Orci and Kurtzman Talk Transformers

Sci-Fi Wire has posted a brief interview with Transformers writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen using many of Orci's recent Q&A responses to attempt to get more detail. I am guessing this an add-on of the much longer Star Trek interview the website has posted earlier in the week. Thanks to middlerealm for the link.

Below are select portions with the full article here.

You guys were not originally going to write the sequel. Is that right?Orci: Correct.

What changed your mind?
Kurtzman: Well, we resisted it for a while, because ... the first movie was so ... tough to find, you know? ...the story was not immediately obvious to us. And ... they really wanted us to do it. And we said, "We just can't do it until we know what this is." ...We spent a lot of time thinking about the sequels that we really loved as kids. You know, Aliens and Terminator 2 and Wrath of Khan and Empire Strikes Back and Superman 2. The thing that all of those movies had in common were that they stood on their own as films.
Orci: Yeah, it was both that and we were afraid we were not going to have literally the time to do it. The [writers'] strike was looming, we were in the middle of [writing] Star Trek, etc. So when they agreed to give us help in the form of Ehren Kruger [The Skeleton Key, The Ring 2], who is fantastic, we realized the three of us really could do it and not just phone it in.

And you had a mandate to develop a bigger movie?
Kurtzman: That doesn't really mean anything to us, honestly. Like, we always get to the action last. The action is born of whatever challenges your characters are facing...
Orci: The theme started coming out of Sam leaving home, now. It's two years later, he's going to college. ... What are the responsibilities and the cutting off that goes on when you leave home? And that mirrors the fact the Transformers themselves are away from home. And in a new home. And what are your responsibilities as you kind of step out into the world on your own without your support system? ...

There are so many [Transformers] that you have to pick from. How do you winnow them down, how do you add the new ones, integrate them?
Orci: Well, the easier one, obviously, is the fact that we inherit certain ones from the previous movie and from the fact that Prime and Bumblebee are kind of the two front-and-center relationships. ... In terms of villains, it was again going back to all the source material. ... We got a bunch of the comics again, we got a bunch of the old cartoons, and just started looking for kind of the most elemental bad guy that kind of jumped off the material, and we found one in the Fallen.

And you've got to bring Megatron back.
Orci: Exactly. ...But then many of them were also selected during the strike while we couldn't do anything, as a matter of necessity, by Hasbro and by [director] Michael Bay for some of the action sequences. They literally had to start designing somebody.

What's the name of the gigantic first one that you see?
Kurtzman: Wheelbot. ... (Temp name for Demolisher from call sheets)

Jetfire, RC, Mudflap on the Autobot side?
Orci: Yeah, right. Jetfire was in the treatment. Mudflap might have been one of those in-betweeners. ...

On the Decepticon side, Starscream, Soundwave, the Fallen and then the Constructicons, which are several different ones: Demolisher, Hightower, Long Haul, Mixmaster, Rampage and Scrapper?
Orci: That's them.

So they're all there?
Orci: Yeah.

There's still more, right? I mean, there's others?
Orci: There are. ...

You've got a girl robot for the first time, Arcee. Do you ever deal with why she's a girl robot, or is that just one of those things?
Orci: We may still, as we go through and see the final finals, but we've gone back and forth on that. ... Some of the fans debating, "Oh, man, if there's some lame explanation I'm going to hate it" versus "They'd better explain it." So. We'll see how it ends up. We honestly have things in our back pocket; we'll see which one works better.

And you, Bob, were quoted as saying you were trying to get Leonard Nimoy to do the Fallen?
Orci: He originally was the voice in the animated movie, and at one of the conventions, Alex and I actually spoke to him about it, and he's like, "Yeah, I'd be open to that." But it'll be Michael's decision.

Have you talked with Michael about that?
Orci: Oh, sure. ... He's like, "Hmm." And we're like, "You know you're cousins, right?" [Nimoy's wife is Michael Bay's cousin.]

There was also some talk about Frank Welker, the original voice of Megatron, and whether he'd actually end up in the movie after all?
Orci: Exactly, and I think they're in the middle of hashing that out. We'll see who we get.

Silverbolt Video Review

Peaugh has posted a new review from the Transformers 2 toy line. The review is of the Antonov An-225 Voyager class toy from a few weeks ago. He calls it Silverbolt; an appropriate name from the G1 days, so I will too until the real name and his status in the movie is verified. My assumption is this character is how the Autobots and NEST get around in the hunt for Decepticons but the only information we really have is there is a grey colored toy of the Voyager class size that may or may not be released with the Transformers 2 toy line. Anything past that is pure speculation. And no this isn't "proof" that the aerialbots are in the movie. As for the toy, it looks like it might be worth a purchase. Thanks to Bruno for the link.

ShoWest Photo Gallery

A few Transformers props are showing up in Las Vegas as part of ShoWest that is being held there. The trade show basically exists to cheerlead theatre owners about the upcoming slate of summer movies and to party on the studios' dime. Michael Bay is getting the Vanguard Award on April 2nd as part of the fun. Any case, I doubt much news will come out from the show but at least can get another look at the Bumblebee robot, the Twins and the BB Camaro via this gallery.

Join the Retro Reboot Forums

A few people have been asking for forums to continue to talk Transformers and other topics outside whatever the current posts are. Long time site readers probably remember The Transformitorium forums that were unofficial forums for this blog. Now it is back with a new name, new website, and better software.

Retro Reboot forums are a place to discuss all things Transformers, other franchises that are getting a reboot such as G.I. Joe and pretty much anything else. The forums allow for embedding You Tube videos, an arcade and other add-ons. The site is new but the more people that join the discussion, the better it will be. Click here to check it out and click "Register" to sign up. Thanks to Chad for setting it up.

Busta Rhymes On Transformers 2 Soundtrack? (Update)

In a small change of pace from toys only news is a little soundtrack information for Transformers 2. Travis Barker, drummer for Blink-182, twittered (twitted? tweeted? whatever) that he is working on a song for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack.

Listening to a new version of a track I'm playing on for Busta Rhymes for the Transformers 2 soundtrack. Shit is jammin'.

So far that is all I could find on this subject. I am not sure if that means he and Busta Rhymes are working together on a track or if he was just sampling it for the rapper. Nor if the track is a solo effort from Barker or for the entire band. Thanks to Alan for the heads-up.

Update: Based on reading various websites, it seems the overall interpretation of the above is that Busta Rhymes is working on a track with an assist by Travis Barker. According to Alan, Barker worked on hip hop remixes with his drums replacing the beat Probably the track list to the soundtrack will come out by the end of April.

New Transformers 2 Character Verified

TF08.net posted a few pictures that show off Leader Megatron, Deluxe Skids and Deluxe Chromia in their packaging. This is the first official verification that Chromia (wiki) is a character in the movie (as seen chasing Sideways in the trailer). Pictures of the toy have been online before and the name first came up as part of a list of toys for Japan but this is the first time we can officially put the two together.

The pictures also provide a view of her alt mode that is identical to the trailer with the unicycle look in robot mode. Of note is no mention of any combiner mode which is making me think that the theory of the motorcycles combining is incorrect. It is starting to appear they are three distinct characters that make up for their smaller size with numbers and speed. At this point the only question is what is the name of the purple cycle (my guess is Elita-1).

Based on her bio below, the writers have chosen to keep her relationship with Ironhide that was suggested in the G1 cartoon "The Search for Alpha Trion." The bio info for Megatron is here and Skids is here. The picture didn't show the entire bio so I guess on what the missing words were as indicated by brackets.

Deluxe Chromia Bio:

Chromia is tough as nails, and always spoiling for a fight. She's [been] friends with Ironhide for centuries, and their reunion on Earth [is] one of the high points of the war for both of them. Now they [fight] side-by-side, hunting and destroying Decepticons. neither of [them] has ever been happier. The two robots make great partners, and [so] along with her sisters, are an invaluable part of the [team].

Alliance #4 Has Movie Spoilers?

The last issue of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Prequel Alliance mini-series came out yesterday and it provides a few possible spoilers for the movie. As TFW2005.com summarizes, here is information that ties directly into the movie:

- McClaren Robotics is a front to provide clean-up for the Transformers existence. If that name sounds familiar, way back in July, it was noted that Steve Tom was cast as the CEO of the company.
- The comic recreates a containment unit for the AllSpark that looks very similar to the promo pic that USA Today published (pic 6) late last year.
- Five new Transformers (panels below) are revealed: Corvette Centennial (Sideswipe), three motorcycles (Arcee, Chromia, ?), and if look carefully can see that mysterious Ice Cream Truck (The Twins first alt mode before becoming Chevy Beat and Trax?).

The last image above is just to show that the comic ends right before the movie begins - with the NEST on the hunt for Demolisher in Shanghai, China. The ice cream truck has caused all kinds of debate but I am still leaning towards it being Skids and Mudflap in disguise as they attempt to hunt Decepticons. I know many think the writers of the comic series are not working off the movie script but I think they are, the only real question is are they working off the shooting draft or an earlier version. Take it how you wish but for me, I am following my simple rule that all Hasbro sanctioned tie-ins are canon until they movie contradicts them. Thanks to an anonymous source for the panel pictures from Alliance #4.

First Look At Barricade, Bumblebee Toys

Two more pictures have popped up on TF08.net. One shows of the new version of Deluxe Bumblebee with his pop-out cannons. The other is the first look we have seen of the Transformers 2 toy line version of Barricade. As we all know, the fate of Barricade in the movie remains largely unknown yet his car was seen on set at least once. Considering he isn't a repaint I can't help but wonder if he doesn't make a brief appearance in the sequel.

Defiance Issue 4 Cover

IDW has released the cover issue of Transformers Defiance #4 that shows off the anger visage of Megatron. For those not clear on the differences between Alliance and Defiance mini-series here is a very quick summary. Alliance is essentially the origin of NEST and takes place after the first movie but before the second movie on Earth. Defiance is the origin of the Transformers Civil War that creates the factions of Autobots vs. Decepticons started by Megatron with a push from The Fallen. Thanks to Tahnee for the link.

Bay To Recieve Vanguard Award

IESB.net is reporting that ShoWest is going to reward Michael Bay the 2009 Vanguard Award for Excellence in Filmmaking. ShoWest, held from March 30 to April 2, 2009 in Las Vegas, is a trade show for the National Associate of Theatre Owners and the movie studios. Essentially it’s a chance for people to get paid to party and get a sneak at the upcoming slate of movies so they can the theatre companies can decide which to help heavily promote and which may not be entirely worth their resources or screens.

The Vanguard Award will be given to Bay on the "Final Night Banquet on April 2nd at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas. “We are thrilled to be able to honor one of the most bold and imaginative filmmakers in the industry today,” said Mitch Neuhauser, [co-director of the event]. “Michael Bay’s aggressive visual style and memorable action sequences leaves audiences at the edge of the seats and running back to the theaters for more with each new release. We could not be more honored to present Michael Bay with the ShoWest Vanguard Award for Excellence in Filmmaking.”

Congratulations to Michael Bay. Don't party to hard there (which is the real reason to bother to go and receive the award).

Autobot Tattoo for Megan Fox? (Updated)

It appears that Megan Fox may be sporting a new tattoo, the Autobot logo, if the cover image from the next issue of Empire Magazine is to be believed. The image (left) is one of the best I have seen of her in a while with the topless look and hair extensions. She is no stranger to tattoos as the poem on her ribs and especially the Marilyn Monroe tattoo on her lower right arm which probably caused the Transformers 2 costume and make-up departments more than a few headaches in covering consistently for Bay's action sequences.

Despite Fox's love of tattoos I doubt this is the real deal. I think it’s either a Photoshop or a temp tattoo. Part of the reason is because she just doesn't strike me as a Transfan. For her it is just a job and you don't get tattoos of a job. She loves the comic series Fathom so would believe a tattoo from that more. Besides, the tattoo is too small and in too standard a location. She likes tattoos you can't miss and feel compelled to ask about and she would probably throw a new tat on the inner thigh, top of her foot or some other unusual location that you normally don't find them. At least it makes for a nice change of pace from toy pictures. Hopefully the actual interview, assuming it has Transformers 2 content, will be made available online soon.

Update: To probably the surprise of no one, the tattoo is faked. As Seibertron.com found out, the picture is modified from an old issue of Rolling Stones Japan. I was hoping it was at least new as recent pictures of Fox have no been as good as the older ones, not sure why. Best guess is she has lot too much weight (yeah too much of anything is never good). Sigh, we need some real Transformers news so sexy but pointless crap like this isn't even worth posting about. Thanks to Selective Realism for the link.

Transformers Alliance #4 Preview

Wednesday brings the next issue of Transformers: RoTF Prequel Alliance #4 issue to comic books stores all over the place. IDW has posted a 5 page preview of the issue here. Alliance is the prequel series that takes immediately following the end of the first movie. The first three issues covered the aftermath of the battle at Mission City in the movie, the dumping of Decepticons at sea, and the dissolution of Sector Seven. It appears that this issue covers the formation of NEST or at least an early version of it with the goal to seek out all Decepticons on the planet.

For those interested, click here for a review of Alliance #3 and here for Defiance #3 review.

ROTF Trading Card Info

The tie-in products continue, this time with some information on the various trading cards that Topps will be releasing for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen via Seibertron.com.

Part of that is the usual set that includes stills from the movie along with autographed cards. WaxHeaven.com is reporting that the autographed cards will include Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Shia LaBeouf, Mark Ryan (Bumblebee), Charles Adler (Starscream), Robert Foxworth (Ratchet), and Jess Harnel (Ironhide). This is probably the first outside information to indicate the voice cast from the first movie is returning, something I assumed to be the case anyway once their character was confirmed to be in the sequel.

Another set will also be released using artwork from Transformers Alliance #1-4. Last will be a "Die-Cut Pop Up" cards, which I believe is essentially card board cut outs that can be assembled to a particular character. Those cards will comprise of Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide, Starscream, Mudflap, Sideswipe, and The Fallen.

Thanks to Katie for the link.

TF2 The Veiled Threat Plot Summary

Del Rey has updated its website to provide a summary and first chapter of Transformers: The Veiled Threat, a tie-in novel to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Life on earth has changed forever as humans and their courageous robotic allies, the Autobots, must work together to protect the planet from the destructive forces of the evil Decepticons. At the headquarters of NEST (Networked Elements: Supporters and Transformers), tech sergeant Epps and captain Lennox both guard and assist cyberneticist Yoki Ishihara and the brooding Russian AI genius Petr Ivanov as they explore the differences between organics and bots. In the meantime, all around them, alliances fray, distrust grows, suspicions mount, and traitors come out of the shadows.

Optimus Prime, the powerful leader of the Autobots who is also part of NEST, is on the defense as battles flare up from Australia to Zimbabwe. But escalating Decepticon attacks will culminate in a final confrontation from which no one–man or machine–will emerge unscathed.

Based on the description, it appears to covers some of the adventures that the Autobots, Epps and Lennox have as part of the newly formed United Nations related unit called NEST (Networked Elements: Supporters and Transformers) as seen on the Ironhide toy and some vehicles during filming. While not mentioned, it is probably safe to assume this novel takes place somewhere in that two year time frame between the movies. Not so hyper about what NEST stands for but at least now we know. As for whether the story is canon, my perspective is all tie-in stories are canon until a movie, TV series or a better story comes along to contradict it.

You can pre-order the book here and read the first chapter here. Thanks to Katie for the link.

Ask Orci: Nimoy Voicing A Transformers 2 Character?

Time for another summary of Transformers writer Roberto Orci's Q&A threads on the Don Murphy and TFW2005 forums. It is about two weeks worth of answers and covers early plans for Transformers I, mostly cryptic comments on Transformers 2 story lines, will the writers return for Transformers 3 and potential voice for The Fallen. My comments are in parenthesis.

Will Barricade's disappearance be explained in ROTF?
Explained is a very specific kinda word... implied may be more like it

Will you guys seriously rethink about staying on?
Time for fresh blood!

Just to be clear, what is your reason for not writing it? If the other main players comes back and they don't see a need for fresh blood, then why would you?
Not clear who is coming back yet, but the main reason we would move on is because we risk getting stale and comfortable. If you only sing one song for too long, you miss the opportunity to sing news songs. We'll see.
(It should be noted that Orci and Alex Kurtzman both indicated they would not return to write Transformers 2. TF3 is three years away so plenty of time to change their mind again. Honestly, usually this kind of talk in Hollywood translates to "how much will you pay me to return?" as don't want to appear to eager.)

who thought of the name for the movie? you, michael bay, alex, or someone else?
Alex.

how many fans do you think saw past Michael's "no Megatron" announcement? And second, is he aware that his comment about Megs only appearing in a flashback kind of contradicts Hugo Weaving's hint that the Allspark shard has something to do with Megatron's resurrection?
god love him
(Probably good idea to not answer directly.)

Did the fallen enslave the Egyptians to build the pyramids (which actually are space bridges)?
Hmm. Getting warm

Did the Egyptians seal the fallen within his own design?
Also very warm but not quite.

Did you ever intend for Blackout and Brawl to speak?
Yes.

Would you consider a giant battle in the Grand Canyon?
We actually had a giant battle in the Grand Canyon in the very first draft of the first movie.

Is there really still time to add stuff and how much stuff can be added at this point?
On the first movie, we were re-writing dialogue until about 2 weeks before release!

can you let us know how many Autobots can fly in the movie?
very few
(So basically 1 or more. My guess is only 1 and that is Jetfire.)

I know very early in development Mike Bay said that there would be a geriatric robot. Was it already set there and then that Jetfre would be that bot, or did you and the writers/Bay decide later that Jetfire would suit that type of character?
We decided Jetfire would fit after the idea came up to have a geriatric robot.

Would you consider this movie the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Transformer movie line (dark, feeling of hopelessness, crazy reveal/twists/turns)?
yes

Bay mentioned in passing that about 40 bots are in the movie. Sound about right or less/more?
sounds about right

Will The Fallen have any dialogue?
Yes.

Can you name the 3 scenes that were filmed in IMAX format?
Yes.
(The danger of asking closed questions.)

Will Prime survive the movie?
Prime's spirit can never die.
(Nice non-answer, no details but gives a sense of impending doom for Prime).

Did you decide to not have Megatron renamed Galvatron for the general audience?
yes.

Similarly, did you intend Sideways (Audi R8) to be Barricade?
We'll see

which of the 2 movies was more difficult to get along with the story.
Movie 1 was the hardest thing have ever worked on. Period. Nobody could imagine what it was, everyone thought it was just a silly cartoon or a toy commercial, the studio wasn't sure if the robots should talk, we had to come up with a story that would attract someone like Bay, and we had budgetary constraints that made it necessary to generate a significant human story which was counterintuitive to some Transfans. By the second movie, the paradigm of the franchise was clear.

what are your feelings towards the idea of Leonard Nimoy doing the voice of the Fallen?
Would love it. I actually talked to him about it, given the odd coincidence that he is Michael Bay's cousin through marriage, but fan outcry has also put Welker in the running.
(Who to support? Quite a conundrum for Transfans. Nimoy is the iconic Spock of Star Trek and part of Transformers past as the voice of Galvatron (and Unicron) for 1986's Transformers: The Movie while Welker is was the voice of Megatron, Galvatron, Soundwave and many others.)

Australia Toy Fair 2009 Gallery

Ozformers Forums have posted a huge gallery of pictures that show off the various Transformer toy lines for the next year including Transformers 2, Classics, Universe and Animated. Nothing new in regards to the Transformers 2 toy line but for those that can't get enough it is worth a look.

The full gallery is here.

First Look At Leader Jetfire Packaging

Australian forums OTCA has pictures of Leader class Jetfire packaging for Transformers 2 toy line. Not so much the toy itself but rather what the toy will look like and its box once it is released to market. The pictures were taken at the 2009 Toy Hobby and Nursery Fair in Melbourne, Australia. The toy will be part of wave 2 of the line which I think means a release date of around August 2009.

As the pictures show, Jetfire is the Autobot that uses landing strut as a cane. The packaging also teases with a silouette of the combined mode of Leader Optimus Prime and Jetfire. Overall a good looking figure that will look fantastic after ILM does their magic for the movie. The real question is whether the combined mode is used in the movie. Thanks to Brock and Phil for the link.

Leader Jetfire Bio:

Jetfire grew tired of war a long time ago. The reckless ambition of the Decepticons, and the senseless violence of their war sickened him, and so he left Cybertron to go into hiding. The form he eventually chose on Earth seemed appropriate for one who wished to remain unseen. He slumbered in peace for years. Now, reawakened by the arrival of the war on Earth, he decides once again to enter the fight - this time on the side of the Autobots, and this to end it for good, whatever the cost.

* Yep some comments have been cut if it seems other comments reference things no longer there. In some cases because of the cussing etc, in others because the comments were clearly going to lead to another mini-flame war (whether intended or not). My advice is to simply ignore insults. Its easier on everyone and besides if the person's opinion doesn't matter to you then they probably are not worth the time it takes to reply back. If removing posts does not work (or get to annoyed to continue) I will simply disable comments for this post. Trying this approach because those involved do add to the site, just occasionally go off on tangents so why throw out the baby with the bathwater if it can be avoided (for now).

More Chromia and Other Toy Pictures

The mystery of Arcee continues. We still don't know if the exact nature of the character (one of the bikes, merge of the bikes, all three of bikes, etc) but in the meantime here are more pictures "Chromia" from TF08.net via TFormers. The name is not official (based on a leaked toy list) that Transfans have assigned to the blue motorcycle bike until official information comes out to confirms things one way or the other.

In addition to the below Chromia pictures, click here for pre-order images from Hobbylink Japan of various Transformer 2 toys include Legends Springer, Starscream, Ratchet and Jetfire.

Slow News Day - MP Grimlock, Master Chief, Etc

Below is demo video of the rather expensive (around $150) but cool Masterpiece Grimlock. Mine is on order, supposed to come out around March 28th.

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Tokyo will have a new protector this summer in the form of a 59-foot Gundam structure. The robot will be standing on Tokyo's Adaiba Island starting in July as celebration of Mobile Suit Gundam's 30th Anniversary. It will be based on the RX-78-2 model from the first series in 1979. More detail can be read here. My only question is will Transformers get a similar display in five years?
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For fans of the animated Transformers: The Movie, Stan Bush's The Touch will be released as a free download for Guitar Hero sometime soon. I don't know the specifics (don't own the game) but more info of what Stan is up to can be read here.
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It’s a shame that licensing and other issues can get in the way of mass produced creativity because I would love to own a custom Halo's Master Chief Transformer that was eBayed recently. The toy transforms from solder to Warthod LRV. The toy was a combination of McFarlane Toys Master Chief figure, Actionclix Wartog and Alternators Hound. The full gallery is here.
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Except for Venom, I have not been particularly interested in the Marvel Crossovers line of Transformers but I think I will have to cave and get the below Iron Man and Spider-Man combiner set.

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Final note, don't forget to join my Twitter account here. Basically just post random stuff, most of it transformers and a good way to track when new posts pop up on the blog.

Sideways Bios and More Toy Galleries

Few more new bios for Transformers 2 have shown up online, two for Sideways and one for Breakaway (still unknown if movie character). First the new toy galleries.

Robot Replicas Megatron - The action figure from all sides
TF Logo Candy Dispenser - Click the link for a video that demonstrates a tie-in product that transforms from the Autobot logo to rectangular shape that has the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen logo on it.
Fast Action Battler Mudflap - Yep still ugly.

Now that the galleries are out of the way, on to the bios from TFW2005. The gallery provides the backs of Deluxe Sideways, FAB Sideways, Deluxe Breakaway and includes previously seen bios of Deluxe Rampage and FAB Long Haul. The bios pretty much say that Sideways is a lazy coward while Breakaway's bio makes no reference to the movie, something that usually indicates that he is not a movie character.

Deluxe Sideways:

Back on Cybertron, Sideways was a simple courier who avoided combat at all costs. He tried to always remain in the shadow of larger Decepticons, where the Autobots might not notice him. On Earth, he's keeping much of the same practice. He teamed up with Demolisher early on, and hopes that if the Autobots find them the big Constructicon can keep him safe.

Fast Action Battler Sideways:

Sideways usually relies on his speed to stay out of fights. When he does have a fight, he likes to make the other guy run, if he can. His magna missiles lock onto the metal of his opponent's armor and chase their target anywhere it goes. While that happens, Sideways kicks back and laughs.

Deluxe Breakaway:

Serving in an army of robots tied to the ground makes Breakaway unique. He is one of the very few among the elite Autobot flyers, and he is unmatched for speed in a straight line. While other pilots focus on aerial acrobatics that confound the enemy, Breakaway is content to speed over a fight at seemingly impossible velocity, releasing bombs and missiles that strike their targets before the thunderous boom of his passage can catch up.

Bay: Wait A Year!

That didn't take long. Michael Bay posted on his forums that Paramount (or at least Variety's source) has it wrong. The third movie is not being released on July 1st, 2011 as reported but July 4th, 2012.

Wait a minute!

I said I was taking off a year from Transformers. Paramount made a mistake in dating Transformers 3 - they asked me on the phone - I said yes to July 4 - but for 2012 - whoops! Not 2011!!! That would mean I would have to start prep in September. No way. My brain needs a break from fighting robots.

Michael

Boo! I don't want a year of nothing much to post about! Seriously I would say after four years of Transformers on the brain, a vacation has been earned. If I had the Baybucks that he has, I would probably just not bother to return. At the very least it allows the recharge of the creative battery (and might help increase the budget) to allow for even bigger baysplosions!

Variety: Transformers 3 Gets a Date

Despite Transformers Revenge of the Fallen still 101 days away from its release date, Variety is reporting that DreamWorks and Paramount have chosen July 1st, 2011 as the date for Transformers 3. This is similar to the previously rumored June 29, 2011 date from late last year.

HOLLYWOOD -- Paramount and DreamWorks are forging ahead with "Transformers 3," dating the movie for release on July 1, 2011.
It's the first word of the three-quel, although Paramount insiders downplayed the importance of the move.

They said the studio wanted to claim the date before a competitor did, considering that the 2011 summer release calendar is filling up.

No deals have been inked with director Michael Bay or franchise stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. Nor has a writer been hired for the third installment.

What this means is the studio simply circled a date on the calendar and said "Mine! Compete if you dare!" with maybe an evil laugh. Does this mean they will achieve the release date? Obviously it is doable since Transformers 2 is coming out on time despite a rather sizable roadblock of a Writers’ Strike. Money is really the only limitation, not time, and if Transformers 2 reaches or exceeds expectations then that will not even be much of an issue. Thanks for Brian for the link.

Regarding Comments

Believe it or not, I do read the comments. I get an email on everyone and skim through them. Having said that, they are getting way out of control with the insults and the cusswords. Transformers are an all ages brand and this website tries to do the same thing. If your comment isn't something you would like a child to read, maybe a re-wording is in order.

If things don't improve I have only three steps available to me: 1) Enable log-in required 2) Enable moderation which means comments will only appear when I get around to oking them and 3) disable comments entirely.

I do not want to moderate the comments. I do not want to limit who can comment on this site (by requiring a log in) so please police yourselves so I don't have to. I do not want to take any of these steps so please don't force me to.

New Autobot Plane In Movie? (Updated)

A new Transformers 2 toy, complete with mini Optimus Prime, has leaked to The Arker. The toys is Voyager class, and looks almost like the C-130 that was seen at The Boneyard when production filmed there back in October. This could finally explain exactly how the Autobots get from the United States to Egypt to fight the Decepticons and The Fallen.

Below are a few images and the full gallery can be found here.


Update: From the comments, its appears the alt mode has been identified as a Russian Antonov An-225 (or An-225 Mriya). Of course this is 100% verified (but then neither has the toy) but it is the closest I have seen so far. Considering that the Ironhide toys suggests that NEST is a U.N. funded program, it would make sense that foreign aircraft would be needed to transport what I assume are very heavy fleet of Autobots.

Coloring Books Gives TF2 Spoilers?

Image scans of a Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen coloring book may provide a few spoilers for the movie. The various images suggests that Agent Simmons is critical in stopping Devastator, contradict Bay's recent statement of Megatron only appearing in flashback, Sam's dad is going to be less then pleased with what happens to his lawn, the sliver plays an important part in the story and retains the AllSpark's power, Wheelie's wandering loyalties (see bio) causes problems for Mikaela, and the Decepticon's go to Egypt to retrieve an "ancient machine" that is aimed at the Sun.

Below are a few pictures but the full gallery can be found here. Thanks to Chris for the link.

Turturro Voices Jetfire?

In a translated article by Djeeloo on the Shoot for the Edit forums, from French magazine Premier Cine Live, is an indication that John Turturro (Agent Simmons) will be the voice of Jetfire. Also, signs are not good for Transfan love for the Twins. Thanks to Richard for the link. Slight edits have been made to the original post.

Set: Egypt, in front of Kheops Pyramid, stands an ancient 30’s palace built for King Faruk’s guests.

At “Action”, Shia runs through the yard, stops at the doorstep and hits the door with his shoulder. Megan Fox, John Turturro and Ramon Rodriguez come next and hurry inside the building.

Shia heads up, shout a few words at an imaginary Bumblebee, and gets in. Three cars, the Camaro, the red TRAX and the green BEAT, start quickly and stop a bit further away to look out. The three vehicles are driven by black-suited (and thereby “invisible”) stuntmen behind the smoked glass.

At the end of the day, the crew moves to the third and smallest pyramid, Mykerinos. John Turturro, back as always angry agent Simmons, has to climb up a few stones. This hasn’t been done for 30 years: Too many accident occurred and Egyptians had forbidden it. Turturo will try to run from an imaginary Decepticon.

Michael Bay says: “I had the idea of these two stupid Transformers, Skids and Mudflap. They’re twins who can’t stop bickering, but they do heroic things at the beginning of the movie.

Bumblebee, on his side, has become more serious. He doesn’t want to leave Sam’s parents’ garage. There is also an old Transformer, who loses screws and bolts at every move. And it’s John Turturro voicing him.”

The movie will start at Gyzeh, Egypt, long before pyramids were built, and will end at the same place nowadays, with a huge fight between Autobots and Decepticons.

It’s said that we’ll learn in the movie how pyramids were built. Does it involve any Transformer?

The article is in line with the USA Today article and pictures from last year. Now the "old Transformer" (and voicing) has not officially been identified but Jetfire's bio describing him as having "ancient strength" seems to indicate he is the likely culprit.

Deluxe Sideswipe, Rampage Bios

TF08.net has provide a few pictures of Deluxe Rampage and Sideswipe in their packaging along with their bios. Of note for Rampage his he is kind of a triple-changer with his "jackhammer mode."

Deluxe Rampage Bio:

The stink of diesel fumes and hot tar follows Rampage wherever he goes. His treads are packed with metal shards stripped from his victims and the countless scratches covering his chassis are testament to hundreds of brutal battles. He lives to pound his enemies into submission and thinks of little else. His idea of beauty is the sight of sun glistening off the raw edges of shredded Autobot armor.

Deluxe Sideswipe Bio:

Sideswipe was built to fight. He is sleek, fast, and accomplished in battle, focusing on his enemy with absolute attention. His blades are a shining blur as he leaps through the air, twisting to avoid enemy fire. Converting from vehicle to robot at blazing speed, he uses every trick in the book to get close to his opponent and put his powerful swords to work.

Also for giggles click here for a look at Robot Heroes Sideswipe. Thanks to Phil for the links.

Deluxe Skids Video Review

Below is a review video of Deluxe Skids, part of the Transformers 2 toy line. Over all not bad but I just can't get past the Gremlin head. Thanks to Phil for the find.

Transformers Defiance #3 Preview

IDW has released the first five pages of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Defiance #3. The mini-series covers the origin of the civil war that engulfs the Cybertronian race. In this case, it appears that The Fallen played a rather critical role in igniting the war. The preview pages can be found here. Thanks to minime and Phil for the link.

Frank Welker Interview

TFW2005 has posted a two part interview with Frank Welker, the one true voice of Megatron and future voice of Soundwave for the movie. The interview was done before Bay's annoucement of his intention to cast Welker as Soundwave and covers Welker's work over the decades including Transformers, how he prepares, advice for future voice person's and some memories he has. Sadly nothing specific about the movie and nor his G1 years other then he enjoyed the work. Below are some highlights and links to the full interview.

Part 1
Part 2

Highlights:
What was your reaction, when you heard about the out-pouring of support from the fans for you to reprise your role as Megatron in the recent movie?
Well, I was absolutely blown away. I really had no idea how big the Transformers were, let alone the size of the fan base. Their passion and knowledge of all things TF is pretty awesome. For me, knowing the fans felt my G1 Megatron was original and important to them and should have been included in the feature production was humbling. That loyalty has pretty much increased my hat size about two fold. Of course I realize it is "Megs" ultimately...not me.

How did you feel about the role of Megatron in the recent transformers movie going to Hugo Weaving?
Hey, if it can't be me or an immediate member of my family playing the role of Megaton, Hugo Weaving is not too shabby. He is a superb actor who always brings interesting interpretations to his work. His agent Smith from the Matrix series was an example, he used a very slight robotic twitch and underplayed it so nicely...top notch. The clips I saw of his Megatron seemed to work just fine, but it was pretty heavily processed and made the voice sound typical of what you might expect of a 40 foot mechanical villain. I think it would have been more interesting to hear less process and more Hugo.

Have you been approached at all for any further work with the franchise, either with the movie(Soundwave?) or another incarnation, such as Transformers: Animated?
Well it is a little too early to be specific but I will say yes and no. No, I have not been approached by the movie folks but yes I am still involved in the franchise...more on that later.

What differences do you find in voicing animals, as opposed to "speaking" characters?
I think people have more of a preconceived idea of what a human voice's should sound like but when you do animals there is more freedom of artistic movement. You are creating sound the listener hasn't pigeon holed ....directors are more apt to leave me alone with my etch-o-sketch and I like that.
(Welker is the "god" of animal noise work for Hollywood. If an animal makes a noise in a movie, Welker is probably the voice behind it.)

Where do you draw your inspirations from in creating a voice? What inspired you to come up with Megatron's voice?
I find that I respond more visually than verbally and looking at a drawing or seeing pictures of the characters evokes an automatic reaction which suggests a voice or attitude. If there is a description and history it helps form a point of view that adds to the overall voice. I think I enjoy looping to picture...looping is the process where you record in a studio with the film or project on the screen and you voice over to what you are looking at...because you see the action on the screen and you just go for it. The character is there and it helps the director as well since he just has to show you the scene, it is a very liberating and creative process. When I auditioned for the Transformers show, there was a sign at the door that said “pick three”. There were piles of drawings of the characters on this table so I just picked up a bunch of the Autobots and Decepticons and had at it. I was drawn to the evil characters since a lot of my work had been mixed with way too many good guys. When I saw Megatron he stood out and I liked the fact that he was the leader of the Decepticons. I tried to make his voice different from what I thought the other actors might do in hopes it would stand out. In the case of Megatron it was the first voice that came to me and the powers to be said "Hello Megatron."

As it turned out I got seven of the original parts...Autobots and Decepticons. I think Wally Burr the director was so busy doing other shows plus working this one he didn't realize he cast me in all those parts...hey, I was lucky!!

Could you cite some other notable examples?
Well, Soundwave was a very bad impression of Barry White but again I wanted something different and it was another weird sounding voice. I think now I was not going with visual as much as trying to create a voice that was different from what I had already done and from the rest of my fellow actors. I didn't realize until the middle of the season that Scotty, our engineer, had processed the shorts off that voice and added large amounts of that "vocal harmonizer thingy bobby"...that's tech speak for "lots of sound stuff." So anyway, it really was fun to do but I could have done Snooky Lanson and it still would have sounded the same. The younger folks will need to look Snooky up on Wikipedia.

What are some of your fondest memories working on the original Transformers series?
I know it is cliche, but as I mentioned above, it was a hoot working with Mike Bell who loved to pick on Peter Cullen. Peter is such a good guy and has the best laugh in town. We all tried to get his number and he was pretty easy. Of course he could dish it out too and was very funny with great stories of the Great White North. He does a French Canadian that puts me away. It was an odd cast of characters literally...and that kept it fun.

You've played a lot of villains over the years, what was your favorite "evil" role?
Probably would be Megatron because he has been the longest running and most widely known. He is fun to do because there are no limits...he can be over the top and still work, or low and subtle and make wee ones have nightmares. And note, around this voice there is controversy, that is a good sign. I think it is important that you don't sound like people expect you to, always good, unless you are running for public office!

More Toy Galleries

Nope not new, but for those interested a lot more galleries of the various toys from the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen towline have popped up. Nothing really new except the pic to the right that shows off that Deluxe Bumblebee has a new gimmick of pop-out cannons that is pretty cool. The main reason for this post is these are some of the best quality pictures yet of the various toys.

Leader Optimus Prime
Leader Megatron
Deluxe Skids
FAB Long Haul
FAB Sideways
Deluxe Sideswipe
Legends Megatron

Welker Tapped As Soundwave

Every now and then Michael Bay likes to drop in on his forums and cause some havoc by answering a question is such a way as to lead to more questions. Not this time though. Bay has indicated he is going to please many die-hard Transfans.

I think I'm going to pursue Frank on Soundwave.

Michael

If "persue" becomes a contract for the movie, that means that finally Frank Welker will get to reprise a Transformer role in the movie. Welker is the legendary voice behind Megatron, Soundwave, Frenzy, Ravage, Ratbat and more. His overall voice career is extensive and probably includes some of your favorite childhood characters in other cartoons and movies. Hopefully once Welker has signed on the dotted line, Bay will provide an update. Thanks to Ty for the link.

Japan List Suggest New TF 2 Character

TFormers.com has posted a list of Transformers toys from Amazon Japan. Most are known but there is one addition to the toy list that is new, called Chromia. Chromia (wiki) is a female character that goes back to the G1 days even though only appeared briefly in one of the episodes along with Elita-1. It provides additional evidence that one of the three bikes currently collectivity called Arcee might be three individual characters. Or it could simply be a repaint of the Arcee from the first movie's toy line.

You have to love the Japanese class naming conventions for their toy classes as it makes it so easy to keep track of a collection and much improved over the mess of the stateside method (which is no method). Hasbro should consider copying it. It is something that would encourage collecting (and therefore purchasing) of their toys. Let’s face it there are a lot of collectors and kids who lose track of what they own but if they knew they had RA-01 to 06, they would be that more likely to "complete" the collection by getting the rest of the numbering. At the very least they should try it.

The list, with links and release dates is here.

Ransack and Depthcharge Bios

A few pictures of Deluxe class Ransack and Depthcharge in packages have appeared on TFW2005 along with their Transformers 2 bio. Based on bios that have nothing to do with the movies (compared to known movie character bios), I think it’s pretty much confirmation that these toys are not based off of movie characters. Not officially verified but pretty confident assumption. Below are a few pictures, the full gallery is here.

Ransack Bio:

Back in the distant past of Cybertron, when flight was a new technology, Ransack was first of the flying aces. He was a ruthless combatant, blasting his components out of the sky, and then strafing the helpless troop stuck on the ground without cover. He may be past his prime and equipped with outdated weapons now, but there was a time when Ransack was the most feared name on Cybertron.

Depthcharge Bio:

Depthcharge is a brilliant military strategist. Autobots and Decepticons alike are accustomed to ground and air based combat, but ocean tactics are unfamiliar to them. Depthcharge uses this to his advantage, choosing a stealth boat mode to spy on Decepticon fodder from the nearest port. Fast and sharp, Depthcharge never shies away from battle but he prefers to be armed with the elment of surprise.