We have seen plenty of pictures of the Audi R8 but now there is video review that also shows off the toy, provides comparison to other Transformers and shows off the "Mech Alive" feature that the Transformers 2 toy line will use. Thanks to cypherXR for the link.
"Markerguru" has posted the cover to Transformers Alliance #3 that is coming out February 18th. Alliance is a four issue mini-series that bridges the gap between the end of the first movie and the beginning of the sequel (more or less).
As noted by the artist, the "the decepticon shown on this cover are: fracture, reverb, jetstorm, and gunbarrel. not in that order. i'll just let you guess which is which. it should be pretty easy now right? note: no new movie characters shown here. so to anyone who guess soundwave, you be wrong." The four characters are mostly Energon repaints re-released with the first Transformers movie line so probably will be cannon fodder in the issue.
Clearer pictures of the Deluxe Audi R8 from the Transformers 2 toy line are up on ACToys.net. They are similar to the previous pictures, but now with correct robot transformation. Overall, a very cool toy that will probably look equally excellent in full CGI rendering for the movie. Below are a few select images, the full gallery is here. Thanks to cypherXR for the heads-up.
The first issue of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Defiance #1 will arrive in stores on January 21st and as part of that IDW has released multiple covers and a five page sneak peak. Also a sneak peak of issue number 4 cover (left) which looks very good. More importantly, Optimus Prime's opponent looks identical to the leaked image of Megatron complete with cannon and claw.
Defiance is the one with Megatron kneeling before some object that looks similar to the poster face. Below are two additional covers for issue #1. Click here for the sneak peak.
As for the story, according to mini-series writer Chris Mowry on his blog:
The series takes place before the events of the first TRANSFORMERS movie. It expands on the events from the first movie and this summer's sequel. If all goes well, it'll help expand upon the movie universe and set the stage for future stories as well.I still haven't figured out how this series plays out compared to the other prequel mini-series Transformers: Alliance. My best guess is Defiance is more of an origin story for the entire movie universe while Alliance is a direct prequel for the upcoming sequel. The issue will be out this Wednesday, so be sure to check your local comic book store. Thanks to Gregory for the links and issue 4 cover and lowHertz for the issue 1 covers.
It's an origin that's a bit different. Cybertron isn't the same planet that we know. It's flourishing. Characters are working together and not killing one another. The society is based upon peace and the expansion of their knowledge. Megatron serves as the planet's protector. With his soldiers, the planet has enjoyed peace for a long time. Optimus heads up the science and construction division. He's the "blue collar" character who will eventually find himself thrust into a situation that he's never been in before. It's a different time and a very different place, but it all goes horribly wrong.
Roberto Orci has returned to TFW2005's Orci Q&A Thread and provided some comments Transformers 2. The questions run all over the place from the Superbowl trailer, story beats, and characters like Jolt the Volt. As usual my comments are in parenthesis. Thanks to Gregory for the heads-up.
if you could choose any Transformers for TF3, who would they be (Transformers from TF1 and ROTF don’t count) and why?
Unicron. For scale's sake. (Keep in mind this is an off the cuff answer, not "proof" of what TF3 will be about. There doesn't even exist a TF3 script at this time.)
what are you working on right now? Writing bot lines for the voice actors? How's the film shaping up? Looking good? Has your mind been blown?
Bay has been kind enough to show us some scenes so we can have a second chance at some of the dialogue now that we know what footage we have. I think it is going well, but there is still much work to do between now and June. But Michael hit it out of the park again.
what do you think us fans will be most pleased with in the sequel?
I think the fans will like the seriousness with which the Transformers mythology is treated, and the closer characterizations of some of the main Transformers.
Will it be as revealing as the trailer for the first film? Is it going to give away lots of money shots?
There are so many "money" shots in this movie that a 20 minute trailer couldn't give them all away.
was the Chevy Volt TF kind of shoved into the film by GM and not really in the script?
Yes, we had to figure it out last minute, but everything was running at a hectic pace because of the writer's strike. It was no problem, though, because the Volt is truly unique, and actually fit well onto our existing Autobot team. (Never understood why GM tried to deny this as clearly their 2010 car marketing stragedy hinges on the Volt.)
do you have any idea if the Super Bowl trailer is going to be a 30 sec one or possibly a 60 to 90 sec one?
Don't know if that's been decided yet. We have both lengths ready to go! (Considering every 30 seconds costs $3 million, that is going to be one expensive trialer).
I know you mentioned that all the Decepticons will be military vehicles. Will any of the Autobots be a military vehicle?
I meant, in the first movie, we decided they would all be military vehicles. A Little more variety this time. (The Audi, Constructicons, etc already indicate that the Decepticons are not all military this time.)
out of all the scenes you've seen would you say the Decepticons have good enough screen time?
i don't know yet, but it's looking like yes.
Is there something worth mentioning that this second movie is lacking or weaker than the first one?
might be a few minutes longer, which in our minds is a weakness. You may not agree. (As long as the extra time is Transformer related and not human characters related, length is good.)
I'm almost positive about this but, did Michael request more detail and realism than before for all robots?
Yes. ILM, as a result of all the R&D of the first movie is able to do much more this time in terms of detail and movement. (So basically be prepared to be even more impressed.)
when will the actors go into the studios and do some recording
Doing it little by little. Already had a few sessions.
What made you want to put a pretender in this movie.
You'll see. It fits the story.
How late into production was the Chevy Volt/Jolt added? Was it during filming, or right after the strike when you guys had to jam out a script? And... since he was added so late, does he fit organically into the movie?
No, we put him in before production started, during the mad dash to get a shooting draft ready. But we always knew we WANTED to put him in from early on when we saw the design and realized it was a truly unique car. We just had to convince Michael that he could fit organically into the team and be as cool as the others. (Yeah I really can't argue that the Volt is a neat looking car, the only question is will it be a neat Transformer.)
The Arker.com has posted pictures of the Transformers 2 Deluxe toy for the Audi R8 seen at the Bethlehem and Philly shoot, usually involved in a chase sequence. It is also the same vehicle mentioned on the call sheets (which have yet to be contradicted) and it matches the leaked robot mode (pic above) of the character. The person with the toy just didn't quite do the transformation right. The name of the character currently isn't known. It is a Decepticon, it reminds me of Barricade but the face mold is different. However, there is nothing preventing Barricade from returning in a new mode since his final fate has never been officially confirmed. Below are a select pictures, but the full galleries of images are here and here.
Thanks to Gregory for the link to what appears to be a posting of a potential Transformers 2 Voyager class Construction toy on ACToys.net. As some have pointed out, the toy looks pretty close to a Terex RH400, which is considered the "largest hydraulic excavator in the world." At first I want to be dismissive of this toy as it hasn't been transformed properly and it seems to lack the detail that the movie toys normally have. However, we have not seen the robot mode and a red Terex RH400 does match the rumor on Devastor.
Assuming this toy is legit, does this prove that a combiner of 7 Constructions is in Transformers 2? Consider a few things. One is the call sheet which described one Transformer character as a "Constructicon Earth Mover." Also an anonymous source whose information proved reliable way back in late June told me) that the Constructicon would not be one of several, but a single TF whose alt mode is the "world's largest earth mover". The RH400 fits that bill nicely.
It is way too early to draw any definitive conclusions but I have had doubts for a while about a true combiner in the film due mostly to costs. If history holds, hopefully in a week or so more pictures will come out to clarify things.
Transformers 2 writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci spoke with FirstShowing.net in a two part interview about their two summer projects. Part 1 covered Star Trek and part 2 was about writing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, their other projects and approach to movies in general. Below are choice bits from the interview, the full text is here.
Christopher Nolan did a lot of research into figuring out how to make The Dark Knight, or for that matter, any sequel better than the first film and to make it better in every way he could. For Transformers 2, is this something you guys actively thought about moving into it? Or how much actual–
Roberto Orci: You bet. We resisted it for a long time.
Alex Kurtzman: Especially because the first movie was such a big success and then it was like let's just make another one. For us, I think the credibility that we would've lost — forget with the world, but just with ourselves — to saying yes before we really had a good idea, would've been really disappointing. I think for us, before we locked into what the idea was for the movie, we had to say: "What are the sequels that influenced us as kids and why did they influence us?" The answer was always the same. It was that the movie stood on its own, completely on its own and was a–
Orci: Like Superman II, Empire Strikes Back–
Kurtzman: Aliens.
Orci: What are the movies where the sequel was as good as the first one? Those are the things we referenced and thought about and watched again.
What was the timeline in connection with the writers' strike? Were you guys brought on before the writers' strike?
Orci: It was insane. We literally started breaking stories two weeks before the strike. In two weeks, we generated an outline. It was pens down the minute the strike hit. We didn't deal with Michael at all during the strike.
Kurtzman: They prepped the movie off of the outline.
Orci: Yeah, but we had to come up with set pieces and sort of the basic thrusts of the movie and Michael prepped a lot of it. And the second the strike ended, it was like two months — I'm not exaggerating — two months between starting to write and day one of direction. So it was a crazy, crazy race to get it done.
How many changes or how much did Michael Bay add when he did his, as we all reported, his notes about the sequel and story ideas for the sequel during the writers' strike? How much did that play into what eventually became the final script?
Kurtzman: He actually didn't do anything other than, in his own mind, elaborate on action sequences. We had set up the foundation for a lot of those action sequences and he kind of came in and just–
Orci: Add a sight gag here or a joke there.
Kurtzman: But story-wise, it was kind of what it was and it never changed from the first thing we pitched to what we ended up shooting. We didn't have a choice. It was what was there.
Have you chosen to include certain robots because people really wanted to see Soundwave or something like that?
Orci: Yeah, sure, absolutely. We excluded Soundwave from the first movie because we knew that the version we were discussing was going to be too off-putting and we put other things in there based on fan responses. Same with the sequel.
Little bit of Transformers 2 toy line news with info on the voice changer helmets and Ultimate Bumblebee. The Optimus Prime helmet will have new lines, a transform sound effect, and damage paint. Since Hasbro is producing a Bumblebee helmet, I guess that means voice of Bumblebee, Mark Ryan, will have more to say in the sequel and indicates a possible retirement of using the radio to speak (a production money saver, since permission and money required for every bit used).
Ultimate Bumblebee will return, probably in his $80ish price range. There is an indication that his head is getting a new mold or at the very least they are adding the face guard. It’s hard to tell from the image but I imagine his body will be modified to match the production version of the Chevy Camaro.
In a promo for next week's episode of Knight Rider (yeah I watch, its silly but fun show), there is just a snippet of Peter Cullen reprising his role as KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot) for the show. A re-redesign of the 80s series villain shows clear inspiration from Transformers. To me the voice just sounds like an angry Optimus Prime.
TFW2005 has a link to several ebay auctions for Ransack, Depthcharge and Deluxe Soundwave. As part of the Soundwave auctions are the first pictures of a potential alt mode for the deluxe class Soundwave that I have seen. Apparently the alt mode could be a Cybertronian jet rather then a satellite or possibly this character could be like Starscream from the first movie where Hasbro released a pre-earth fall mode and then the earth jet mode. Another theory is he could simple be a triple-changer. Without the retail packaging, we really can't consider anything as confirmed so all theories remain valid. Looks pretty good though.
TFW2005 has posted about the DPCIs that Target is using to describe the various classes and sub-lines for the upcoming Transformers 2 toy line. I have no idea what a DPCI is; the main thing is the labels. There will be deluxe figures ($10), scouts ($6), Voyagers ($20), Leader ($40), and return of Ultimate Bumblebee (I imagine with updated body). There are also new classes such as Helmet Roleplay, Power bots, and Gravity bots. There are two listings for combiners, one is probably for Superion and Bruticus but what is the second DPCI for (the Constructicons perhaps)?
Target's DPCIs
087-06-0111 TF MV2 Deluxe Figures
087-06-0115 TF MV2 Scout Figures
087-06-0119 Transformers MV2 Optimus Prime Helm
087-06-0120 TF MV2 Voyager
087-06-0122 TF MV2 Leader
087-06-0125 TF MV2 Gravity Bots
087-06-0127 Transbattler MV2 FAB
087-06-0128 TF MV2 Robot Replicas
087-06-0131 TF MV2 Robot Hero Scene
087-06-0139 Tran Weapon MV2 Robot Weapons
087-06-0141 Trans Helmet MV2 Helmet Roleplay
087-06-0146 TF MV2 Combiners
087-06-0162 TF MV2 Ultimate Bumblebee
087-06-0163 TF MV2 Power bots
087-06-0164 TF MV2 Mega Power bots
087-06-0171 TF MV2 Legends
087-06-0294 TRA Combiner TF MV2
In an interview with IGN, Transformers 2 writer Roberto Orci confirms that there is a Pretender and Ravage in the movie. He does not go so far as to verify they are one and the same. This is the first official confirmation of these two pieces of information. Does that make the rumors from the other day more legit? And what about those videos? Thanks to captainclueless for the link.
IGN: Last time we spoke, you revealed that Soundwave was in the movie and hinted at the possibility of Ravage, so I'm wondering if you can say anything more about what new characters will be in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Orci: So I said Ravage... maybe?
IGN: Pretty much, yeah.
Orci: [As if giving a big reveal] Ravage!
IGN: [Laughs] Damn, I should have told you that you said Ravage for sure!
Orci: Hmm… I'll give you an exclusive here. There is a Pretender. I'm going to get killed for saying that.
IGN: Storywise, how does the sequel compare to the first one?
Orci: It's an extreme [jump] from the first one. The outrageous, crazy humor is more outrageous, but then so is the serious side of it and so is the stakes of the Transformers plot and the seriousness with which some of their mythology is treated. So it kind of swings wildly between those two extremes, and that I think was one of the successful parts of the first movie. Again, some of the die hard fans will be equally annoyed at some of the things they see, but I can also say they will be more gratified than they were for the first one, to see how some of the Transformers story and how their battle takes place in the second one.
IGN: There was a leaked image the other day of a Sideswipe toy. I don't even know if Sideswipe is in the movie, since the toys sometimes include extra characters, but the look of this toy was more like the original Transformers than the first film. On the design side, are the Transformers looking the same in this one, or are there some tweaks?
Orci: Well, you know, your favorites – Optimus and Bumblebee – look the same. Some of the new Transformers coming up, even the old Transformers that we had, have benefited from the fact that -- I actually heard this from ILM -- because they had all the rendering and the stuff from the first movie, they were able to get much more specific and articulate with their range of motion and emotions in the second movie, which has a bigger budget and it has all that research and development sunk into the original models. So there's going to be more articulation of the characters facially, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. I have not seen how far they've taken it.
If your interested, there are more pictures online of a few toys from the Transformers 2 toy line. They are large so not re-creating them here and do an good job of showing the toys from all the angles for those considering a purchase.
Fast Action Battler Optimus Prime
Scout Class TFs - Dirtboss (forklift), Rollbar (blue delivery truck), Deadend and (red race car)
Update: Two more galleries.
Fast Action Battler Megatron
Tokyo International Toy Forum - Pictures of various TF toys on display including Masterpiece Grimlock. No movie related items where on display.
If you have thousands dollars to blow, hit this eBay auction to own nearly every Generation 1 Transformers made from 1984 to 1988. The final count is around 248 Transformers, some multiples of each other, some in their boxes, many not. For me the auction is just fun because of all the pictures of all those toys I remember wanting but not able to get as a child.
Total Film has announced its Movie Blog Awards nominations and Transformers Live Action Blog is nominated in the Fan blog category. It is the first award nomination for this website and having a competitive streak I wouldn't mind going 1 for 1.
To vote (hopefully for me) go here.
Some new rumors about Transformers 2 for your consumption and discussion. The first comes from AllSpark.com's "Toadimus Prime". My comments are in parenthesis.
… a friend of mine works for a company that's licensing some merchandise for ROTF and told me a few things that he's seen for the upcoming film, including some early CGI stuff etc.In addition to the above, "Tawd" reports that someone he knows received some promotional material for Transformers 2 including the new official poster and that the Superbowl trailer is expected to air during halftime (not officially confirmed). In addition, to contradict Toadimus, he reports "that they're going to bring back Megatron and the Starscream/Megatron relationship will be more prominent than it was in the movie and much more like the G1 series. Also, it may be a three way brawl much like the Insecticons fighting Autobots and Decepticons and the Fallen will pose a threat to both sides." (No he isn't saying the Insecticons are in the movie, it is a G1 cartoon reference I believe.)
- The film opens with the US Military teaming up with the Autobots, who are the military vehicles, to hunt down rogue Decepticons. Springer is one of them, and this is the part in China.
- Wheels/Wheelie is a blue remote control car and very small Transformer. He discovers Jetfire at the museum by driving underneath him and seeing the Decepticon symbol. (This at least fits description of what was filmed at Udvar-Hazy.)
- There's a seen where Alice pins Sam to the bed, and a tail with a hypodermic on it cones out of her back. She also has a giant tongue, apparently. Should keep the Kiss play fans happy! (Something to add to the Ravage as Pretender rumor.)
- The twins are important characters who fight each other a lot and can combine. (Might explain the split ice cream truck.)
- Devastator looks like a gorilla, and has the cement mixer drum in the centre of his chest, which he can use as a weapon.
- Possibly Superion as an autobot combiner, but he was a little vague on this. (Nope, the toy is just a repaint, not part of the movie.)
- Megatron hasn't been in any of the film licensing stuff, just the toys. (Matches Bay's words on the subject.)
- He saw a Decepticon Hot Rod model, but he's convinced that was part of the disinfo campaign. (Or just a another non-movie character toy for the toy line.)
The Transformer 2 pictures keep coming from TF08.net. As part of their release of the Superion packaging, yizhi521 also posted an image of Deluxe Soundwave that is a better look at the toys then the previous image. Sadly nothing to verify his alt mode is a satellite. Thanks to Dan for the link.
More pictures are online for various additions to the Transformers 2 toy line all three are repaints of toys from previous lines.
First up from TF08.net is Superion which is really a repaint of the Transformers: Energon toy. The name of the gestalt formed when the five Aerielbots Airazor, Air Raid, Fireflight, Silverbolt and Skydive merge. You will notice that it’s really three toys with two repaints to create the five figures need for the combine. I am not sure why this isn't being released as part of the Universe line, except maybe because it already had been back in 2006 and Hasbro just wants to dip back in the well considering the merge theme that is rumored as part some of the Revenge of the Fallen characters. Thanks to Dan for the link.
The-Arker.com has posted a sizable gallery of pictures of the scout class Transformers Depthcharge and Ransack that are part of the Transformers 2 toy line. Below are a few select pictures of each. For the full gallery of pictures click the TF names above or go to TFormers.com mirror for Ransack and Depthcharge. I am definitly adding Ransack to my buy list, that biplane mode just grabs my attention.
Plug In Music via TFormers reports that Julien-K was tapped by Activision Blizzard to compose and score music for the up coming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video games coming out this summer. No details beyond that where provided about the game or the score itself. The band also had a single on the Transformers soundtrack released in 2007.
As for who is doing the score for the movie, it was officially announced back in July that Bay's favorite scorer Steve Jablonsky, who did the first film's score, is returning.*
* Thanks to Snortpocket for pointing out that Jablonsky's return was already official
TF08.net again, this time with the full robot mode of the Deluxe class of Sideswipe, rather then just the head, for the Transformers 2 toy line. The design does close match the robot mode that was revealed a few months back. So far it’s just the one picture by I imagine more will show up soon. Very slick looking. As usual click the image for larger size.
As previousily reported, two new additions where leaked to the Transformers 2 toy line with alt mode of a gunship and biplane. Now the names and clearly pictures are out from Tformers.com. The biplane is called Ransack and the gunship is Depthcharge. As is the norm for the scout class, the detail and transformation is pretty simple. Ransack's robot mode doesn't particularly impress me but the outside the box thinking of his alt mode is something I want to encourage so I will definitely get the toy.
TF08.net has struck again with the Transformers 2 toys pictures, this time a collage of the Deluxe version of Bumblebee. He has been designed to match the modified design of the Chevy Camaro of BB's alt mode.
Thanks to Bilal, below is an enhanced version of the official poster for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen that reveals more details of the Tranformer face. Click image for larger size.
Thanks to Phil, below is a shot from what I believe is the Voyager class (around $20) Bumblebee and Soundwave from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The main reason thinking Voyager class is the box size and generally (but not always) Hasbro puts images of the other toys of the same class on one side of the box. While the image is a little blurry, it definitely looks like Soundwave's alt mode is indeed a satellite with what appears to be folded panels behind his back and arms. Or airplane wings. Either way the grey and blue figure hints at some potential.
As Michael Bay had hinted, Variety is reporting that Paramount has purchased an advertising spot during the Super Bowl to premiere the first trailer for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The Super Bowl this year is on February 1st, 2009 and probably show up online shortly thereafter.
The average cost of a 30 second spot is $3 million, which probably means the trailer is going to be more tease since usually theatrical trailers average a minute and half to two minutes in length. Additional trailers schedule to premiere during the game include one for Star Trek, GI Joe, Angels and Demons, Monsters vs. Aliens, Up, and a few others.
As shown a few months ago, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has a tie-in promotion with M&Ms. The pack below, one of seven designs that the candy packages produced by the company will have, is labeled "The Twins" confirming that the Chevy Beat (Skids) and Trax are the Twin Autobot characters mentioned way back in June on the call sheets. Thanks to Phil for the picture.
Thanks to the leak, Michael Bay and Paramount have confirmed that the leaked poster is real by releasing the poster via Yahoo! Movies with Bay commenting on it.
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.Currently the theory on forums and here is that the image on the poster is actually Jetfire. All we have to go on facially for Jetfire is his Legends toy which doesn't have much in details but there are enough to make comparisons. Both have read eyes, both have a "ribbed" look on the sides of the face, and the nose shape seems similar. By no means is it decisive but it does seem likely. Does that make Jetfire the Fallen? Possibly since "fallen" could mean so many things but for no I am sticking with no.
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.
I'll keep you informed.
Bay
The new teaser poster for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen may have been revealed via an eBay auction. As seen below, the poster is a close up of a rather evil looking visage that I can only assume is The Fallen with the slogan of "Revenge is coming." This could be fake it is still a pretty good looking image. The only complaint I have is its only something a Transformer fan would recognize as related to the movie. For anyone else it is a "what is that, a new monster movie?" poster. If its real, they need to throw the title logo on there somewhere at the very least. Hopefully the poster's authenticity will be verified (or not) by Paramount by posting an official version.
Update: It is official, with better a image.
The Chevy Beat, a new car that may be in production soon, was previewed on The Today Show. Full details and information on the car will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show later in the week.
Transfans are pretty familiar with the car thanks to its role as Skids for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The relevant section of the video shown below starts at about the 1:53 point. Also shown is the Chevy Camaro, wich helps explain why Bumblebee's exterior experienced a bit of a tweak in design between movies.
It is not much in Transformer news; it’s just an indication that thanks to the efforts of fans over the past six months that provided pictures and information, we have been able to preview cars that are just now starting to be considered "news" by the mainstream media.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Two more pictures have popped up at TFArchive from the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen scout class. This time they are the cards for a gunship and a biplane. The pictures are a bit blurry but enough to get a general idea of the toys. I really like the idea of a transforming biplane, so forward to more detailed pictures. A WWII themed Transformer toyline might be worth looking into by Hasbro. As usual, it’s doubtful that these images represent movie characters. Thanks to minime for the links.
PhillyFilmGirl has posted a new video that is from the Princeton Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen shoot back in June 2008 that is a new angle on the Alice video from June. The video shows Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Ramon Rodriguez running (in multiple takes). Towards the end, Isabel Lucas does her calm walk despite the surrounding chaos, a large reason behind the theory that she is "Pretender Shell" for Ravage.
Zobovor over on alt.toys.transformers (use to post there years ago) via TFW2005 got hold of the Walmart 2009 Spring Modular Guide that reveals that the chain plans to deploy Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen toys on May 29th. Wal-Mart's internal release date is probably approved by Hasbro so likely other chains will release the toys around that date also. From the Guide:
*Action Figures is a "win" category for the toy department. Sales for Spring and Summer 2009 will be driven pirmarily off the new Hollywood movies coming to the big screen.
*We will do two mod updates during the season to introduce a couple of the above properties. On March 9, we will do an update to incorporate of the [sic] new Wolverine toys from Hasbro. Then on May 29th, we will do a second update to bring in all of the new Transformers 2 toys to support the movie release.
*Transformers will be far and away the largest action figure license for the year. On May 29th, when we do the mod update, we will dedicate major space on our action figure modular to support this movie event.
Cybertron.ca has posted some information on the design of the deluxe class TF2 toy for Sideswipe. From ACToys is a potential image of his head. Sideswipe is the silver Chevy corvette Centennial seen on various Transformers 2 sets over the summer (potential movie design here). The more information we have about the toys look, the more information we may have about how the character will look in the movie. Below is also the two head pics of Sideswipe put together (left is toy, right is CGI version). Thanks to Minime for the Seibertron link to the info.
-dual shock absorbers for lower legs
-unique feet: formed from the front portion of the car (right front side of the car on the left, left front side on the right), each foot appears to be either a tire split in 2 halves with a stabilizer (foot) sandwiched in between OR a tire sandwiched between 2 stabilizers (meaning he would have roller feet)... probably the 2nd option...
-2 pairs of struts linking the upper legs to the lower torso
-chest is formed from the rear section of the car (outer parts) with a black section in the middle (exposed when you lift up the middle rear section) with a silver Autobot symbol on the right (think Alt. Meister when you lift the hood)
-clear blue windshield hanging off the back
-wheels (near the elbows) and rear car sections (pointing forward) hanging off the arms
-hands: 1 thick thumb and 2 thick fingers (a bit like Blackout)
-head is bit a Megatron-esque, but different... hard to describe... has blue light piping
-middle rear section of the car is pointing up on the back in robot mode (like Trans Scanning Bumblebee) and you can see 4 exhaust pipes
-hood halves hanging off the back as wings (front pointing down)
-red/orangy tail lights
-clear headlights
-blue knees
-car has long and pointy rear view mirrors (probably rubber)
-small molded Corvette symbol on front of the hood
TFormers.com has new image from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Leader class Optimus Prime toy that reveals the full character summary that the previous image cut off. The summary is further evidence that Megatron remains dead for the sequel.
With the destruction of Megatron, Optimus Prime thought he was finally, after millions of years, at peace. Little did he know that the escape of Starscream would draw dozens of new Decepticons to Earth. The desire that burns brightest in his spark is that the war will soon end. He is determined to see that end come, and so he works with his human comrades and the other Autobots to hunt the Decepticons that have come to Earth, and destroy them, one by one.
Other websites are posting about My Park Magazine's article the danger Shia felt filming Transformers 2. The article is really re-write of USA Today's orginial article from last week so old news really. Here is the relevant segment for those that missed the article.
"It makes you run fast because you are genuinely terrified," Fox says, looking sun-baked and weary. "And you still feel blanks. With that many guns going off, you don't really know."
It requires an act of faith in the troops who are aiming machine guns toward them.
"I've got 75 military officers firing at me, and I have shrapnel falling on my head that's bigger than my arms. It's hard to be normal," LaBeouf says, sweating after several hours of running and diving in the sand.
"Not that we don't trust (special effects coordinator James D.) Schwalm and the boys," he adds. "But even an eyelash flying at you at 700 miles an hour will cut you. You're running past them, and your clearance is only about 10 feet. These dudes are moving, and if one trips or falls and we run into the muzzle of a blank, that could blow your chest open or burn you."
The danger leads to camaraderie on set between stars and servicemembers. At the conclusion of one sequence, a soldier who spent the blazing day crouched in full battle gear beside a Humvee asks Fox and LaBeouf for an autograph as they pass, apologizing almost shyly as they take his pen and paper.
Found by Minime, is the below picture of the Revenge of the Fallen Leader Class Optimus Prime, that is the $40 or so version. In general the toy looks about the same but it appears the transformation has been modified just a touch a lot. I don't have the TF1 Leader version so unable to make a direct comparison.
Various more Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen toy information has been leaked, mostly involving the probable non-character toys and the new gimmick for the line.
The first images below is of Leader class Optimus Prime that introduces "Mech Alive" to the line. The concept is described as "Reveals moving armor panels and internal gears" which might be a new name for the "Automorph Technology" or a modification of the concept.
The next two is confirmation of Deadend's name via a shot of the instruction book and a montage of the character. The final three pictures is the Autobot Knock Out in his package. I doubt either character makes an appearance in the movie but maybe shows up in the video games.
Below are new pictures of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Legends class Rollbar from TF08.net. At least it verified the rumored name for the toy. Not really much more to say since I doubt this character is one that makes an appearance in the upcoming sequel (but I could be wrong).
It will be awhile before Peter Cullen once again speaks as Optimus but in the meantime Knight Rider Online is reporting that he will reprise the role of KARR that he originally back in the 80s. KARR is basically an evil version 1.0 of KITT and based on the brief snippet below has had a few upgrades. The episode, "Knight to King's Pawn", will air on January 21st in the states. Thanks to Travis for the link.
Empire Online, to promote their magazine, posted a few pictures from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen set but sadly not their article. "Alienbot" provided a summary of some of the information in the article:
- Bay and LaBeouf confirm the Fallen is a separate character.It looks like Empire was able to get some good bits of info, likely because their reporter knew what questions to ask while the USA Today one was probably rather clueless on the whole thing.
- Egyptian hieroglyphics ...turn out to be depictions of Transformers who visited Earth.
- Bay claims Megatron is not coming back and the tank is just a new toy.
- Around 40 robots.
- Budget is $200 million.
- Ramon Rodriguez is the one holding on for dear life to a pole while cars are flung.
- Devastator appears at the pyramid, he's probably 50 feet tall because that's the height of the camera crane they used on location.
As promised, articles are now online from USA Today and Empire magazine about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. USA Today's articles (here and here) have no pictures and provides less spoiler information and more confirmation of a few rumors that have leaked over the few months. Empire Online teases their magazine article while providing the dynamic but spoiler free images in this post. To summarize:
- As a picture below shows, confirmation that Shia's hand injury was written into the movie.
- Story plot is for the Decepticons to capture Sam due to information he "learned about the origins of the Transformers and their ancient history of Earth."
- To counter Decepticon goes, "the US military and an international coalition has united with the good-guy Autobots." (This explains Matthew Marsden's role in the movie).
- Decepticon Soundwave is the "fearsome communications expert." (Nothing about alt mode).
- "...Devastator, whose arms and legs are built out of other Transformers." (This appears to confirm the gestalt rumor, but no details on how many TFs it takes to form him)
- "...Jetfire, a villain whose age and broken-down physicality leads him to help the Autobots." (Verifies that he will follow the G1 arc of joining the good guys and that he will likely have a crutch of sorts).
- New Mexico filming was for a plot point about running from "ancient temple while villainous Decepticons stomp and crush their way through a village in pursuit" and into a "line of tanks and soldiers blasting guns at the giant robots above and behind them."
- "Not that we don't trust (special effects coordinator James D.) Schwalm and the boys," he adds. "But even an eyelash flying at you at 700 miles an hour will cut you. You're running past them, and your clearance is only about 10 feet. These dudes are moving, and if one trips or falls and we run into the muzzle of a blank, that could blow your chest open or burn you."
- "The U.S. Department of Defense gave its official stamp of approval to the Michael Bay-directed film, not only allowing production amid the pristine dunes of the Army's New Mexico [White Sands] missile range, but also letting filmmakers follow jets and fighter planes through the sky from nearby Holloman Air Force Base. More scenes were shot on the Navy's aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, and Marines fill the ranks of the strike team battling the invading Transformers."
- "The film's Army liaison, Lt. Col. Gregory Bishop, notes: "As far as I know, this is the biggest joint military operation movie ever made, in terms of Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. I can't think of one that's bigger."
- "Among the equipment the movie is using in this desert sequence alone: two A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" tank-killing jets; six F-16 Fighting Falcons; 10 armored Humvees; the Army's Golden Knights parachute team; two Abrams tanks; two Bradley tanks; two missile-launcher vehicles; two armored personnel carriers; and a quarter-mile of the missile testing range, cleared of unexploded ordnance and built into an Egyptian town and temple. (Signs warn not to cross a perimeter just over the gypsum dunes, because live bombs could be hidden in the sand.)"
- Off-duty enlisted where used as pay extra for many scenes shot with the military's assistance.
- "The final battle the military is helping Bay create is supposed to be an enormous firefight in Egypt, but much of it is being shot in the White Sands dunes in a town built over the roughly quarter-mile cleared span."
- "After completing work in New Mexico, the cast and crew moved to Giza for scenes at the actual pyramids, getting first-time access to the 5,000-year-old site from the Egyptian government. "It plays a big plot point," Bay says, noting that they were allowed to shoot on the pyramids — not just around them."
- "The studio has to reimburse the U.S. Treasury for live munitions and other requests for troops or equipment that unit commanders don't consider to be valid battle simulation or part of military training, Bishop says."
- "During this shoot, an F-22 Raptor [Starscream] roars by like a mechanical arrowhead, blasting the earth with the banshee scream of its engines. It circles the set dozens of times before heading off to complete its scheduled training."
Overall not as much information as hoped. Hopefully once the Empire Magazine hits newsstands (not sure when) that will provide more details and context for the below pictures. Thanks to Rich and April for the links.
Nelson, the site admin for Michael Bay's Shoot For The Edit site reports "Just a little heads up: Empire and USAToday might have the first official TF2 photos on 12/29/08. So keep your eyes open."
Earlier this month, Michael Bay had indicated that he was "going to release some set stills on this site in a few weeks" so Nelson's info may be accurate. Sure the info isn't coming first on Bay's site but I imagine Paramount's PR and Marketing departments would have had a heart attack if full advantage wasn't taken of the first official reveals of moments from the anticipating sequel. Paramount used Empire and USA Today I am not saying this is a build-up to a trailer, its just that the Star Trek campaign showed them that those two sources are a good way to hit a wide audience in the US and Europe and spread the information on the web.
Note that while Nelson has been a good source of information, he is not "official" so his information could be off or he out of the loop on any changes to the marketing plan. As always time will tell but on the bright side at least this time the wait is short. Pictures will pop up on Monday or they will not. Thanks to Gregory for the heads-up.
More pictures of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Legends class Jetfire toy have appeared online. These provide more close-up and details about the toy. More importantly, one reveals that yes Jetfire has a Decepticon symbol but its noticeable scratched out, possibly confirming that the character will change sides at some point during the movie. Thanks to Gregory for the info. Also, in pictures found by Phil (thanks!) is an argument for how the Legends class Optimus Prime merges with Jetfire.
Merry Christmas! How about some possible hints and sightings relating to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen for your holiday. LiningUpTV.com has posted the below pictures saying "found some pics from the Transformers 2 set. Looks like a new robot is discovered beyond a painted wall, Indiana Jones style. Is this the curled up remains of The Fallen?" From what I can tell there does appear to be robot like parts, a metallic skeleton like structure and maybe tentacles but really I am not sure what I am looking at. Thanks to Gregory and Mike for the heads-up.
In a related note, KevKev noted a rather significant similarity between the image that Megatron is bowing to (left) for the Defiance #1 cover and an image that appears on the various toy packages that were recently leaked (right). Specifically the eyes which look nearly identical. I don't think it’s a reach to assume those eyes and therefore the face is a representation of the Fallen character. Hasbro marketing isn't going to make that image central to their toy packaging otherwise. Also note that the background hieroglyphics in the packaging, indicating the far past and buried secrets, contains the Decepticon symbol. Maybe The Fallen is a secret buried on Earth and the above pictures are a part of that? Its all supposition and guesswork, but that is part of the fun.
It turns out that Shia LaBeouf underwent surgury a few weeks ago for the second time on his damaged hand after finishing filming on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Apparently all is mostly well on the slow road to recovery for the actor.
From Yahoo News:
The second surgery focused on correcting damage around the area of the thumb that was not fixed during an emergency operation immediately following his July rollerover crash in Los Angeles.
"He's doing fine now," the source said.
The insider also smacked down a story in today's New York Daily News that claimed the injury was more serious than initially reported and that doctors had initially mulled the possiblity of a "partial amputation."
Below are three images that show the Legends Jetfire and Optimus Prime merged together. This is supposedly related to the rumor that the toy line has the two combine much like they did for Armada and Energon toylines (I think). Frankly it looks like the person just strapped Jetfire onto Optimus' back. I doubt Hasbro would bother to engineer a merge solution for toys in the Legends line even if the merge rumors are true. More then likely the person is just hoping the images will spike the sale of the toy when it is put up on eBay.
IDW Publishing has revealed the cover (that is as big as it gets) to the first issue of 4 issue mini-series Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Defiance #1. The solicitation description:
The second official prequel to next summer’s TRANSFORMERS movie begins here! In “DEFIANCE,” writer Chris Mowry and artist Dan Khanna tell a tale that delves back to the very origins of CYBERTRON and the beginnings of the war between AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS. This first issue introduces new threats and sets up the reasons for the conflict that leads directly into next summer’s sequel to the smash-hit film!There is also Alliance, the first issue that came out last week that bridges the gap between the two movies. As for the image, not entirely sure who or what Megatron is possibly bowing too (AllSpark shard?) nor if he is looking at something in his hand. Pretty compelling image overall. I believe the first issue hits newsstands sometime in January. Thanks to Gregory for the link.
The-Arker.com has posted many pictures of the Fast Action Battler Megatron and Jolt
(the Volt). Below are a few pictures but rather then mirror them all, here is Megatron's gallery and Jolt's gallery.
ACToys.net has posted more pictures from the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Fast Action Battlers line. The line is geared towards young kids so that is why the overall lack of detail and simplified transformations.
The first few pics show Megatron and his cybertronian tank mode, further proof that the previous leaked pictures are true and further verifies he returns for the movie. It however does not verify that he is "The Fallen" that the film title may be referring to. After that we have Optimus Prime and Bumblebee that look essentially the same. Last is another picture of Jolt.
Tyrese Gibson recently spoke with MovieWeb about his role in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen including that his character recieved a promotion.
Can you tell us a little bit about what Sgt. Epps is up to in this summer's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?Thanks to Katie for the heads-up.
Tyrese Gibson: Yes, my character has been upgraded to Master Sergeant Epps. I am the top dog in the air force. I am a master sergeant. I am bringing on way more air strikes. Michael Bay really beefed up my presence in this sequel. I was really happy about that. Just being on the set with all of my cast members really made me feel like we'd created a family union. I think we created something that is really special. The fans out there really showed up and made us feel appreciated for what we did. It felt good to be working on something that the world is waiting to see.
Can you talk about any of the new Transformers that you are going up against?Tyrese Gibson: No. I can't. I'm sorry. It's all secrets. Its way more robots. There are a whole bunch of new robots that the world is going to be introduced to. There is going to be way more action sequences. All of the stuff that goes on is really insane. What I love the most? I can purposely say this. I have never done nothing in my life, or been a part of anything in my life, where I feel like ever man, woman, and child in the world is going to see something that I've been in. And it's a lot of pressure. It is something...I don't know. It's just a lot of pressure. It's like someone telling you that, while it might be a messed up comparison, a tsunami is going to hit in seven months. And you can see the tsunami before it comes. How do you prepare for that? That's how I look at Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It is just so big, and just so gargantuan. It is just really amazing. I am glad to be a part of it. Michael Bay is amazing. Spielberg, Shia, Josh, Megan. Also, you guys should be looking out for Matthew Marsden. He is a British actor. He was the head of the UK forces that are tied into the film. It is going to be pretty crazy.
