"By Borys Kit and Tatiana Siegel
Shia LaBeouf is in final negotiations to star in "Transformers," the DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures live-action adaptation of the 1980s Hasbro toy line of giant robots that morph into cars, trucks, planes, ships and other technological creations.
Michael Bay is directing the movie, which is being produced by Angry Films' Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto and Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Steven Spielberg is executive producing.
In Transformers lore, the robots are divided into two groups: the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, who believe in tolerance and the sanctity of life; and the Decepticons, led by Megatron, who espouse survival of the fittest and the extermination of biological life.
LaBeouf will play Spike Witwicky, an 18-year-old on the lookout for his first car. When he buys one, he discovers it is actually an elite sentinel for the Autobots.
The original script is by John Rogers, while Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci penned the most recent draft.
Hasbro's Brian Goldner also is exec producing.
The movie, which has a July 4, 2007, release date, is set to start shooting in Los Angeles in May.
Adam Goodman is overseeing for DreamWorks.
LaBeouf will now have the distinction of starring in the first two DreamWorks movies to go before cameras since Paramount acquired the studio -- he also is starring in DreamWorks' "Disturbia," which starts shooting Friday. He most recently starred in "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and will next appear in "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," followed by Emilio Estevez's "Bobby.""
Go to Don Murphy's message board to see the original post.
EDIT FROM SEIBERTRON: Now if they'd only get Bruce Willis to play Sparkplug ... :)
