Transformers 2.5 Hours Long, Welker Confirmed In Another Role?

According to an interview with Shia LaBeouf from Collider.com while promoting his movie Disturbia, Transformers might be a 2 and half hour long movie with 20 set pieces or action sequences if the Spider-Man analogy is an indication. Also just as important is this is the first movie insider confirmation that Frank Welker may still voice one of the Transformers in the movie, even if its not Megatron.

From the interview:

On the running time and the amount of action he said:
It's going to be long. He's going to give you a lot. You've got 20 set pieces. You like at Spider-Man and it had five big action sequences — five set pieces. We have 20, and you've got to get storyline in, you've got to get the narrative in — so a lot of explanation. You can’t just have robots fighting for no reason. You've got to explain it. The movies going to run, I think, about two and a half.

And then I asked him why all of Michael Bay’s movies look like all the money was spent on screen and I got an extremely honest response:
Because he’s not putting all the actors in huge trailers, and we’re not staying in four class resorts and craft service isn’t shrimp cocktail. It’s a movie set and all the money is going into the film. You feel it on set. You know none of us got paid millions of dollars to be in that movie. That’s one of the lowest paying jobs I’ve been in, in my career. And that’s the way it goes. You do that movie not because of the paycheck, I know that everybody thinks “oh you’re in Transformers because of the paycheck.” And I’m sure eventually it will lead to a paycheck – when you have a Japanese following and a following you never had – but the initial being in the movie was never a paycheck. None of us got paid above $70,000 dollars. We were all there to blow shit up.

As a fan of Transformers you’re reaction to Hugo Weaving getting cast as the voice of Megatron?
Look as long as you make sure (Frank) Welker is in and you make sure that (Peter) Cullen is Optimus. If anyone else is Optimus the movie is terrible. It has to be Cullen. Now Welker is older, much older than Cullen and his voice has changed. I’ve heard him in sessions. He’d be great as another robot but to play Megatron you need somebody powerful and Hugo Weaving is powerful.

The rumor of Frank Welker remaining involved in the Transformers production started pretty much the same day of the Hugo Weaving announcement but this is the first time I have read someone directly involved with the movie speaking about it. With plenty of roles available and Frank's ability its a toss up on what role he will have but for giggles I am guessing Starscream.

As for the 2.5 hour length, I am thinking that's the rough cut length of the film. Its not that I wouldn't want to see the movie that long, but studio economics 101 is to go for a two hour or shorter film length as that means at least one more play time each day. One more play time mean more tickets sold, so more money made. That use to not matter but no business decisions are often made just on the first weekend take, not even the long haul results so getting huge numbers up front is usually paramount. Of course this is a Bay/Spielberg movie so the usual rules can get tossed at any time.