Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

[MacGuffin]

Casting underway for 'Transformers 3'
Malkovich, McDormand set for Paramount pic
Source: Variety

Michael Bay has revealed that Frances McDormand and John Malkovich are joining the cast of Paramount's "Transformers 3."

News was posted on the filmmaker's official site.

Ken Jeong ("The Hangover") also will star in the third installment, which returns Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox in the title roles. Pic is tentatively set to bow July 1, 2011.

Bay begins pre-shoots next month. The three-quel will be shot around the globe, including in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Florida, Africa, Moscow and China.

Bay also disclosed that the newest Autobot to join the franchise is the Ferrari 458 Italia.

[mogwai]

Hm, Fargo + Being John Malkovich + Any shitty Michael Bay production, blend together = There you have it!

[RegularKarate]

Bay also disclosed that the newest Autobot to join the franchise is the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Who wants to bet this Transformer will talk about how spicy meatballs are?

[Neil]

Only if it's in 3-D.

[Sleepless]

Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox in the title roles.

Lead roles, surely?

[matt35mm]

I might finally watch a Transformers movie if LaBeouf and Fox are the titular transformers.

On second thought, that doesn't sound any stupider/nuts than what I've heard happens in the first two movies.

[MacGuffin]

MICHAEL BAY'S REVENGE! No More Megan
By Nikki Finke; Deadline Hollywood
 
EXCLUSIVE: I've just learned that Paramount won't be picking up Megan Fox's option on Transformers 3 -- and that it was "ultimately" director Michael Bay's decision. (So he gets his revenge for her remark comparing him to "Hitler".) Right now Bay and writer Ehren Kruger et al are finishing up the script for the threequel and "giving Shia a new love interest makes more sense for the story," an insider tells me. Bay will start casting immediately for the new female co-star. Let's hear your suggestions, readers...

So did Megan deserve to get fired? I say yes. No actor/actress can expect to go around dissing a director and expect to work together as if nothing happened. Much less the egotistical Bay. But in Fox, he had met his match. Why, as recently as this week Megan was quoted as dissing Bay yet again. In recent months she has shown off a more natural skin hue instead of her usual orange color -- and blamed the Transformers helmer for her unhealthy tanning binge. "I had been tanning a lot so that Michael would be happy with my skin tone. Every spare moment of sun that was outside, I had to be in it," the 24-year-old actress lamented in Allure magazine. "It's not going to happen again because of the damage and the possible skin cancer."

This is without doubt a huge blow to Megan's career, already damaged by her inability to open Twentieth's Fox Atomic film Jennifer's Body last September. The R-rated feminist horror flick did a pathetic $6.8M weekend for a script by Juno's Diablo Cody for a domestic total of only $16.2M and a worldwide take of just $31.5M. And talk about bad timing: right now she's doing publicity for her role in Jonah Hex to be released June 18th. Guess what everyone will ask her?

Nevertheless, my news today comes a shocker because back in October Bay announced that he had scheduled Transformers 3 for July 1st, 2011, and made a point to archly warn Megan personally about the rigors of this new installment:

"P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back. I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture. Please consult your Physician when working under my direction because some side effects can occur, such as mild dizziness, intense nausea, suicidal tendencies, depression, minor chest hair growth, random internal hemorrhaging and inability to sleep. As some directors may be hazardous to your health, please consult your Doctor to determine if this is right for you."

In case you've forgotten, Megan promoted Jennifer's Body in Wonderland magazine by accusing Bay of wanting to "create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he's a nightmare to work for." That ignited a firestorm of criticism of her. I broke the story when 3 "loyal" members of Bay's Transformers franchise crew asked his website to post their response to Fox. They detailed why she's the nightmare. (I love when there's honesty in Hollywood.) Here's that missive, again:

This is an open letter to all Michael Bay fans. We are three crew members that have worked with Michael for the past ten years. Last week we read the terrible article with inflammatory, truly trashing quotes by the Ms. Fox about Michael Bay. This letter is to set a few things straight.

Yes, Megan has great eyes, a tight stomach we spray with glycerin, and an awful silly Marilyn Monroe tattoo plastered on her arm that we cover up to keep the moms happy.

Michael found this shy, inexperienced girl, plucked her out of total obscurity thus giving her the biggest shot of any young actresses' life. He told everyone around to just trust him on his choice. He granted her the starring role in Transformers, a franchise that forever changed her life; she became one of the most googled and oogled women on earth. She was famous! She was the next Angelina Jolie, hooray! Wait a minute, two of us worked with Angelina – second thought – she's no Angelina. You see, Angelia is a professional.

We know this quite intimately because we've had the tedious experience of working with the dumb-as-a-rock Megan Fox on both Transformers movies. We've spent a total of 12 months on set making these two movies.

We are in different departments; we can't give our names because sadly doing so in Hollywood could lead to being banished from future Paramount work. One of us touches Megan's panties, the other has the often shitty job of pulling Ms. Sourpants out of her trailer, while another is near the Panaflex camera that helps to memorialize the valley girl on film.

Megan has the press fooled. When we read those magazines we wish we worked with that woman. Megan knows how to work her smile for the press. Those writers should try being on set for two movies, sadly she never smiles. The cast, crew and director make Transformers a really fun and energetic set. We've traveled around the world together, so we have never understood why Megan was always such the grump of the set?

When facing the press, Megan is the queen of talking trailer trash and posing like a porn star. And yes we've had the unbearable time of watching her try to act on set, and yes, it's very cringe-able. So maybe, being a porn star in the future might be a good career option. But make-up beware, she has a paragraph tattooed to her backside (probably due her rotten childhood) -- easily another 45 minutes in the chair!

So when the three of us caught wind of Ms Fox, pontificating yet again in some publication (like she actually has something interesting to say) blabbing her trash mouth about a director whom we three have grown to really like. She compared working with Michael, to "working with Hitler". We actually don't think she knows who Hitler is by the way. But we wondered how she doesn't realize what a disgusting, fully uneducated comment this was? Well, here let's get some facts straight.

Say what you want about Michael – yes at times he can be hard, but he's also fun, and he challenges everyone for a reason – he simply wants people to bring their 'A' game. He comes very prepared, knows exactly what he wants, involves the crew and expects everyone to follow through with his or her best, and that includes the actors. He's one of the hardest working directors out there.

He gets the best from his crews, many of whom have worked with him for 15 years. And yes, he's loyal, one of the few directors we've encountered who lowered his fee by millions to keep Transformers in the United States and California, so he could work with his own crew.

Megan says that Transformers was an unsafe set? Come on Megan, we know it is a bit more strenuous then the playground at the trailer park, but you don't insult one of the very best stunt and physical effects teams in the business! Not one person got hurt!

And who is the real Megan Fox? She is very different than the academy nominee and winning actors we've all worked around. She's as about ungracious a person as you can ever fathom. She shows little interest in the crew members around her. We work to make her look good in every way, but she's absolutely never appreciative of anyone's hard work. Never a thank you. All the crewmembers have stopped saying hi to Ms. Princess because she never says hello back. It gets tiring. Many think she just really hates the process of being an actress.

Megan has been late to the sets many times. She goes through the motions that make her exude this sense of misery. We've heard the A.D's piped over the radio that Megan won't walk from her trailer until John Turturro walks first! John's done seventy-five movies and she's made two!

Never expect Megan to attend any of the 15 or so crew parties like all the other actors have. And then there's the classless night she blew off The Royal Prince of Jordan who made a special dinner for all the actors. She doesn't know that one of the grips' daughters wanted to visit their daddy's work to meet Megan, but he wouldn't let them come because he told them "she is not nice."

The press certainly doesn't know her most famous line. On our first day in Egypt, the Egyptian government wouldn't let us shoot because of a permit problem as the actors got ready in make up at the Four Seasons Hotel. Michael tried to make the best of it; he wanted to take the cast and crew on a private tour of the famous Giza pyramids. God hold us witness, Megan said, "I can't believe Michael is fucking forcing us to go to the fucking pyramids!" I guess this is the "Hitler guy" she is referring to.

So this is the Megan Fox you don't get to see. Maybe she will learn, but we figure if she can sling insults, then she can take them too. Megan really is a thankless, classless, graceless, and shall we say unfriendly bitch. It's sad how fame can twist people, and even sadder that young girls look up to her. If only they knew who they're really looking up to.

But 'fame' is fleeting. We, being behind the scenes, seen em' come and go. Hopefully Michael will have Megatron squish her character in the first ten minutes of Transformers 3. We can tell you that will make the crew happy!

-Loyal Transformers Crew

That prompted Michael Bay to update his website with this message:

The Crew Letter
09/12/2009 11:32 PM
I don't condone the crew letter to Megan. And I don't condone Megan's outlandish quotes. But her crazy quips are part of her crazy charm. The fact of the matter I still love working with her, and I know we still get along. I even expect more crazy quotes from her on Transformers 3.
Michael

And then the Megan Fox publicity machine fought back by giving this non-statement from the actress to EW: "I have spoken with the parties involved privately. I am very fortunate to be involved in this amazing franchise and look forward to Transformers 3." (Interesting that now everything was private again after she started the brouhaha by going public in the first place.) Megan's flack then gave the media a letter in defense of the actress from a production assistant:

My name is Anthony Steinhart and I have worked on both Transformers movies and have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Fox.

I read the letter by the three unnamed crew people and was blown away by their description of Ms. Fox. Especially, since I am the one usually getting Ms. Fox at her trailer. I have personally never been nor ever witnessed Ms. Fox being rude or inconsiderate of people's feelings or the work to be done. Everyone is entitled to their good days and bad. Contrary to popular belief, she is like us (human) and has both good and bad days as well. Working on the Transformers movies can be intense at times and sometimes intense situations cause intense moments.

Some of the examples the three unnamed writers give as evidence of Ms. Fox and her horrible attitude are so ridiculous.

It's unfortunate the grip didn't want to bring his daughter to set because Megan Fox wasn't nice and not the fact that we had a closed to set. No visitors unless approved by the UPM [unit production manager]. That is what the call sheets have always said. By the way, Ms. Fox wished my 12-year-old brother a happy birthday over the phone while we were shooting in New Mexico. Not so heartless...

It's also unfortunate that she didn't attend any of the "15" parties, but I clearly remember her hanging out in New Mexico with some of the crew and watching her get hounded by passers-by as she walked through the hotel lobby and being nothing but gracious to her fans. Also isn't it refreshing to hear that she doesn't need to be a part of the party machine that sometimes swallows people whole, only to spit them out on the front page of every magazine. And incidentally, if these crew members were at the wrap party, I only saw 2 cast members there. Granted I wasn't there the whole night, but I was there long enough to know that the others probably weren't going to show.

I also remember walking with her through the hordes of people lined up, while we shot at Princeton and she signed autograph after autograph. She signed many publicity photos, magazines, pieces of white paper for crew members and their families. Now I know that isn't the same as curing a disease, but if we are to take anything an actor/actress says or does to personally, then I fear we have far greater problems on our hands.

Unfortunately, I don't always keep up with or hang on to quotes and/or quips "actresses" say, so I wasn't familiar with the incident that incited the tasteless letter, but none-the-less leave the war of words to those involved. No need to drag her name through the mud and at the same time, unknowingly, bring others down.

But, it's Michael Bay, not Megan, who gets the last word. Bitchslap!

[Pubrick]

bad things happen to bad ppl..

well, at least to idiots who bite the hand that feeds them.

especially when that hand happens to be feeding them only so it can ogle their breasts.

[MacGuffin]

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Confirmed for Transformers 3
by SuperHeroHype

Director Michael Bay's official website has confirmed that Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has landed the lead female role in Transformers 3. Huntington-Whiteley has worked with Bay before on his Victoria's Secret "A Thousand Fantasies" ad.

She joins Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Patrick Dempsey and Alan Tudyk in the third film scheduled for release on July 1, 2011.

In related news, the Los Angeles Times has more on the filming taking place in Los Angeles and other locations:

The DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures production has been shooting on a sound stage at the former Spruce Goose Howard Hughes hangar at Playa Vista and will film exterior shots throughout the L.A. area over the next several weeks, including Long Beach, West Hollywood, Century City and Malibu.

"Mike, [producer] Lorenzo [di Bonaventura] and I are all big fans of trying to keep as much of our production in L.A. as possible," said Bay's producing partner, Ian Bryce. "It's a big movie. All our stage work is being done here."

In all, six weeks of the 4 1/2 months of shooting will occur in the L.A. area, with the rest of the filming spread across Chicago, Detroit, Washington and Cape Canaveral, Fla., and a few foreign locales, including Russia and an undisclosed African country, Bryce said.

[Pubrick]

yeah i know, i've seen her naked already.

she's about as attractive as the transformers movies are enjoyable.

well at least the last shred that kept me noticing the franchise will be completely missing from the next installment, and by that i mean the single image of megan fox writhing around while washing that bike.. that's all i know of the second film and i'm happy i'll be able to skip ALL the publicity from now on and thus begin to rehabilitate my soul from ever knowing this piece of shit film series existed.

[MacGuffin]

Trailer here.

[MacGuffin]

New Trailer here.

[MacGuffin]

New Trailer here.

[picolas]

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Confirmed for Transformers 3

i realize i'm a year late but this photo was taken moments before michael bay gave her the role right?

[MacGuffin]

Michael Bay Says Steven Spielberg Told Him To Fire Megan Fox From 'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'
Tyrese Gibson Dreams Of Being On A Steven Spielberg Set
Source: Playlist

Let the "controversy" continue. Weeks after Shia LaBeouf claimed that Megan Fox's "Spice Girl strength" and her desire to be more than drapery with breasts and a butt on the set of the "Transformers" movies eventually got her booted by director Michael Bay. But the helmer of the robots-fighting-each-other movies now has his own slightly different version of what went down.

"She was in a different world, on her Blackberry. You gotta stay focused. And you know, the Hitler thing. Steven [Spielberg] said, 'Fire her right now.' " Bay told GQ (print edition). To refresh your memory, "the Hitler thing" in question is from way back in the fall of 2009, when Fox was doing press for "Jennifer's Body" and after "Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen" had been a huge box office success (so probably not the best timing in the world). "[Michael] wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is," Fox said. "So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all. It's endearing to watch him. He's so vulnerable and fragile in real life and then on set, he's a tyrant."

For his part, Bay makes no apologies for being demanding and says her comments didn't really bother him. "I wasn't hurt, because I know that's just Megan. Megan loves to get a response. And she does it in the wrong way. I'm sorry Megan, I'm sorry I made you work twelve hours. I'm sorry that I'm making you show up on time. Movies are not all warm and fuzzy," he said. And his dudes on the set back him up.

"She started shit-talking our captain. Which you can't do," LaBeouf said to the magazine perhaps explaining why he chose to throw Fox under the bus a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, screenwriter Ehren Kruger said that while Fox did show up in the early days of production on 'Dark Of The Moon,' she clearly wasn't feeling it. "She was there for rehearsals. But she seemed like an actress who didn't want to be part of it. She was saying she wanted to, but she wasn't acting like it," he told GQ.

So what to make of all this? We're still mostly amazed the grudge has lasted nearly two years after the comments were first made. The Australian press depressingly notes that following her comments—which admittedly were probably not the right way to go about voicing her discontent with Bay—"drew the ire of the film's crew, who compared her acting to that of a porn star." Clearly, the immaturity on both sides was pretty high and in some ways, continues to be. Moreover, why Bay decided to invoke the name of the executive producer Spielberg is beyond us. Seems like the classier thing to do would be to move on from it. But it's pretty understandable why the director of "Schindler's List" and the founder of Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation might not be too happy to hear Hitler a comparison tossed around so easily. But whether or not that turned into an order to axe her from the film seems dubious, considering she showed up to work on it.

But it's wasn't all Nazi references and finger pointing on the set on 'Dark Of The Moon.' In fact Tyrese Gibson remains positively upbeat about everything and even has (absurdly unrealistic dreams) about who will direct an eventual fourth installment of the series should Bay move on.

"If Michael Bay decides to come back for 'Transfomers 4,' I'll be there. We'll make it happen. (Right now), I think we are all exhausted with the process. If this movie does what we are all assuming it's going to do, then, I think its time to revisit this conversation. When it's time. There are no concepts, no direction, no nothing for 'Transfomers 4,' because everyone has been so focused on 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon.' But here is the safety net. Are you ready for this? Michael Bay decides to not come back for 'Transfomers 4.' There is always Steven Spielberg!," Gibson exclaimed to MovieWeb. "I am not saying that Steven Spielberg is for a fact going to direct 'Transfomers 4.' But it is a beautiful safety net to know that one of the biggest, most respected directors in the world happens to be an executive producer on 'Transformers.' He is someone who knows this world. And he could easily step in and direct 'Transfomers 4' if he decided to." We love the enthusiasm Tyrese, but it ain't gonna happen.

But leave it the singer/model/rapper/actor to show everyone else how to handle an uncomfortable question with class. Asked about his thoughts on Mudflap and Skids, the "urban" borderline racist Transformers from the last film, Gibson said, "I never liked those characters, and I am glad they're not back. I think that every nationality in the world deserves to walk out of a movie and still feel good about themselves. I think it's a responsibility to the fans. I just didn't like some of the things they were saying, and the way they were going about whatever it was they were doing in that film. To be honest, I didn't think that they added to the movie at all. I guess [Michael Bay] was just feeling something out. Moving on, we're here now."

That's how you answer a question folks. Direct, but without tossing anyone to the wolves. "Transfomers: The One Without Megan Fox In It" hits theaters on June 29th.