So, earlier this week we found out that Michael Bay would indeed return to make a fourth Transformers film, scheduled for release in 2014. It’s unclear yet what direction the the thankfully Labeouf-less film will take though, as Paramount Film and an assorted legion of executive producers have kept film details under wraps so far.
Except some studio sources aren’t as tight-lipped, it seems.
Speaking to BadAssDigest, one source who claims to be close to the film production says that the latest Transformers film will take place directly after the events of the third film, and will not be a direct reboot as previously thought.
The “goofy, tone-deaf comedy bits” are reportedly being toned down, with director Michael Bay wanting the overall atmosphere of the film to be more like the final hour of Dark of the moon.
I’ve always lvoed the Transformers films, but hated Shia Labeouf and his increasingly obnoxious character of Sam Witwicky, always wishing that the sequels would have instead focused more on the military characters rather, instead of an irritating loud-mouth with entitlement issues that was constantly running into his campy parents.
Hopefully fourth times the charm for the robots in disguise.
Last Updated: February 16, 2012
Kervyn Cloete
February 16, 2012 at 13:01
Wait, I’m confused. Wasn’t all the films just action movies? Coz I sure as hell don’t remember a single moment of elicited laughter from me in the entire trilogy.
Gavin Mannion
February 16, 2012 at 13:10
You didn’t find the entire story farcical and hilarious? Not to mention Shia’s ability to attract the sexiest women on the planet to his useless personality?
Wtf?
February 16, 2012 at 20:49
That, I will admit was even more unbelievable than transforming robots…
James Francis
February 16, 2012 at 13:27
Well, there are the goofy parents, the racially caricatured twin robots, the death of both John Turturro and John Malkovich’s credibility, pretty much any line uttered by an Autobot non-fans can’t remember (so, basically, anyone except Optimus Prime), those annoying smaller robots in the second and third film (are all the robots from the ghetto?) and any attempt to remind us that Shia LaBeouf is a likeable loser (though in the third film he had upgraded to an insecure ass).
All those off the top of my head and I cannot stress how much I hate the Transformers movies (and I never cared for the toys, so I’m not a jilted fan). At least they make sinful amounts of money, which is something.
Strange, though, that Bay wants to change the tone. I always thought it was his hand in the rubbish humour. The same trend could be seen even in his good films. Hands up if you still cringe every time Nicholas Cage tries to crack a joke in The Rock.
James Francis
February 16, 2012 at 13:26
Sorry, wanted to reply… see above!
Justin Hess
February 16, 2012 at 15:29
It never fails to amaze me how completely lacking in imagination the people behind Transformers are. I mean jeez, it’s Sci-Fi. When you’r working with a film with even the barest hint of Sci-Fi in it, the only limits are your imagination and your budget. And with Bay, getting some extra cash shouldn’t be a problem.
Given the potential the SciFi angle offers the franchise, you’d think the producers would go for more than a story that involves BAM-SMASH-BOOM. But no, fuck that. Three movies, one after the other, all doing the same bloody thing. And no we can add an equally unimaginative fourth film to that