollars on a feature length commercial, you better make damn sure it sells.
That is why my fantasy film will never happen. How do you go bigger for a fourth movie (and dont say it doesnt necessarily have to go bigger, it does reread the first paragraph if you have any questions) they destroyed chicago and that is the part of the movie that worked best, so my fantasy would be destroy the world, let the decepticons win the war for earth in the opening monologue and then have the autobots fight back in a half dead earth and jason be a human resistance leader. That would let you kill off and introduce who ever you want.
But for the love of god let it be glavatron and the other decepticons created by unicoron like cyclonus and scourge, you cant bring back megatron a second time.
At least get geography and stupid errors like that right. Skyscrapers are illegal in D.C. because nothing can stand taller than the washington monument and yet exiting sams home is in the alley of a bunch of skyscrapers with one that is a landmark of chicago int eh back ground so unless he commutes from chicago to D.C. everyday I am forced to assume that he has mastered the space bridge.
I think that you’re wrong. They don’t have to stick with Bay and it doesn’t matter if the kids and teens don’t know the Transformers myth and lore. In fact, because the movies were such hits, more kids and teens do know the myth and lore of the Transformers now. It created a whole new generation of fans.
Now, a Transformers movie done The Dark Knight style I think is a tad overkill. I get where everyone is coming from, but the movie should still be fun. What I think that everyone wants and will pay money for, not just the fans of the property, is a hardcore sci-fi/action film. Forget The Dark Knight. Think more like Aliens combined with the Hoth battle of The Empire Strikes Back and the space battle in Return of the Jedi, with a solid story that focuses on the Transformers. People will flock to it if done correctly. And Michael Bay can’t do that.
Now I think if you give him the budget and pair him with some writers who care about the source material, I think that Neil Blomkamp would be perfect for the franchise.
As long as Ehren Kruger doesn’t write anything, they fire the lastest character design person, and they act like 2 and 3 never happened, I’m happy.
Seriously, Kruger ticks me off. I hope he finds his niche, but he better stay away from these freakin movies! He killed the nobility of characters like Prime and has NO understanding of what is funny…
Bring back Orci and Kurtzman, they’re the men!!!
This franchise is hungry for greatness.
A fourth and fifth film! Jason Statham! Yes … yes. This is a great opportunity.
If they do want to continue to make more Transformers films, then it’s best to just show a two-part origin story. We’ve only had two glimpses of the civil war in Cybertron, so why not make two movies about it explaining what the hell really happened. I would love to see an all CGI Transformers movie, sans humans.
Since continuity has never been a factor in the trilogy, they don’t have the constraint to make it a proper prequel. Just give the audience what they want to see from a Transformers movie: robots fighting robots, and of course the Dinobots.
I liked the original idea of a reboot or even darker depiction of the story. I know they are trying to appeal to all audiences but I’m pretty sure most of the fans come from the 80′s with us telling our kids or nephews/nieces about Transformers. I personally would love to see a dark take on the Transformers\G.I. Joe WWII-esque universe. I’m sure that either won’t happen!
Michael Bay needs to go back to Bad Boys
YEAHH!..Michael Bay please go back to Bad Boys after ur little movie…love those movies..
please oh please do not hand the reigns over to Jason Statham, that would just be awful he doesnt fit into a movie like this, whats he going to do go all Crank on a decepticon? get out of here with that bullshit
& yea for the record, Jason Statham & Transformers….defintely not going to happen.
Awesome i freaking love Statham! I hope he can brings some freash blood into this i reall hated the earlier transformers movies but having Statham fighting robots would be a beauty for the eyes
This is too good to be true.
Step 1. Hire Duncan Jones.
Step 2. Bring back Megan Fox.
Step 3. Add Sam Rockwell (or Patton Oswalt) as the comic relief.
Step 4. DINOBOTS.
Step 5. Get $.
Bruckheimer should produce with Verbinski at the helm. And Johnny Depp should take over as Optimus Prime!…Idiots!
BAD BOYS III
Much ado about nothing. We are talking about toys young men!
What about Jon Favreau? We know the guy can tackle big budget movies…i.e.- Iron Man and Cowboys vs. Aliens….he’s worked with Spielberg, he’s worked with Kurtzman or Orci. But that’s just me. And to all you Michael Bay haters…if you don’t like him…then go create your own forum to b#tch and complain or as the saying goes…move the f#@# on. Bay knows action and no other director can shoot an action scene like him. bottom line.
With all the explosions he made, he could be held as responsible of the global warming.
I say Zack Snyder to directed & takeover the Transformers films. And as for Jason Statham, He can do both back to back films (Transformers and Fast & Furious).
I would love to see the string of logic that started at Shia LeBeef and ended with The Transporter.
And here I was expecting the mains to have a baby who could be along for the ride ala Croc Dundee 3.
I suggest to hire Night Shyalamanamalaman.
A 30 foot robot stands no chance against Jason Statham.
Im out. I cant stand that guy, especially when they make him speak with his god aweful fake American accent.
Wait? When has he ever done an American accent? The dude is like Sean Connery, it doesn’t matter how he’s cast, he always sounds the same.
Okay. I’m trying to think of Statham movies I haven’t seen. Cellular? London?
Seriously, let me know so I can go watch it. It’s gotta be funny.
Or let’s give the franchise to Luca$. Decepticons fighting with light sabers and crushing blinking Ewoks could be great.
I am tired of Michael Bay we need someone new to start the franchise over. I didn’t care for the way Bay directed the last 3 films.
If Statham could only do one franchise, I’d rather he do Fast and Furious.
What about Hugh Jackman to & Shawn Levy to direct and take over the back-to-back sequels? Since “Real Steel” was a big hit maybe they could do that before doing “Real Steel 2″.