Though director Michael Bay seemed adamant that the third Transformers film, released just last summer to lukewarm reviews, would be his last, the 'splosion-loving director has signed up to helm the fourth film in the franchise.
Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed Bay’s involvement to MTV, and announced a release date of summer 2014.
“Yeah Michael’s gonna direct and it’ll be releasing in the summer of 2014,” said Bonaventura. “We’re excited and I think the challenge there is we really are gonna do a reboot, and what that’s gonna be we don’t even know yet.”
Seeing as the Transformers franchise has always been a massive money-spinner for Bay (Dark Of The Moon made $1bn worldwide), it’s not difficult to see why he’d be tempted to return for a fourth round of robots beating the crap out of each other.
That said, both 2009’s Revenge Of The Fallen and last year’s Dark Of The Moon received a critical drubbing, which is perhaps why the mega-director has decided to give the franchise a refresh.
We can probably count series regular Shia Labeouf out, then, so expect a new lead and a shiny new set of Autobots for the franchise that refuses to die with any dignity.
Transformers 4 will open in the USA on 29 June 2014. A UK release date has yet to be confirmed.
Source: MTV
Want more robots in disguise? Or sick of Bay's interpretation of the franchise? Talk to us...
Comments
TheDRQ
Feb 14th 2012, 7:51
A full CGI version of The Transformers, that focuses on just The Cybertronians would be a fine extension to the franchise. A "Refresh" or "Reboot" to the series with The same director should just be called what it's going to be: Transformers Four.
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FILMartin
Feb 14th 2012, 7:56
You know? I really never expected much more than robots, action and ... well that's pretty much it. So I've liked all three movies, all though the first was best, and the second wasn't really great. But this new idea seems a bit strange to me. 1: Why are we rebooting franchises aftor only five minutes? First Spider-Man, then Superman (for the second time since 2006), they're allready talking about a new Batman, and now Transformers... 2: The same director? Let the CGI team stay on, but give the director's chair to someone else. I wonder when they'll start shooting "Harry Potter and the philosopher stone" again.... It'll probably be an animation this time...
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alexr
Feb 14th 2012, 8:10
Nah, the new Harry Potter will be an American reboot...
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mcghater
Feb 14th 2012, 8:27
no no no nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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Heisenberg
Feb 14th 2012, 9:18
Happy Days. Everyone seems to gripe about these films but I have liked them all. Robots knocking the bollocks off each other, no matter how c**p the dialogue, is always good in my book. Bring It On.
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Heisenberg
Feb 14th 2012, 9:18
ha, you can say bollocks, but not c**p. brilliant.
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FBCWright
Feb 14th 2012, 9:31
Telegram to Michael Bay Dear Michael STOP You made one good movie and two clankers STOP Please stop butchering my childhood further STOP Move onto The Amazing World of Gumball or something STOP Please please please STOP
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alexr
Feb 14th 2012, 9:36
@FBCWright Perhaps Michael Bay could do a Blackadder Adaptation as his next project...
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daz8778
Feb 14th 2012, 10:43
only dino-bots can save this franchise
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daz8778
Feb 14th 2012, 10:47
only dino-bots can save this franchise
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YorksProp
Feb 14th 2012, 11:09
Ahhh stop moaning the lot of you. These movies are stupid, you know what you're getting with them, as one poster said above it's robots knocking ten bells out of each other, what's not to like? They make hundreds of millions of pounds and if a film company makes this much money, they can afford to take risks on projects they otherwise wouldn't. So if Paramount makes a billion off this and decides to finance Anchorman 2, I'm happy :)
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alexr
Feb 14th 2012, 11:51
@TheKingofDalidab I'd actually like to see a Transformers movie by Cameron.
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SiMan
Feb 14th 2012, 14:36
I disagree when people say that it is just a load of robots smacking the hell out of each other therefore we should abandon any need for pacing, acting or even a coherent plot. I personally don't mind watching the films, but that doesn't mean that i don't acknowledge that the 2 sequels were poor. We should still be demanding an engaging story to follow rather than just sittting and watching as stuff blows up. They should have given Shia's character more to do in the sequels, rather than having him as a pi**y-whiny A-Hole.
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Indianabones
Feb 14th 2012, 14:44
Terrible news! this franchise deserves more respect! it could be so much more! I'm very aware this isn't and should never be some arty film! but it needs some heart, it needs some story and it needs another director! and yes the Dinbobots would be great too!
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writerdave87
Feb 14th 2012, 15:35
Cameron doing a Transformers film would actually be pretty sweet, good shout.
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FBKMay
Feb 14th 2012, 16:48
my life is over lol! i want sam!
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Hadouken76
Feb 14th 2012, 17:49
I never understood the Dinobots, how much of a disguise is a 30ft metal T-Rex with gold claws? That reminds me, youtube: 'SOS Wheeljack' ... fuggin' hilarious!
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writerdave87
Feb 14th 2012, 22:09
I think Dinobots were in dino times... possibly. That would make more sense than a 60ft T rex trying to hide in downtown LA.
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FBJRider
Feb 14th 2012, 23:15
The films wouldn't have died with dignity even if the first one was never green lit. They're all just awful, it's just explosion, explosion Megan Fox draped over a bike/Rosie Huntington-Whiteley putting on a bad British accent even though she's already British (I'll never understand why Americans only accept English people that sound like they've never been to England), Shia Labeouf shouting Optimus, explosion THE END. Or is it?
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Hadouken76
Feb 15th 2012, 17:55
ROse Huntington-Witless had all the personality and screen presence of a blow-up doll with chronic arrss cramp. But no point getting worked up, its about 50ft bots smacking 7 shades of brown stuff out of each other, its not exactly taxing. Bring it on.
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Ali1748
Feb 15th 2012, 21:59
God give me strength.
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