Michael Bay Talks 'Transformers' Sequel
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, Fandom, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
If you ask most fans, it seems the consensus is that if you didn't like Transformers, you deserve to be shot. While disapproving critics (like our own James Rocchi and Scott Weinberg) deal with personal insults and the occasional death threat ... (one second, I'm just adding to my list of things Transformers and Scientology have in common) ... director Michael Bay is already talking up the sequel. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bay (after he noted that he watched 15 minutes of the original 1986 Transformers movie and "wanted to put a gun to my head") says he "has a lot of ideas for the next one." Of course, the powers that be will wait to see how this one does first -- but having grossed $65 million in only two days, I can't see anyone over at Paramount opposing another go-round.
Bay, who's only ever directed one sequel in his career (Bad Boys 2), continued: "There's a lot of really cool, big robot stuff that I had in my head that we didn't do. I just want to see how this works. You might not grow as much as a director [to do a sequel]. But it's kind of like you have your baby and you don't want someone else to take it.." When asked whether he would make Transformers 2 his next film, Bay replied: "I don't know if it would be ready. It just takes so long to do a script. A couple things are on the horizon, but [maybe] I'll do my little movie that I can knock out, because we all think we're going to have a strike." When Bay refers to his "little movie," he's talking about Pain and Gain -- a flick he says is a "mixture of Fargo and Pulp Fiction" about "these guys who work at a gym, and nothing's good enough." Ah, the jokes would be too easy.
Personally, I didn't love nor hate Transformers. My moviegoing experience was fun (people were screaming, cheering, etc ...), but I did feel a tad dumber by the time the credits finally rolled. And no, I'm not some snobby, elitist critic -- I guess I'm just getting tired of watching Michael Bay rip off scenes from ... Michael Bay. Yeah I'd be down for a sequel, but I would also fully support giving someone else a try behind the camera. Heck, Len Wiseman impressed the hell out of me with his action sequences in Live Free or Die Hard -- why not give him a shot?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-05-2007 @ 7:12PM
brian said...
Len Wiseman? Impressed you? Let him direct the next Transformers? I will never take one of your posts seriously...ever...again.
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7-05-2007 @ 9:00PM
cmp said...
Eh,...
I think Brian Singer, JJ Abrams or John Woo would do a better job.
Who's Len Wiseman? :)
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7-05-2007 @ 9:40PM
Julie said...
A Transformers writer is upset that Libertas liked the movie: http://www.libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/?p=5790
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7-06-2007 @ 7:07AM
Lauren said...
After seeing Bay's version of Transformers, perhaps he should concentrate on learning how to direct ACTUAL people instead of just the CGI. Let's let someone like Christopher Nolan take a shot at the next one.
CGI is one thing, but if the story is boring and the dialog is bland, people might wise up the next time around..... at least you'd hope so.
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7-05-2007 @ 11:04PM
K said...
Er, cmp @ #2:
JJ Abrams? John Woo? Are you smoking crack?
JJ should stick to TV, because he has no idea how to control suspense nor move a story along without help from commercials that hide his obvious lack of understanding in film narrative. John Woo is just a fucking hack, and he even admits to as much himself!
And yeah, who the hell is Len Wiseman?
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7-05-2007 @ 11:43PM
cmp said...
@K #4
Thanks for the 'crack' part.
I only said that they could do a BETTER job. Not that they are best directors in the history of cinema.
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7-06-2007 @ 3:49AM
Camperton said...
Who should direct the next Transformers? Anyone but Bay.
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7-06-2007 @ 3:52AM
Camperton said...
I'd also like to ad that Tranny's are now officially the most annoying fanbase on the planet. Topping even the Browncoats. Who knew until they all came out of the woodwork on July 3rd? A day that will live in infamy.
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7-06-2007 @ 3:59AM
K said...
Er, cmp, wake up, dude -
No, those two won't do a better job. How can they? Abrams and Woo both suck at it. They're both rip-offs, they're hacks.
Bryan Singer is much better. And that's probably he's gay. So he's in a category all his own there. Wait - he should be in the same one as David Fincher, who is also a flamer.
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7-06-2007 @ 3:59AM
Camperton said...
Say what you want about Len Wiseman but at least the action sequences in Live Free Or Die Hard were cohesive and decipherable. Transformers looked like it was shot by Joseph Kahn on a crack bender and then edited with a Garden Weasel.
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7-06-2007 @ 8:34AM
Jessica said...
Alright! I hope Elita one makes an appearance!!
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7-06-2007 @ 9:06AM
Phillip said...
All I have is 2 words when it comes to directors. Peter Jackson.
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7-06-2007 @ 9:07AM
Uatu theWatcher said...
Not sure if the sequel is going to happen. Rumor has it that Megatron might have a scheduling with conflict with Bridges of Madison County 2.
http://www.makeminemarvel.com/
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7-06-2007 @ 10:50AM
Doogs said...
As much as I enjoyed Transformers (I really, really didn't expect to like Bumblebee so much), yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing someone other than Bay helm the sequel.
While I would love to see Spielberg pony up, I doubt that will ever happen. Failing him, I would love to see Transformers in the hands of Ridley Scott.
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7-06-2007 @ 10:57AM
Ralph said...
re #13; I love the idea of a Transformer in a straight role, even as a short film joke. Too bad the CGI is prohibitively pricey; it would make a funny SNL skit.
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7-06-2007 @ 12:34PM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Len Wisemen tried to copy McTiernan's opening camerawork from the original Die Hard. It worked for 5 minutes. After that, Len was pretty pedestrian. Say what you will about bay - he loves his long shots of cars moving on shimmering roads, loves the military and loves God-shots. He's a music video director...
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7-06-2007 @ 12:36PM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Are my friends - strangely all educated at top UCs - odd as we found the human part the best element of Transformers. The robot stuff was blah but the family bits and the soldiers were the most compelling part of the movie. hell, the dialogue was even funny. The robots...they sucked but they're robots so you can't expect them to be interesting.
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7-06-2007 @ 3:31PM
cmp said...
aight.
Let's go with either Ridley Scott or James Cameron for Transformers 2.
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7-07-2007 @ 11:39AM
notntrastid said...
Ok, so.... did anyone like the movie?
How'bout an actual review before I spend my money; this director talk is killing me...only because I have no clue what u guyz r talking about ~:/
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7-07-2007 @ 12:04PM
AAH said...
I LOVED the movie. The CGI was great. Very realilistic. Its deffinatly a new steping stone for the CGI movies. Very true to the old comics. And for a sequil: The transformers game on PSP shows at the end where Starscreem and the "Tank" robot fight amongst themselves. And the movie shows how Starscreem goes back to Cybertron. It agrees with the game. Im trying to not give the ending away, if no one hasnt done so already.
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