Monday, March 22, 2010

Transformers 3: McDormand, Malkovich and More (Updated)

Michael Bay has dropped by his official forums and posted a very informative update on the progress with Transformers 3 including new casting additions, shooting locations, and a new Autobot car.
Hey, it's been a long time since I've posted. Just been a little busy.

Transformers 3 has been going very well. We are going to shoot in LA, Chicago, Washington DC, Florida, Texas, Africa, Moscow, and China. On the talent front, we just locked in Frances McDormand and John Malkovich. Both amazing actors I've always wanted to work with. We also just got Ken Jeong, he is the super funny actor stuck in the trunk from “Hangover” and the Doctor from “Knocked Up.”

We start shooting pre-shoots in about one month.

I also was at a Ferrari charity event this week raising money for a hospital being built by Ferrari in Haiti. I announced that night the newest Autobot to join Transformers: the Ferrari 458 Italia.

I also want to thank everyone on this site that donated to the Make -A-Wish charity. We raised $20,000 which I will personally be matching. This is a great charity where they make wishes come true for kids who are very ill. We have had many Kids from Make-A-Wish visit us on our Transformers sets and this time we will be posting video of their visits on Transformers 3.

Michael Bay
I assume these additions will be part of the voice cast but that is far from verified. John Malkovich and Francis McDormand have worked together before on Burn After Reading. McDormand might also seem familiar from Fargo and Almost Famous. Malkovich has done many movies playing both villains and heroes including In the Line of Fire, Con Air, and Being John Malkovich just to name a few. I would be shocked if Ken Jeong, aka Senor Change on Community, isn't doing a voice as the Bay has shown he enjoys working with comedians, especially the one that have improv skills. Thanks to NHLfan, Janson and Katie for the link.

Update: According to gossip blog Deadline Hollywood, it appears that Francis McDormand and John Malkovich will appear in the flesh, "McDormand will play a big role, the National Intelligence Director. Malkovich plays Shia's character's first boss." Thanks to Katie and Kris for the info.

30 comments:

  1. I doubt they will just be in the voice cast for Transformers characters. Why would Michael Bay announce John Malkovich if then viewers worldwide couldn't see him playing a human character in the movie?
    It surely wouldn't be a smart move.. considering that outside from US,Canada and UK then the general public wouldn't be able to even listen to John Malkovich voice on the movie because obviously there is dubbing in each local language to account for.
    Michael Bay surely knows better than anyone else that at least half of the box office gross profit as well as DVD/Blu-Ray disc sales always comes from non-English speaking countries.. so... why announcing John Malkovich if only English speaking people could be able to know that he is playing a role in the movie while watching?

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  2. @anon 3/22 4:29
    I think you're right, but not entirely, what about Hugo Weaving? Malkovich could very well a voice cast.

    But why are you talking about Malkovich, the far more important news is the new Autobot car!!

    The Ferrari 458 Italia......hell yeah!!!!!! Awesome news!!!!
    What are we thinking guys? Hot Rod?

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  3. Dont get too exited about the car. I was like that when i heard that Audi R8 would be in ROTF. But you know what happen. "sliccccccce , dam I'm good. Why - bcs it's not GM

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  4. Hugo Weaving was known to voice Megatron for original English versions since the first movie. Now it's different, announcing a famous guest star like John Malkovich that joins the cast for the 3rd movie must be part of the worldwide marketing campaign and not limited to just English viewers otherwise the marketing of announcing him in the cast would simply fail outside English language countries.

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  5. Maybe the Ferrari will be Drift...

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  6. Counterpunch3/22/2010 5:47 PM

    Ferrari - Sunstreaker

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  7. I want a Mclaren MP4-12C for Decepticons.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulothelemon/4310708553/

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  8. It's a good start. Considering good announcement so far. And new Autobot taking a form of Ferrai 458 Italia. Who could it be? Hot Rod? Overdrive? We will see what come next.

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  9. i say the Ferrari 458 Italia is Hot Rod! (i have mixed feelings about him being in the movie idk why)....and ill be pissed if Ken Jeong isnt just doin a voiceover cuz i dont want him to be overused for comedy in the movie

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  10. @v1p3rs
    Ferrari would never agree with a small part like the Audi R8 for Sideways, look how long it took to get Ferrari in the videogame Gran Turismo.
    Ferrari would never agree to let a brand new model like the 458 get
    sliced in half, even if its cgi. The Centennial Corvette didn't get hurt either.

    I also think it will be Hot Rod, but he doesn't have to become Rodimus Prime, I for sure don't want to. Optimus is the ONLY leader of the Autobots! I don't think Bay will kill Prime again, everybody knows that that was very badly received back in the 80's. If they do kill him off again, I wouldn't bare it...

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  11. I can't figure out for sure how much of this is real information and how much isn't.

    I have no idea whether Malkovich, McDormand and Jeong are doing live-action or voiceover work (though knowing Bay, Jeong might do a filthy Chinese role like in THE HANGOVER).

    But what I DO know is that Spielberg and Bay are pulling out all the stops to make the 3rd film a truly incredible experience.

    And that Ferrari Transformer is so sweet, it's sure to be a Decepticon! (Autobots already have a Corvette as Sideswipe)

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  12. But Bay said the Ferrari would be an autobot, unless he was giving us misinformation again.

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  13. @Martinus...i completely agree with you this time!! especially about the optimus and rodimus prime stuff

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  14. TEXAS!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!

    I wonder where? Kickass!

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  15. wheeljack or mirage would be awesome as the ferrari:)

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  16. great..a new character to not develop

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  17. yeah, im feeling really good about the third film. new car(s), great characters (actors) and the locations are awesome: asia, moscow and africa? absolutely brilliant.
    and if the guy don´t stop with his "jordan 17, jordan 18" bullshit, i dont know what i will do to him...!

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  18. YAY! MORE HUMAN CHARACTERS! Lets star a petition and ask Michael Bay to change the title: Adventures of farting humans, guest starring: some robots from space.

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  19. I believe that the Ferrari will be Hot Rod, but then again we should remember what they did with the Corvette.Everyone thought that it would be Tracks or Blurr because of the robot-mode, and they decided to make it Sideswipe.So I believe that the Ferrari might be Blurr as well.And the Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime they might do it the way it is in the IDW's Transformers The Ongoing Mission.

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  20. @anon 3/22 8:35PM
    Thanks.

    @anon 3/23 3:56AM
    You're right, can't the blogger ban this fool?

    Wheeljack as the Ferrari would be far more awesome than Hot Rod.

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  21. The Jokerfan3/23/2010 7:47 PM

    Get Astrotrain in there already! I want to see him again. RRRRGGGGHHH!!!

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  22. I'm afraid that the toy version of the Ferrari 458 Italia will be bastardized and unrecognizable. Lets see what happens...

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  23. guys it has to be freaking hot rod. besides ironhides black, sideswipe is silver, there cannot repeat cannot be anyone else! IT HAS TO BE HOTROD!

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  24. in reply to Martinus post time 3/22/2010 7:30 PM about killing Optimus Prime

    I have read from somewhere, that Hasbro would never make that mistake again .... lol

    and regarding the Ferrari character it dosn't worry me much who it is as long as ....

    * the character dose not get killed off as soon as we see him/her
    * replace an existing character (especially prime)
    * screen time
    * Characterization

    but, i have a feeling they are to much to ask for lol but i will still watch the movie even if they are not.

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  25. I heard that they're into the core mythology, so I guess that means that they'll not only put in characters that didn't make it in the films and should be in them(like Prowl) but they'll keep their basic characteristics(LIKE BLURR IS BLUE AND FAST AND HOT ROD IS RED) and they should not put Wheeljack in.I mean he was in the PSP Version of the first game and his design looked great, we don't need another redesign like with Arcee

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  26. Ferrari 458 Italia is going to be Cliffjumper.

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  27. I still don't get why they completely destroyed the Arcee twins (well, two of them. The third one apparently survived...) and what's with the Autobot at the end that apparently came out of nowhere and combined Optimus with Jetfire? Ratchet called him Jolt, but never in the whole movie there was an autobot name Jolt. WTF happened?!

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  28. idk about HOT ROD???? cuz G1 he wuz like th little guy everyone wanted 2 see whip ass but BB has takin over that role its gonna be good to see who it is and how they use he/she??????

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