Starring in "Transformers 4" is Jack Reynor in the starring role of a race car driver. The talented and beautiful Nicola Peltz has been cast in the female lead role of Reynor's girlfriend. Mark Wahlberg has signed on to play Nicola's father Flynn Vincent. Sophia Myles will play a major role as a scientist. Peter Cullen returns as the voice of Optimus Prime, and Glenn Morshower reprises his role as General Morshower. Kelsey Grammer was recently cast as the lead villain named "Harold Attinger". Directors Guild of America DGA Award winner Michael Bay will return to direct his fourth installment of the film series from a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger

The time has come to join the resistance as we prepare to defend Earth on June 20th when TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D opens at Universal Orlando Resort!

Forget the affable Frasier Crane; Kelsey Grammer is embracing his inner bad guy. After his Golden Globe turn as the ruthless politician in Boss, Grammer has just landed the key villain role in Michael Bay‘s next Transformers film, which also stars Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci. I’m told that Grammer will play Harold Attinger, a counter intelligence guy.

A large Austin production office opened in March, but location scouting dates to November. There was initial interest in the Circuit of the Americas racetrack southeast of Austin, but instead the Austin Film Commission says the focus is on small towns that remind Bay of Robert Frank’s 1950s photos collected in the classic book The Americans.
In Taylor, 30 minutes from Austin, a police chase will close downtown and a railroad overpass, said Deby Lannen, the city’s Main Street program manager. A car will be exploded in the city’s Robinson Park. “It’s pretty exciting,” she said.
“I know there will be things exploded in Taylor for sure. Some will be physical effects, some CGI,” said Gary Bond, head of the Austin Film Commission.

Well it’s more about how you approach these films, like for example, on “Tranformers,” you already have the built in audience.

See, I was not a fan of Transformers [at first]. Hasbro was talking about giving me a whole Transformers story, and I’m like, “If I can do this really real. If I can make them believable, I think I could have something here.” I’m not a Hollywood guy. My friends are normal guys. I’ve got this guy from Texas. He’s like, “Mike, that “Transformers” [movie] seems like a dumb idea.” And I’m like, “Yeah, I know, but just give it a second.” And then I showed him the shot of the Scorponoks jumping out of the sand with Tyrese [Gibson] running. He saw that image and he went, “I see what you’re doing.” You’ll always have haters, but the last movie? One-hundred-twenty million people saw that movie. There’s still a lot of fans of that franchise. And I’m a huge Transformers fan now, and I protect that brand.

When you’re doing films like that, there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Whether it’s the fans, the studios, the toy companies. How do you try to strike a balance at that point? Trying to please everyone and then also trying to make a film that you want to make.

[The film] was also to make non-Transformer fans into Transformer fans. I think it was good coming from that perspective that it wasn’t a “fanboy” movie.

Yeah, because then you’re limited in what you can do and what you can show.

Yeah. You know there are a couple of historians of Transformers. I would do my designs of the robots and they’re like, “What if you just add a little bit more ears to Optimus?” But they’re really hands off. We’ve redesigned them in “Transformers 4,” and there’s some really cool sh*t in it. I’m literally redesigning every character, top to bottom. There’s a reason why they’re redesigned, but it’s also to keep it new and fresh to me. I think the fans will appreciate some of this new stuff we have in the movie and some of the new characters.

I know when you did “Transformers 3,” you were kind of done...

Yeah, and this is literally a true story. I went to the [Transformers] ride in Universal, and there’s a two-and-a-half-hour line, and you just see all these kids -- it’s the most popular ride they’ve had since Jurassic Park -- and I’m like... It’s hard to let go of your franchise. You don’t want someone to f*ck it up. So I at least wanted to set it up on some good footing. Because you’re going to get a different kind of director [who is] not going to want to follow in my footsteps. Directors feel very territorial. So they’re going to go to a more inexperienced director. It’s just the way Hollywood works. And I’m thinking, “God, so I’ll redesign it, set it up... Someone’s gonna f*ck this up. This is way too big of a thing.” And I’m looking at all these kids and I’m like, “F*ck, I gotta do one more.” And then I brought Mark [Wahlberg] into it. So now we’ve got a movie star, we’ve got full redesigns. At least it’ll be on good footing.

Twitchfilm wrote:Michael Bay is planning to shoot parts of the latest installment in the Transformers franchise in Hong Kong. Reportedly, after looking at photographs of different parts of the city, he is most interested in Sham Shui Po because of its unique aesthetic. The district, situated in North West Kowloon, is one of the oldest and most densely populated areas of Hong Kong. The producers have already approached local government officials and businesses to propose the closure of sections of roads for filming.

Feature Film Starring:
Mark Wahlberg (Ted, Shooter, The Fighter)
Jack Reynor (What Richard Did, Dollhouse)

A feature film about an ancient struggle between two extraterrestrial races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Battle each other for power, good, and evil.

Pay rate: $842.00 Depending on Role and Experience!!!

Now excepting Union and Non-union Submissions.


Role # 1 - Supporting Role

Seeking 15 talent(s) for this role

Feature Film seeking supporting roles.
Searchable talent specs:
Gender: Male Female
Age: from 18 to 35
Ethnicity: Any -


Role # 2 - Extras

Seeking 20 talent(s) for this role

Feature Film seeking extras roles.
Searchable talent specs:
Gender: Male Female
Age: from 5 to 70
Ethnicity: Any -

I'm not 100% certain. It's not something Michael and I really talked about. I'm a bit more, 'Yes, sir. No, sir,' with Michael. I just do what he says, take the job seriously, and get it done,

well, it is. "With Richard, I was excited to make this film with such an amazing role for an actor. Play a wide range of emotion and really invest myself in the character," he says. "With Transformers, I'm going to get to drive fast cars and have a lot of fun. That's what appeals to me about it. I want to have as much fun as possible.

All I knew was basically, Michael was going to make Transformers 4 and we were going to chat about me being in it," he says of the meeting. "We didn’t chat about making a fourth or any of the motives behind it. But personally, I think there’s a lot more to be done with it. There’s a whole new direction to take it in, and a lot more to explore in that universe, and I think we’re going to make a definitive step away from the previous movies, and this is going to be a lot of fun and I’m incredibly excited.

No.

It's the same [world]," Bay clarified, explaining that 4 will not be a complete reboot. "You have the three movies, but there's a reason why there's a new cast. And it's explained very clearly when you see it, and it's going to feel natural. So it's not like we're starting over or anything like that.

Transformers Voice Talent Auditions

Project ID:LTK12147066413X

Project Description:
(Please note that Voice123 screens all projects before approving them, but does not proofread the project name, description, or script provided by the voice seeker)
Now Casting!
Universal Studios Hollywood is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates must be at least 18 years old.
All performers hired for these positions will be covered under the terms and conditions of a collective bargaining agreement with the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA).
All auditionees must sign up for a appointment to be seen. All current AGVA members will be seen first, given they report at the appropriate call time.If appointment times fill-up, please check back periodically, as we may add additional time slots.
Are you ready to roll-out?
Come and join the battle between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons.
Universal Studios Hollywood is seeking Voice-Over Talent to protray the world famous Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron!

Wednesday, April 24th at Staffing Services on City Walk
3:30pm – 8:30pm / Appointments only
Voice-Over Talent
Selected candidates must be available for callbacks on Friday, April 26th.
Voice-Over Talent (April 24th)

Seeking performers with the following abilities and experience:
• Able to switch between two character voices preferred.
• Sustain vocal impersonations for an extended period of time.
• Guest interaction and/or improv experience preferred.
Character/Vocal qualities:
• Megatron vocal qualities – enormous and powerful: deep, textured, smoky quality with adorned gruff-ness.
• Optimus Prime vocal qualities – calm, confident, and serious; air of authority, have impeccable diction, and possess a deep vocabulary.

Prepare
Sides will be provided at the audition. Actors may read for one, or both characters.
For all roles:
•Selected candidates must be available for call-backs on April 26th.
•Please bring a headshot and resume for each audition you attend.
•Availability is a factor when casting. Candidates must be available for training, rehearsals, and summer peak dates as listed on the availability calendar distributed at the audition. Training and Rehearsals begin approximately late April and early May. Performances begin early June through early September.
•Parking – Inform the attendant that you are there for auditions and park in the structure you are guided to. Plan for a 10 minute walk from the parking structure to the audition location.
•We look forward to your audition!


Deadline: Apr 24, 2013 14:00:00 (GMT -05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Project Status:Open and receiving auditions and/or proposals
Auditions/Proposals Received:3
Auditions/Proposals Reviewed by the Voice Seeker:3
Voice Seeker Invitations:0 direct invitation(s) have been sent by the voice seeker resulting in 0 audition(s) and/or proposal(s) so far.
Invitations: Voice123 SmartCast is seeking 30 auditions and/or proposals for this project (approx.).

Google Translate wrote:I designed two hours 7 minutes, which I think is a good formula, which gives enough room to maneuver.

Michael Bay's 'Transformers 4' sets up shop in Metro Detroit; Pontiac's Michigan Motion Picture Studios eager for workload

DETROIT, MI - Michigan Motion Picture Studios in Pontiac is preparing up for another Hollywood closeup.
The production venue that was home to the hit Sam Raimi-directed film "Oz the Great and Powerful" will also host crews for Michael Bay's "Transformers 4" this summer.

Set building for "Transformers 4" - expected to get an official title soon - has already begun at the 535,000-square foot facility and has Michigan Motion Pictures Studios chief operating officer Tony Wenson excited.

"They are in the process of pre-production right now," Wenson told MLive Detroit, when asked if Bay's film crew is in town. "They are filming in several other states, too. The majority of their shooting, I believe, will be done in the state of Michigan.

"In addition to working on our stages, they’ll also be working throughout the state at different locations. We’re really excited that they’re here. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to service another film.”

Wenson declined to say specifically when filming for "Transformers 4" will begin, but disclosed it will happen "early" this summer.

Co-produced by Paramount, China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises, Transformers 4 will be partly shot in China and is slated for an opening on June 27, 2014.
The show is set to commence broadcast in China in June 2013, with a panel of judges comprising Sid Ganis, the former head of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the current chairman of Jiaflix; the film’s producer Lorenzo DiBonaventura and casting director Denise Chamian; Paramount’s marketing and distribution chief Megan Colligan.
The film’s Chinese backers will be represented by Jia Qi, deputy director of the film’s Chinese co-producers China Movie Channel; and Liang Longfei, vice-president of m1905, the channel’s portal through which contestants (who need to be over 18) can register for the show.
Producers said the four winning contestants will join “a number of talented Chinese actors and actresses” in Transformers 4. The third film in the franchise, Dark of the Moon, generated $165 million in China, and stands fourth in the country’s overall box-office rankings behind Avatar, Lost in Thailand and Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons.

Michael Bay was whispering these words to himself, mantra style, and biting his fingers as he perched at his computer like a bird of prey. On the second floor of his office in Santa Monica, he was holding a videoconference with artists at Industrial Light and Magic, the special-effects company, and something was bothering him.

As Mr. Bay watched ILM’s preliminary animation for his latest “Transformers” movie, blocky images of giant robots trading blows in the middle of a city, his visceral reactions, often with variations on the word “cool” — “That’s pretty cool”; “We can do something cooler”; “Maybe you could get a nice slice through his face” — seemed to signal approval.

In his career, Mr. Bay has had plenty to work with. Through action films like “Bad Boys” and “The Rock,” his man-versus-asteroid thriller “Armageddon” and three installments of “Transformers,” based on the Hasbro toys, he has become synonymous with the bigness of Hollywood movies: big budgets, big box-office returns, and big, big differences of opinion about whether they’re any good. To the extent that Mr. Bay acknowledges his own reviews, he says he is not striving for any artistic credibility he has somehow been denied. But he recognizes that sheer bigness becomes confining — an obstacle to making movies as rapidly as he wishes.

“When they get too big, it becomes un-fun,” he said. “You just see the money leaking away.”

But when you are Michael Bay, what does it mean to work small?

There is not much modesty to the Bay Films office, housed in a brick building that was once an auto-body shop. Today it teems with artifacts from his “Transformers” films, which have sold nearly $2.7 billion in tickets worldwide.

On the first “Transformers,” Mr. Bay said, he was chided by Steven Spielberg for allowing actors to improvise too much.

“Steven said to me, ‘Michael, I would like you to shoot something that’s in the script,’ ” he recalled. “And I was like, ‘Steven, this is how I work.’ ” Even if 80 percent of what he shot was terrible, Mr. Bay said, “You’re going to get 20 percent that’s gold.”

Since then, Mr. Bay said, Mr. Spielberg has come to see things his way. “Steven’s like: ‘You’ve got to have the funny. That’s part of the brand of ‘Transformers.’ ” (A spokesman for Mr. Spielberg confirmed Mr. Bay’s account of events.)

While success has reinforced Mr. Bay’s confidence, those who have known him over the years suggest that a certain directorial flair and a determination to prove himself have always been there.

When, at the end of “Pain & Gain,” Mr. Bay offered him a lead role in the next series of “Transformers” movies, Mr. Wahlberg said he accepted without hesitation.

“He said, ‘Well, let me tell you about the part and the story,’ ” Mr. Wahlberg recalled. “I said, ‘Dude, if you want to. Or you could just tell me where to stand and what to say.’ ”

Now that he has done “Pain & Gain,” Mr. Bay is hardly contemplating a transition into independent cinema. He is producing his movies and television pilots and feels a special attachment to “Transformers,” in part because it keeps him in an exclusive club of directors who are associated with continuing film franchises.

“Jim” (Cameron, of course) “is doing ‘Avatar,’ and Peter” (Jackson, naturally) “has been in Middle-earth for a long time,” Mr. Bay said. “I don’t know how many I’m going to do, but I’ve got to set this franchise up again for somebody.”

Then there is the Mr. Bay who just likes to hike and play softball, watches “Homeland” and considers himself a frustrated landscaper, and wonders if he could walk away from the apparatus he has built himself, if only temporarily.

“I want to chill out for a little bit,” after the next “Transformers,” he said hesitantly. “I think. Smell the flowers a little bit.”

With some wistfulness, he added: “I wish I would read more. I used to be a huge reader. It’s just — life gets too busy.”

Over the last few years, IMAX has been quietly developing a smaller digital camera with amazing resolution. And while that would be great on its own…the new camera would also shoot in 3D! However, since no one had been talking about it recently, I figured IMAX was stuck trying to get the tech to work and it’d be years before we’d see it in action. I thought wrong. Tonight on the CinemaCon red carpet for Paramount’s presentation, Michael Bay told me he’s going to be shooting the big showcase scenes in Transformers 4 with the new, smaller IMAX 3D digital camera!

"One day he was just like, 'Hey, do you want to do another movie?' and I said yes," Wahlberg recalled to correspondent Josh Horowitz. "He goes, 'You wanna know what it is?' [I replied] 'Well if you want to tell me, but I want to do it." That film turned out to be "Transformers 4," a project that Wahlberg jumped at the chance without even knowing the role he would play. "[Michael Bay asked] 'Do you want to know what the part is or what the story is?' I go 'Whatever you want to tell me, tell me, but I'm in.' "

Bay's desire to return to the franchise, one he seemingly concluded with 2011's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," came while the director waited in line for the Transformers ride at Universal Studios. "I was like, 'Wow, a lot of people like this.' I wanted to do it one more time... but then I brought Mark in and he's actually harassing me to do more."

Chicago Sun Times wrote:Ebert, 70, who reviewed movies for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV for 31 years, and who was without question the nation’s most prominent and influential film critic, died Thursday in Chicago. He had been in poor health over the past decade, battling cancers of the thyroid and salivary gland.

Roger Ebert wrote:Now about those who sincerely believe "Transformers" is a good, even a great, film. I sincerely believe they are wrong. I don't consider them stupid--at least, not (most of) the ones who write to me. Some of the posters at certain popular web forums are nine blooms short of a bouquet. But on the other hand look at the spirited discussions on the movie forums of the all-Transformers-all-the time seibertron.com, where a Paramount exit poll showing "90% of those polled thought the second film was as good or better than the first one" has been received with ridicule. Significantly, those are moderated forums.

• Transformers
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Transformers Dark of the Moon

Paramount Pictures, China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises announced today that they have entered into a Cooperation Agreement regarding the production of “Transformers 4” in China. The Cooperation Agreement was signed on April 1, 2013 in Beijing and Los Angeles.

Pursuant to the agreement, China Movie Channel, under the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT), will cooperate with Paramount in broad-based support of the production of the film in China. “Transformers 4” is expected to be released in China on or about June 27, 2014. The parties also intend to cooperate in a number of other areas related to “Transformers 4,” including the selection of filming sites within China, theatrical promotion, and possible post-production activities in China as well as casting of Chinese actors and actresses in the film.

This agreement represents the first time that China Movie Channel will work with a western studio in the production of a major motion picture.

The unprecedented agreement followed a meeting with Mr. Tong Gang, Vice Minister of SARFT with the Transformers 4 production leaders including director Michael Bay, producer Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore, along with Jiaflix Chairman Sid Ganis and President Marc Ganis at SARFT’s official Reception Hall in Beijing. Minister Tong expressed support for the newly formed China Movie Channel/Jiaflix cooperation with Paramount.

The “Transformers” movies are among the most popular films ever released in China, and Michael Bay is among the most popular directors with Chinese audiences. Transformers 3, Dark of the Moon, released theatrically in 2011, grossed $165 million in China and over $1.1 billion worldwide.

“I’m proud and honored by how ‘Transformers’ has been embraced by Chinese audiences,” said Michael Bay. “I look forward to working with China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises to help reach more people here and deepen their passion for this ongoing story and its characters.”

“China Movie Channel and our official movie web site M1905.com have been long term trusted partners with Jiaflix,” said Yan Xiaoming, Chairman of China Movie Channel. “We have been working together in the field of importing Hollywood movies for Chinese television and internet, including Paramount movies, as well as introducing Chinese movies to the North American market and are very delighted with the results we have accomplished together.”

“This is the beginning of a new era of collaboration with the Hollywood studios,” Mr. Yan continued. “We are very confident that the China Movie Channel/Jiaflix cooperation with Paramount will result in the famous Transformers brand being an even bigger success.”

Jiaflix, through its partners, Sid Ganis, Marc Ganis and Kenneth Huang, was the driving force in bringing the new arrangement to fruition. Said Sid Ganis, Chairman of Jiaflix, “Paramount was the first major studio to officially join with us for the distribution of its films over the Jiaflix platform in China, so we are delighted to join our partners at China Movie Channel together with Paramount on this groundbreaking initiative. ‘Transformers 4’ are paving the way.” Jiaflix has recently entered into a long term agreement with Paramount, under which Paramount will supply more than 250 films a year to the new video streaming partnership between Jiaflix and M1905.com, a unit of China Movie Channel.

“We are excited by and grateful for the opportunity to work with China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises on the production and promotion of ‘Transformers 4,’” said Paramount Vice Chair Rob Moore. “We see this relationship as a reflection of the global power and appeal of both this unique franchise and Michael Bay’s talents as a filmmaker.”