The Energon Pub

Forbes.com caught up with Michael Bay via phone to ask him a few questions about his career and Transformers 4. Despite what star Mark Wahlberg has said to the contrary, Bay reiterates that TF4 is not a reboot. You can read the entire interview here. A few excerpts have been pulled for your convenience below.

Forbes wrote:Will that change the way you do anything on Transformers 4?
We’re going to start off smaller. There’s a brand new cast. To freshen the franchise we’ve redesigned everything from top to bottom. The history of the first three movies is still there, we start four years later and there’s a reason why we’re meeting a new cast.

Mark is really excited about it and it’s a great redesign. I said that 3 [which grossed $1.1 billion] was going to be my last one. Paramount was letting me do Pain & Gain and the Transformers ride was opening at Universal and it was bittersweet to think of passing it off. I wanted to set it up on a really sure footing and to bring someone else in on that, it would have been overwhelming.

So is 4 a reboot?

No, that’s wrong. We keep the Transformers the way they were, it’s just four years later. There’s a reason the Transformers are redesigned. We’re trying to broaden the franchise and give it more places to go.

There is also a contest being run by Doritos where two commercials by amateur filmmakers previously chosen will run during the Super Bowl. The filmmaker with the highest ranking commercial according to the USA Today Ad Meter will get a job working with Bay on TF4.

Forbes wrote:Why did you agree to take part in the Doritos contest?
MICHAEL BAY: I got a call from my agent asking if I wanted to do this Doritos thing. It sounded like bullshit to me. I’d seen their commercials at the Super Bowl and I thought they were done by pros. When I found out they were amateurs, I thought it was a great way to help a young filmmaker break into the business.

What will the winner actually get to do on the Transformers 4 set?
Replace me as director. No, we’ll see who the person is and depending on what he is interested in being, a producer or a director, we’ll try to tailor the job. It’s all hard work when you’re working on a movie.

I would be surprised if there was actually a reason why the robots are different..

"to broaden the franchise and give it more places to go"
what does he mean by that and should we be worried?

Well, Hasbro needs new designs to sell toys, and even they know that giving Bee a new spoiler for his Camaro ain't gonna cut it any more.

I wonder if they're still keeping Bee as part of the cast.

The Transformers in the film will be smaller and more expensive as per Hasbro's wishes.

i really hope they get rid of that wretched yellow hunk of scrap.

buddhaquest wrote:The Transformers in the film will be smaller and more expensive as per Hasbro's wishes.

It will not be rebooted, we're just redesigning everything from the ground up.

No one can get their facts straight. Watch as instead of complex living machines, the TFs are shapeshifting blobs. Oi.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the designs of the films. Just wish there wasn't so much secrecy surrounding these films. Sometimes, when I'm searching for news of the movie, I feel like I need to unplug my pc so my mom doesn't see what's on the screen.

I think they are going to go to cybertron or outer space, so it will give them leeway to do crazy stuff...and it will be an excuse for a new team of Autobots

I just wish it was less about the humans and more about the Autobots and Decpeticons. The robots as characters have no personal back story to really care about, and no meaningful dialogue.

Recently I got rid of my movie toys, not because I don't like the toys themselves, I think they rivial some classics stuff, but because I have no attachment to the bland characters from the movie...

warzon3 wrote:I think they are going to go to cybertron or outer space, so it will give them leeway to do crazy stuff...and it will be an excuse for a new team of Autobots

I just wish it was less about the humans and more about the Autobots and Decpeticons. The robots as characters have no personal back story to really care about, and no meaningful dialogue.

Recently I got rid of my movie toys, not because I don't like the toys themselves, I think they rivial some classics stuff, but because I have no attachment to the bland characters from the movie...

I feel the autobots had enough "personality" to go around. I wish the decepticons had more badassery to their names, rather than just being scary.

Now going just by the first one, even with the humans, I'd say all the robots had plenty of personality, especially given that each 'con had his "big moment" in the film. The problem with the subsequent films is that, imo, they are the adventures of Bumblebee and Optimus, featuring Sam, with special guest appearances by Megs and Screamer. All the other 'cons were cannon fodder, for 'Bee and co.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

warzon3 wrote:I think they are going to go to cybertron or outer space, so it will give them leeway to do crazy stuff...and it will be an excuse for a new team of Autobots

I just wish it was less about the humans and more about the Autobots and Decpeticons. The robots as characters have no personal back story to really care about, and no meaningful dialogue.

Recently I got rid of my movie toys, not because I don't like the toys themselves, I think they rivial some classics stuff, but because I have no attachment to the bland characters from the movie...

I feel the autobots had enough "personality" to go around. I wish the decepticons had more badassery to their names, rather than just being scary.

Now going just by the first one, even with the humans, I'd say all the robots had plenty of personality, especially given that each 'con had his "big moment" in the film. The problem with the subsequent films is that, imo, they are the adventures of Bumblebee and Optimus, featuring Sam, with special guest appearances by Megs and Screamer. All the other 'cons were cannon fodder, for 'Bee and co.

i agree they should have made megatron the murderous tyrant that he was supposed to be and screamer the opportunistic back stabber instead they were not any were close

Oh, because there are bad guys just lining up around the block after DOTM. And let's not forget all the unfixed inconsistencies. I doubt they will be addressed.

I liked the movies for what they were, and DOTM was the end. Seriously. The final chapter, you know? What now? Optimus sees his life flash before his eyes and we watch the last three films but with better editing and no mistakes /Wishful Thinking

And all that time Sam was working with the autobots, suddenly he gets a growth spurt after just 4 more years and becomes another actor? Or are they just going to dump you like the last girl?

I cant think to positively here. Unless Decepticon bodies-> Launched towards the sun -> Unicron Magic->Galvatron->Possible new baddies for part 5?

And what about the aligned continuity? The movies get a pass? I mean, I can see why they cant, but I thought everything from here on out was "aligned"

I dont get why they couldn't reboot it. Optimus is Optimus, and Bee is Bee. Like the kids would mind?

warzon3 wrote:I just wish it was less about the humans and more about the Autobots and Decpeticons. The robots as characters have no personal back story to really care about, and no meaningful dialogue.

Amen to that! But with three new main actors, I'm thinking that's unlikely to happen.

As for the reason why the Cybertronians have new designs (if there is indeed going to be one that ties in to the plot) I'm going with the governments of Earth wanted their precious lubricants after the events of DoTM, and so they were forced to take new forms in order to stay hidden. (Cue a Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover.)

And they do such a good job of staying hidden that we never actually know they're there, staying in alt-mode all the way through to the point where it's just another Michael Bay movie starring Mark Wahlberg and a couple of kids.

I still watch the first three movies, trying to find a reason to like them, but it's just not happening.

Sodan-1 wrote:

warzon3 wrote:I just wish it was less about the humans and more about the Autobots and Decpeticons. The robots as characters have no personal back story to really care about, and no meaningful dialogue.

Amen to that! But with three new main actors, I'm thinking that's unlikely to happen.

From a standpoint of practicality and pragmatism, no it's not. Until we can find actual Transformers to hire on as actors the cost of visual effects will keep humans in the forefront. Of course it's easier to just say "BAY HATES TRANSFORMERS!!!" than realize it's a sound directorial decision. To be completely honest I kind of prefer there being human characters who aren't useless tag-along kids.

Yes, they need humans to sell the movie to a wider audience, but I think they can make it a little more even. They have the production system in place after 3 movies. The efficency of the special effects could allow for more robot time.

Bay's movies feel like its more a movie about a Boy primarily. Rather than as Transformers movie.

Just look at Transformers Prime and the Character development. They had meaningful back stories or motivations. I know it is just a 2 hour movie, but I wish Bay kind of took a page from them...

why 4 years shouldnt it be more than that? Sure alot can happen in 4 years but would make more sense to have the time be 10 years or more. With a longer time period you can totally redesign the bots add a bunch of new characters & restaff without little explanation. But thus us bay & hasvbro we're talking about and theres not one intelligent bone between them. But i do like that this movies off to such a great start, think there are more inconsistencies in this one so far than there were in the last 3 combined. But as long as bay is in control i have no hope for the movies, and as long has hasbro keeps doing what their doing i have no hope for the franchise.

This whole reboot/not a reboot saga is getting really stupid. Lets just waterboard Michael Bay till he tells us the plot.

Rated X wrote:This whole reboot/not a reboot saga is getting really stupid. Lets just waterboard Michael Bay till he tells us the plot.

Bay has stated time and again it's not a reboot. Not sure were the confusion is coming from.

Capt.Failure wrote:

Rated X wrote:This whole reboot/not a reboot saga is getting really stupid. Lets just waterboard Michael Bay till he tells us the plot.

Bay has stated time and again it's not a reboot. Not sure were the confusion is coming from.

The confusion comes from actors on Micheal Bay's payroll that are calling it a reboot. In particular, Marky Mark.

Starscream better return, but I'm gunna be surprised if they do something with his indestructible spark

Rated X wrote:

Capt.Failure wrote:

Rated X wrote:This whole reboot/not a reboot saga is getting really stupid. Lets just waterboard Michael Bay till he tells us the plot.

Bay has stated time and again it's not a reboot. Not sure were the confusion is coming from.

The confusion comes from actors on Micheal Bay's payroll that are calling it a reboot. In particular, Marky Mark.

And somehow the word of an actor who just joined the cast is greater than the frakin' director?

warzon3 wrote:Yes, they need humans to sell the movie to a wider audience, but I think they can make it a little more even. They have the production system in place after 3 movies. The efficency of the special effects could allow for more robot time.

Bay's movies feel like its more a movie about a Boy primarily. Rather than as Transformers movie.

Just look at Transformers Prime and the Character development. They had meaningful back stories or motivations. I know it is just a 2 hour movie, but I wish Bay kind of took a page from them...

Agreed on all points, although I will say this much; IMO, DOTM was a small step in the right direction.

The plot at least gave the Transformers more dpth this time around, featuring Sentinel as a turncoat, and Ironhide's death is done far more meaningfully than, say, the Arcees and Jetfire. While Jetfire's death is technically poignant, I personally felt nothing for his sacrifice. Maybe it's just that I don't like his "old man with Alzheimer's" characterization.

I could well be alone in this, but DOTM seems to feature far more characterization of the bots than the other two movies put together.

Sam's role in this was simply that he wanted to feel important again, while the plot (flawed as it is) developed independently. He makes his own contributions in unraveling the Decepticons' plans, but at least it never focused solely on him. Optimus has his own demons to fight after discovering his mentor's true motives, and even Megatron is trying to come to grips with his failing authority--though sadly these elements weren't very effectively shown on screen (hence, a small step in the right direction).

warzon3 wrote:Yes, they need humans to sell the movie to a wider audience, but I think they can make it a little more even. They have the production system in place after 3 movies. The efficency of the special effects could allow for more robot time.

Bay's movies feel like its more a movie about a Boy primarily. Rather than as Transformers movie.

Just look at Transformers Prime and the Character development. They had meaningful back stories or motivations. I know it is just a 2 hour movie, but I wish Bay kind of took a page from them...

Two problems here:

1. Just because it has more screen time for human characters doesn't mean it isn't a Transformers movie.

2. Bay isn't in charge of characterization. Blame the writers for that.

Ultra Markus wrote:"to broaden the franchise and give it more places to go"
what does he mean by that and should we be worried?

All it means is giving Hasbro more toys and repaints to flood stores with.

I'll be avoiding this new movie like I did the last two. These films are complete trash.

Very excited about part 4.

I think the designs will go in the direction of Gundam. So less milions of tiny parts but more big plates. Like Fall Of Cybertron.

But we do have to remember, Transformers aren't combat suits for humans. Their technology is far superior and all parts have to work kind of organic. Not simple cogs and a few wires.

I agree, you can't put the bots in front, rendering these guys costs way more then an actor.

I have high hopes for the next, DOTM was great imho, (I do focus on the good parts and try to mentally avoid the bad parts). And I gotta say, that was pretty hard in ROTF.
Just let the stupid silly bots be handbag sized so they can't do anything relevant in battle.
Then again, Brains and Wheely were pretty funny

Hopefully Hasbro will complete the main cast in figures and in good scale, still waiting for DOTM Leader Megatron/Shockwave.

So they'll kill Megatron for the fourth time.