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LA Times Hero Complex recently posted an article focusing on Universal Studios Hollywood's new Transformers: The Ride 3D in which director Michael Bay drops a little information about his next Transformers film. According to article Bay says the forth film will be his last before handing the franchise off to a new director. Take that with the normal dose of salt, as we've been hearing that since Transformers: ROTF. The fourth film is also said to feature character redesigns and a completely new cast. Click here to read the full article.

There’s plenty more Transformer action to come with a major new video game release, “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron,” due in August and another Bay movie in the works. (The director, by the way, says that the fourth film will include some redesign of the robots and an entirely new cast. He also said it will be his last and set the franchise up “for the next guy.”)

WHOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Let there be new designs! and Michael will be banished forever!

For those of you who prefer the films Michael's way, I apologize

I wonder if that's "some redesign" like we've seen in the last movies... or something drastic for the entire line. Honestly, I'd love for them to stick with the general aesthetic and designs as much as possible... so I can skip this line, too... and stick with Classics, FOC, Masterpiece, Japan PowerCore, etc.

THANK PRIMUS! Well thats what id like to say but since we all know bay lies on a constant basis none of this can be taken as true until it actual happens. Plus redesign can mean anything, it could be what we got when the first movie came out or the small stuff that was done in DOTM. As for the cast im happy and a little upset, yes its great labouf is gone but there were a lot of well casted parts that are just going to be thrown away for nothing, mainly all the nest guys and a few of the bots. I just hope after this one they take a long break and just focus on the shows and games.

I'd quite the 4th film to centre on a different bunch of bots, maybe a different struggle somewhere isolated on earth - some unhinhabited islands. Separate to Prime and pals. Maybe bringing them all together for any future films.

Now that Megatron is dead who will be the big bad? Maybe Unicron could park up somewhere in the Sol system and bots and humans need to figure out a way to shoo him away.

Yeah, I'd love for them to just wait a bit and reboot. Maybe do a respectful movie adhering to the G1 tv show and comic — like the Avengers, etc. have done. There's just so many arbitrary and willy-nilly choices for the Bay movies. Design sources from every toy franchise on the market. It just dilutes it all until it comes across like every generic action movie from the Matrix to Battleship. None of it feels very transformery outside of Peter Cullen's voice. If that were gone, I wouldn't have bought any of the movies.

Considering all the death threats, I would probably be tired by now too. Maybe it's a good thing that we'll get a change no matter what side you're on. I just hope the "redesigns" aren't so radical that they would look strange with the current designs. I don't mind a new cast at all, but the actors' portrayals are yet to be seen. As long as it ties in with the current continuity I'm fine with it.

I would actually laugh if Bay changed his mind to do a fifth movie, because the reactions would be hilarious.

Except for the new cast bit, didn't he say the exact same thing for DotM?

All things considered, I'm not sure if the market could stand ANOTHER wave of 25 more virtually identical Bumblebees. What's the count after all three movies? Anyone religiously buying those things and keeping count?

Too be honest I really didn't mind the Michael Bay films. They were what they were, mindless robotic action. I think that it is time for Bay to move on and let someone else handle the movie franchise. What would be a neat idea, make a complete CGI film, no live action at all. That way nearly everybody wins.

The AlmightyOrange.

AMEN to that! Wasting 3/4 of the film on human characters misses the mark to me. Any humans should be like a sprinkle of paprika on the bowl of Transformers chili. The characters are so rich, interesting, cool, bad@$$, backstabbing... and a couple are downright relatable and cute like ole talking Bumblebee. I'd love a fully CGI, minimized human character franchise. Goodness knows they aren't selling a line of little cute human toys, right?

gothsaurus wrote:All things considered, I'm not sure if the market could stand ANOTHER wave of 25 more virtually identical Bumblebees. What's the count after all three movies? Anyone religiously buying those things and keeping count?

Surely there is someone, somewhere who has nothing but every single Bumblebee there has ever been. And whoever they are God bless them. As for who the main villain might be. I wouldn't be surprised if its someone like Onslaught or a character who's never held a true leadership role over all Decepticons.

Glad to hear he won't be directing another one. Come on Bay, we'll let you have this one last Hoorah as long as you make it good! Give us character, not just one-liners, tone down all the military "action-man" crap, give us the Transformers how it should be!

By new designs I hope they make them simpler and more solid. Not necessarily G1 block style, but just so we can comprehend what's going on and there aren't million of pieces of robot flying off left right and centre like they're all made of glass or something. Simpler designs would be less expensive to animate and therefore the characters can have more screen time and some actual dialogue with one and other.

Anyway here's just wishful thinking for now...

gothsaurus wrote:I wonder if that's "some redesign" like we've seen in the last movies... or something drastic for the entire line. Honestly, I'd love for them to stick with the general aesthetic and designs as much as possible... so I can skip this line, too... and stick with Classics, FOC, Masterpiece, Japan PowerCore, etc.

What he said. Except for the Japan PowerCore and FoC anyway. Seems odd Bay starting a new chapter in the Transformers movies and then handing it off to someone else.

Hmm. on the villain notion, another hard hitter we haven't seen yet is Galvatron. I'm putting my money there. Sadly, while it would be amazing to see in 'live action'... getting a Unicron storyline would be kind-of an anticlimax to me. Not sure why.

Any other big baddies from the past you guys could throw into the hat?

Sandy-Prime wrote:Glad to hear he won't be directing another one. Come on Bay, we'll let you have this one last Hoorah as long as you make it good! Give us character, not just one-liners, tone down all the military "action-man" crap, give us the Transformers how it should be!

That's something you should be telling the writer(s) not the guy who takes the script and works with the bulk of it.

I think most of us here are just venting. Not hoping or expecting any action to be taken.... ie. I don't think Bay — or any of the movie crew — are listening to the fans at this point... or up at night crying and fretting over what people are saying on the threads.

As for me, I'm just here to hear a couple guys answer back... "yeah, that was pretty far off from my childhood memories, or what I'd have wanted out of a TF movie." Hearing that helps ME sleep at night. Ha.

But again, for a general robot, blow-em-up, explosions, action movie.... fantastic movies!!!... but looking at it all with ANY hindsight of the past 25 years, they're missing the mark.

Has anyone considered that "Completely new cast" means new Transformers as well? Think about it: Peter Cullen and Frank Welker were cast as well.

This may be going to the 1986 movie and FLIPPING KILL OPTIMUS and bring in Rodimus and friends while making Unicron a cloud. (Cookies to those who know that reference)

Hm. A new cast... Perhaps Daniel Witwicky? Hanging out with the even MORE annoying Wheelie?

AIGH! Don't give them any ideas!!! LOL. Wheelie goes back in time to hang out with G1 Wheelie! Yeah!

I wish someone would make a Transformers Prime movie. Transformers in my opinion should be presented in an animated format. That way, they will always be able to appeal to a distinct demographic (kids) and we the collectors can furthur benefit from even more figures. I only have a handful of the movieverse figures. They just don't compare to the other lines.

Also, I appreciate what the movies did for the longevity of our favorite robots, but the characters or more fleshed out in the cartoons.

With all that said, I will be a hypocrite as I will watch this upcoming film as well as purchasing the Blu-Ray.

Is Bay's vision so universally loved and integral to the success of Transformers that he has to "set it up for the next guy"? Couldn't they just hire a good director who'll set things up fine on his own?

edit: since we're speculating villains, they could use Thunderwing, or Bludgeon (honestly, as silly as he is, Bludgeon would make as much sense as anything in the films so far, and possibly be pretty cool) or maybe Scorponok has been training like Rocky since the first film and gonna come back all badass?

Yeah, I have to say... while I know there were scads of little kids scrambling for those movie toys... I can count on my fingers the ones I bought... from ALL THREE films. Deliberate purchases from the Hasbro main line include Prime and Arcee... (because they somehow convinced me she's somehow a female, in spite of the toy giving no indications of such. They could have called her a MerMan and the toy would have been as on-target.)

I was sure I'd picked up some other Hasbro movie bots, but looking through the list, I know I skipped Megs, Ironhide, Barricade, Ratchet... and only wound up with a Bumblebee because of that multi-pack with three different 'generations' of Bumblebee.

I think bottom line, less screen time and character development — Jazz and Wheeljack come to mind — just don't leave you connected to the characters, and ultimately THAT is what makes me go to the store and buy them. Likable, developed, epic, personable, human, distinct characters... with bios, strengths, weaknesses, traits.....

Okay, that and great designs What about you guys. How much do the characters personalities and voices come into play for your jumping in and buying an entire line? Or is it just the toys and gimmicks?

Couple of things..

1.-Having a new cast can mean Tf or humans for all we know. I'm open to both.

2.-I'm going to laugh my ass off if Bay does a complete 180, does a complete change around with characters and there screen time and gives the fans everything they've ever wanted in a TF film,...
And then the next guy completely ruins it for the "fans" and everyone now see's just how bad it really can get.

#Sideways# wrote:This may be going to the 1986 movie and FLIPPING KILL OPTIMUS and bring in Rodimus and friends while making Unicron a cloud. (Cookies to those who know that reference)

Why the smurf would Unicron be a cloud?

"...redesign of the robots..."

Does this mean the new toys will be even SMALLER than the Dark of the Moon toys? LOL, I could not resist...

I don't mind if the original human cast goes bye-bye, but I would like to see the core group of Autobot remain the same. I am not sure what Decepticon characters will face the Autobots, as there I believe there were no Decepticons left after Dark of the Moon.

I would LOVE to see part of the movie shot on Cybetron, as well as the Dinobots. And most importantly, there should be LESS emphasis on human characters, and MORE emphasis on the Transformers.