Transformers 2 In Guiness

Turns out that when Michael Bay said the movie would be bigger, he wasn't kidding as the production of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has entered the record books according the New Zealand Herald (via MB.com) as Bay and company talk about making the film. Thanks to Chris for the link.

Bay has made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the biggest explosion on film with actors present. That shot was filmed in New Mexico. Some have likened the film to that of a "war movie," to which Bay disagrees. "No, it's just more adventure and action. There are also more robots and they can do more things, but it's not a war movie."

"On the first Transformers we used real service people, not actors. With this one, we used every service - the navy and the army. Actually, after the first Transformers there was an increase in signing up for the military. It's almost like a big commercial to enlist in the army," says Bonaventura.

"I take you to places that have never been shot in a movie. The top of Petra has never been put on film, period. King Abdullah II let us take 36 helicopter loads of military men up there. We were able to use a crane, so we take the viewer on aerial shots of the pyramid that even National Geographic never got permission to do," he says. "They've all tried," he says again, making his point. "When John Turturro was filming on the pyramid, he had a tear in his eye. I said, 'Why are you crying? What's going on?' He said, 'You just don't get to do this in movies. You don't get to shoot in a place that's 4000 years old."' So, how was the big shot from Hollywood able to convince Middle Eastern royalty to let him have his way? "Because I'm a smooth talker," he jokes. "No, seriously, the Prince and the King of Jordan were big fans of Transformers. That helped."

"When we landed in Jordan or Egypt, Shia and I shared one car with the driver who was also the security guard. Michael's car was flanked by six other security vehicles to make sure he got to the hotel safely," she says. Now you can see why he's regarded as a rock star. Fox adds, "It was like they were driving the president."