Michael Bay Upset With McG's Giant Terminators

by Elisabeth Rappe Jan 13th 2009 // 9:02AM

Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Is there anything more amusing than the bickering of film directors? Not on a slow news day such as this! Our friends over at Slashfilm have dug up a charming feud between Transformers' Michael Bay and Terminator: Salvation's McG. Naturally, it occurs over who has the biggest ... robot. Or rather, who came up with the concept of giant robots first.

Bay fired the first volley on his official website after the Transformers 2 teaser poster was unveiled. "Okay it's time to turn up the heat on Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen. We've waited low in the weeds letting all the summer movies get their stuff out. We've seen the great year end movies, and watched the upcoming clips of the upcoming summer fare. We've seen certain movies coming out even try to duplicate Transformer size robots in their ads. Please, come on. Well, I promise you we will rock your world with Transformers 2. The fans wanted ROBOTS KICKING ASS - well we got it. Today we are releasing the teaser poster and soon the onslaught will continue with a steady drum beat until June 26th."

What other giant robot movie could he mean? Why, Terminator: Salvation of course, and McG wasn't going to take that lying down. He fired back via Comcast's Movie Blog. "It bothers me to tell you the truth. Ultimately, our large robots have nothing to do with the Transformers robots. I say with respect, giant robots have been the theme of film for a real long time . So we want to do everything we can to create separation. Our film's about T-800s and the Marcus character and the Connor character, and this, that, and the other. So, to have people have a problem with that wouldn't be working for us so we want to make sure there's separation."
So, how shall the feud be settled? Comcast is leaning towards a fight between T-800s and Transformers, while Slashfilm is arguing for a boxing match a'la Uwe Boll vs the Critics ... because really, what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?

19 Comments

Tags: Bay McG feud, BayMcgFeud, featured, mcg, Michael Bay, MichaelBay, Paramount, terminator 4, terminator salvation, Terminator4, TerminatorSalvation, transformers 2, transformers 2 revenge of the fallen, Transformers2, Transformers2RevengeOfTheFallen, warner bros, WarnerBros

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-13-2009 @ 9:23AM

David Fendley said...

This shows what is wrong with Bay's attitude towards film, and what is right with McG's. I have high hopes for "Terminator: Salvation".

--comment edited by staff

1-13-2009 @ 9:24AM

David Fendley said...

Ugh, typo. Wish I could edit my comment.

1-13-2009 @ 10:23AM

Bhanu said...

Clearly Transformers is the greatest movie(its one of a kind). Bay just want to turn up the heat.

1-13-2009 @ 11:39AM

LordPaul said...

2 of a kind, surely?

1-13-2009 @ 12:10PM

Bhanu said...

Sure. I bet you cannot show me a movie like that with awesome Cg and awesome action.

1-13-2009 @ 4:52PM

LordPaul said...

Uh, I meant Transformers 2.

Really?

1-13-2009 @ 9:11PM

Bhanu said...

yes..

1-13-2009 @ 10:28AM

ML said...

Oh please. Anything for hype.

1-13-2009 @ 10:29AM

Jim said...

Ha! There's nothing more hilarious than two hack directors engaged in a war of words. "No, MY crappy giant robot movie is better than your crappy giant robot movie!"

1-13-2009 @ 1:30PM

Mr. R said...

Bay provides a good service with his horrible movies, that of lobotomizing idiots around the country with his stupid explosion driven arguments and cheezy American victory rants. Who knows what those idiot fans would be conjuring instead. Let's have Transformers 3,4,5 and 6. Let's keep the world's dangerous minds busy with lameness and giant robots.

1-13-2009 @ 1:42PM

King Zilch said...

Meanwhile, the original giant robot cartoons and toys, the ones that got cannibalized for the original Transformers line, are pointing at Bay and facepalming.

1-13-2009 @ 2:01PM

Stephen said...

They could always merge the franchises and create Transforminator.

/sarcasm

1-13-2009 @ 2:19PM

meltzer.justin said...

Does anyone remember Brad Bird's "Iron Giant?" Or how about the ORIGINAL "The Day the Earth Stood Still?" Two movies that came out well before Transformers that had giant robots.

And Thank you King Zilch for pointing out the original Transformer cartoon in this argument.

So did they all copy you too, Michael Bay? HUH!?!

I may not be a huge fan of McG, but I have to give it to the guy, he at least has a head on his shoulders. Sadly I don't think the same can be said of Mr. Bay.

1-13-2009 @ 3:21PM

Gordon McAlpin said...

I thought the giant robot in the Terminator: Salvation looked A LOT like the Iron Giant (spoilerish) after he got all war machined out later in the movie...

1-13-2009 @ 2:36PM

Larry said...

This is good publicity for both movies, I think most people will go see both films. This little spat could just be a publicity stunt. It's working. From now thru summer fans of both films will be saying one is better than the other. Good PR. As for who will win the boxoffice battle between the two, I have to give the edge to Transformers 2. Bay and McG should come up with some designs for a video game that pits SKYNET against Autobot and Decepticon factions, human factions are in it as well.

1-13-2009 @ 4:08PM

bcbudx said...

i think Bay is really just a boddy with a giant a hot air filled head. The makes nothing but turd movies with no plot or storey to speak of and he makes up for it with explosions and CG. I mean i realize that he makes summer no thinking movies, but common if he thinks he invted the giant robot movie genre then he's more egotistically idiotic then i previously thought. Iron Giant, Robot Jox, The original transformers cartoon, hell even the original Terminator had giant robots in it befoe he released his buchering of a great cartoon and story. Only thing Bay needs to be bitching about is his lack of talent for make good movies.

This is not to say McG has had a great line up of movies under his belt (charlies angels good god turd pile) but i give him more latitude to come aroudn to creating good movies then Bay.

well thats my rant. hehehe

1-13-2009 @ 4:20PM

stevenh said...

i can't believe michael bay actually talks like that. turn up the heat! lol because you know, before him, robots were never giant and only made in normal size. he is by far the bigger douche than mcg, which is saying a LOT.

1-13-2009 @ 9:54PM

Wayne said...

I wonder how Bay felt about the climax of "Iron Man"?

1-15-2009 @ 10:41AM

Bill said...

I predict both movies will stink...and gross 400 million worldwide. The next Indiana Jones movie will then have giant robots in it. The trend will die out when Legally Blonde 3: Elle Woods vs. the Decepticons tanks at the box office.