We have excerpts from the interview for you below and you can access the full article here: https://www.bet.com/article/7vzeq8/tran ... ls-trailer
“It’s been two years now — Anthony [Ramos, who plays the lead male role] and I talk about having this type of opportunity but also understanding it’s our time. For us to be in this position where we can tell a story about our culture, our people, and see ourselves portrayed on the big screen blending in with these vast genres is special. There are not too many people on the actor or director side to be in this position on this scale and scope, and we’re doing our best to carry this weight. No matter how many times [Anthony] and I look at each other on set, tired and all, we realize we’re able to do something special and for a reason. We created something special, and it feels great to be in this position — super honored and blessed.”
“The movie takes place in the 90s when the album Ready Or Die was released, so that’s why [Juicy] was the perfect record to choose. His voice and what he meant in that era and time captures much of what we’re doing in the film. Fishback, who originally is from Brooklyn — her character and Ramos's character have a lot of big dreams and hit glass ceilings but ultimately become the heroes saving the world discreetly as that’s how the Transformer laws are. You have these average folks transforming into something huge and special we didn't know existed, so the record was a right move — it was our anthem on set, so we played Biggie or Anthony was singing [The Tempations].”
In terms of how the seventh installment will elevate the franchise, Ramos feels the new characters, especially with Black and Brown people in leading roles, will play a factor.
“We have new elements and characters, with Black and Brown people in the lead roles,” he said.
“Things have expanded, and with me being from New York, where the story is set in Brooklyn, this feels like it’s for all my homies in the projects. [Steven] and the creative team allowed us to tell a story in a major franchise like [Transformers] in a part of New York that doesn’t always get highlighted in this kind of way. The series saw Shia LeBeouf and Mark Wahlberg as the lead, and now it’s me. It was Megan Fox, Nicola Peltz, and now Dominique. This film incorporates the Beast wars, the Terrorcons — it’s going crazy.”
