Since they paired up for Pain & Gain before tackling Transformers: Age of Extinction together, it's safe to say that Mark Wahlberg and Michael Bay have some good professional chemistry. So who better to clue us into whether the director of Paramount's franchise films will return for a fifth installment than Wahlberg himself? Though Bay previously said he'd be passing directorial duties to someone else going forward, that was only a few weeks after the fourth film debuted. He's had similar changes of heart once he had time to recover from the grueling filming process of each of the successive Transformers movies, especially when he's had time in between films to work on his passion projects.
So what's Wahlberg think about Bay coming back to direct Transformers 5? See what he had to say about the chances below. The following quotes come from Christina Radish's exclusive interview with Wahlberg for his upcoming film, Ted 2. :
Collider: Do you have any update on the status of Transformers 5? Have you heard anything about what’s going on?
WAHLBERG: I don’t. Just that Akiva [Goldsman] and those guys are starting to write and break stories, and stuff like that. But [Michael] Bay is in Malta shooting Benghazi, and I’m in New Orleans shooting Deepwater. We’ll get together when he gets back.
Do you think he’ll still ultimately direct it?
WAHLBERG: Yes.
Do you know what your schedule will be, after you finish Deepwater Horizon?
WAHLBERG: Pete [Berg] and I are talking about doing another movie, after the first of the year. And (directors) Sean Anders and John Morris are working on something right now, that hopefully we’re going to do in the fall with Paramount. That’s another comedy, more in the vein of Midnight Run meets Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I just did Daddy’s Home, with Will Ferrell and those guys, and we’ve been talking about doing this thing.
It's worth noting that Bay is still on board as an executive producer for the fifth installment of Transformers, so it's possible that his decision to return as director hinges on the strength of the script. Yes, these films are not known for their clever dialogue, sensical storylines or even believable characters, but the bankable box offices demand more installments. Now that a veritable army of screenwriters is tackling the future of the franchise (led by the unpredictable Akiva Goldsman), certainly something of worth is bound to come out of the attempt, right?
Currently, Bay is busy working on his Benghazi drama 13 Hours, though the studio's writing team may be attempting to have their treatment ready for him by the time he's done. While we wait for word from Paramount and Bay, I turn it over to you, dear readers. Do you want Bay to return to the director's chair for the fifth time, or would you rather see a new vision at the helm? Let us know in the comments below!
