DOTM Pick-ups, Burglary

Nelson posted a brief update on MB.com about Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Nelson here...

Just a couple of things I wanted to share with you guys.

* Michael was shooting today some of the last pickup scenes for Transformers Dark Of The Moon.
* Burglars broke into the production offices of the movie. Federal authorities have been called in due to the sensitive nature of the burglary.

DOTM Sentinel Prime and New Optimus Prime in Robot Mode

The April 2011 issue of Empire Magazine, now hitting newsstands has scored a heck of a coup. As the images from TFW2005's Shockwaved show, they provide a fantastic look at Sentinel Prime and Optimus Prime in their full CGI glory. A summary of the article (which is not available on Empire's website for turn of the century reasons) from TFW2005's knook:

Does and Don'ts for TF3:
1. No sand
2. No "dorky" humor ("we wanted to make the movie much more serious, more adult)
3. When robots die, they're really going to die and we're gonna show that
4. We're not bringing people back
5. Give the robots more 'weight' in the story ("They were missed in movie two. We've given them a strong back-story and pathos")

- Sentinel Prime is "A big brother and mentor to Optimus Prime"
- The Ferrari is a 'Con who (Michael) bay is dubbing as 'Dreadbox' [incorrect info, see below]
- New companions for Starscream, Shockwave and the rest
- "The scale on one of them is jawdropping" - "It will be 'what the Hell was that thing?"
- Apollo 11 'incident' show in the teaser is government secret
- No army for this, Chicago is left up to the 'Bots but some heroes sneak in through the back-door so to speak
- The human gliders are used because they slip under the 'Con radar - as do humans - so they'll be the people who can hammer it to the 'Cons and create an opening for the 'Bots

As pointed out in the comments by cypherXR, the information about "Dreadbox" is incorrect. As Bay posted on his forums back in March before production started saying "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 have not read the article but it appears its the usual job where a reporter got hold of pictures but no interviews or additional information. Since just posting the pictures for a front page story isn't enough, they compiled the article from other online sources from the previous months of set leaks which we all know can lead to incorrect information. I guess they didn't check out my cheat sheet to verify what has and has not been officially confirmed. Thanks to Sahara, Chris, Katie, Ryan, Kris and others for the link.


Corrections made in regards to "Dreadbox" and relating it to the Ferrari.

Transformers: Prime Convoy Promo

Thanks to Soundwave9 below is the promo for episode 9 of Transformers: Prime called Convoy. Described as "The Autobots have a new enemy to face - but as with everything in Transformers, the identity of the enemy is more than meets the eye!" The new episodes hits this Friday on The Hub. (via TFW2005) Update: Swapped out embed with official version from The Hub's YouTube channel.

How "Q" Was Made

EuroTuner has posted an interesting article that gets into the details on Transformers: Dark of the Moon's Mercedes-Benz E550 was made. The Benz is the alt mode of Q (like 007) to represent his role with the Autobots. I nicknamed him "Einstein" because of his appearance. The details below, more pictures of Q can be found at EuroTuner or mirrored at TFW2005. Thanks to Sahara for the link.

As a long time CEC customer, the movie’s acclaimed Director/Producer, Michael Bay, contacted Claus Ettensberger at CEC to help design the newest Autobot for the upcoming action thriller. With a base Mercedes E550 as the platform, CEC went to work transforming two identical sedans into Decepticon killers with style.

The conversion included new custom blue paint, which was specifically chosen by Michael Bay to make the character stand out. The CEC enhancements incorporated a custom aerodynamic kit with a front spoiler, side skirts, rear apron, trunk spoiler, fenders, suspension and exhaust system. The stock wheels were replaced with CEC C725 forged wheels (20x8.5” front, 20x10” rear) and Michelin PS2 tires (245/30R20 front, 285/30R20).

Five-Ton Megatron Tank

The pictures of this 5 ton fan re-creation of Megatron's movie version tank alt mode pretty much speak for themselves. Below are a few sample pics but the rest can be found at Chinese language site ZCool or here for English translation. A mirror of the pics is also at Bleeding Cool.

Dear Friends Happy New Year!

The first year the legendary Iron Steel Sculpture: Transformers Megatron in tank available, and now pictures dedicated to everyone, I hope my friends for their valuable comments.

Process was full of twists and turns, the light tank track on the teeth, before and after no fewer than ten times to modify the program. Anyway, finally get rid of this monster, weighing almost 5 tons. Several aspects are split, however, today this baby out of the studio, a dozen people was not ready to spend an afternoon.

In fact, some parts can be refined, it can be done more refined, but experts of the supplier of many supporting a holiday, employees have to return home New Year, plus find a suitable material, so it feels out of less desirable.

Linkin Park and Transformers 3 Hints Continue

In an interview with LPTimes.com, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park drops another hint that the band is working with Michael Bay on the soundtrack for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. As this site reported early this year, there was a possibility that "Burning in the Skies" from A Thousand Suns would make the cut and be released as a single around when the movie comes out. Bennington stopped short of confirming the partnership but it seems highly likely considering Linkin Park had singles on the previous two films. (via TF2005, thanks to Sahara for link)

RY: Are you working on the soundtrack for Transformers: Dark of the Moon?
CB: I don’t know if I’m at liberty to tell you yet [winks]. But it looks promising. I think we go hand in hand with those films. A lot of our younger fans call us the Transformers band.

Possible List of DOTM Trailer Dates?

A post over at the TFW2005.com has posted a possible list of names and dates for the trailers and TV spots that will be released for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It seems reasonable on the surface. March 25th is the release date of Sucker Punch, April 3rd is when the controversial mini-series The Kennedy's will air on the Reelz Channel, and May 5th is Thor's release date. As usual take with grain of salt but at least have a ballpark date to pay attention to which is better than nothing. Thanks to DJ.Bigtyme Beats for the link.

Announcement trailer december 8, 2010
superbowl tv spot "dark" february 6, 2011
daytona tv spot "nascar" february 19, 2011
teaser trailer march 25, 2011
reelz tv spot "autobots" april 3, 2011
mtv tv spot "moon" april 21, 2011
theatrical trailer may 5, 2011
nick tv spot "invade" june 13, 2011
movie release in 3d july 1, 2011
dvd tv spot 1 september 8, 2011
dvd tv spot 2 september 23, 2011
dvd/blu-ray release october 7, 2011

Transformers: Foundation Preview

IGN has posted a five page preview of the other Transformers: Dark of the Moon tie in comic called Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Foundation #1. Rising Storm preview was released yesterday. Both #1 issues are in comic book stores now. The covers and first five pages can be found here or here.


Written by John Barber, art by Andrew Griffith, cover by Brian Rood.
The first Transformers 3 movie prequel begins here! The origin of the bitter rivalry between Optimus Prime and Megatron starts here! But what is the secret connection that will forever bind them? And how will it affect the future of all Transformers?
32 pages, $3.99.

The Wreckers Lap at Daytona 500

TFW2005 found a video posted online that shows The Wreckers doing a lap at the Daytona International Speedway as part of the Daytona 500 on Saturday. It’s a blink or you will miss it moment as the cars decked out in their weapons lead the pack just behind the initial track cars and trucks but before the two waves of NASCAR vehicles. Also, Aeromental has pulled together a "best of" gallery from multiple website when Leadfoot (red), Topspin (blue) and Roadbuster (green) were filming in Chicago this summer. Thanks to Brian for the link.

Brian Goldner Talks DOTM

Hasbro CEI Brian Goldner provides his perspective on Transformers: Dark of the Moon and the shortcomings of Revenge of the Fallen in an interview with MTV. They tried to get an answer from Goldner on whether they are going to continue the franchise without Bay but without success as he instead answered "perhaps he'll change his mind, perhaps he won't, but I'd rather put out this movie first then cross that bridge at some point."

Turning his attention to the forthcoming movie, Goldner agreed with his contemporaries Bay, Shia LaBeouf and Tyrese Gibson in describing "Dark of the Moon" as the best film in the series: "I really believe it is, and the reason is because we've learned so many things as we've made [these films]."

"The fact is, there's a lot of story here… but we also understand the great spectacle of what 'Transformers' can be," he continued. "It's a great marriage, but with greater meaning. The first trailer shows that the space race is a backdrop to something that had gone on in our past that nobody was aware of. In typical 'Transformers' fashion, it's all about more than meets the eye. That's the core of what 'Transformers' is: you can never judge a book by its cover. We're going to reveal to you, in much more of a thriller style than ever before, that idea of what's going on behind this whole 'Transformers' pre-history."

"If everyone had understood why each Transformer was in the movie, people wouldn't have cared how many there were," he said [about Revenge of the Fallen]. "But once they're just these robots without any real meaning of why they're there, it just became robot melee, and that's not as enjoyable as knowing something about each robot and their personality so that when they do fight, there are stakes to it. That's really what was missing. It wasn't that there were so many robots; there were so many robots that you didn't know."

"'Dark of the Moon' has many meanings. It's clearly what we know from the teaser trailer, but it's also this idea that there's darkness, a real cataclysm that could occur here based on knowing the truth of what's happening."

Deluxe Thundercracker, Voyager Prime & Ironhide

A tease of sorts for a new Transformers: Dark of the Moon has been posted online. As the pic shows, Deluxe Thundercracker joins the initial wave of DOTM toys coming out over the course of the summer and fall. The toy uses the Starscream mold with his traditional blue paint scheme. While I doubt the character is in the film, it does prove that Hasbro will be continuing the repaint tradition as I suspect pretty much every DOTM mold will get re-issued with different paint job over the next year or so. On a related note, Seibertron has posted a new gallery that shows of voyager Optimus Prime and Ironhide that you can find here.

Transformers: Rising Storm Preview and Interview

Tomorrow will bring the first issue of Transformers: Rising Storm which is one of the two prequel comics for Transformers: Dark of the Moon hitting comic book stores. The other is Transformers: Foundation which takes place even before the first movie. MTV posted a brief interview with Transformers editor Andy Schmidt as he talks about the comics and posted a 7 page preview (mirrored here).

MTV NEWS: What guidelines were you given for the series in order to make it gel with the movie’s continuity?
ANDY SCHMIDT: We were asked to do what we would want to do anyway, which is tie-in with the universe as established and lead into the movie in a meaningful way.

MTV: Do the comics take place right before the film starts, years before it starts, or something else entirely?
SCHMIDT: There are two prequel series: "Foundation" takes place long before the events of even the first film. The second prequel is "Rising Storm," and that one leads directly into the opening of the new film. It takes place in between the second and third films, sort of bridging the two.

Transformers Linkfest

Transtopia Masterclass - Soundwave
From Seibertron, a look at another Transformer custom. This one is a combo piece of Reveal the Shield Perceptor with Generations Soundwave (like the guns) and a fantastic paintjob. The figure already sold on eBay for $281.87 but be sure to hit the link to view the gallery.

Transformers: Beast Wars Re-release
Shout! Factory has tweeted plans to re-release Transformers: Beast Wars on DVD with new extras material. They also have indicated that the Generation One set will also get re-issued and they are looking at giving the Japanese cartoons a possible stateside release. I still have the Rhino editions of both cartoons and probably need to upgrade but the cost of those sets at the time was not cheap. Takara continued the Generation One cartoons for another 3 or so season after it had ended stateside.

DOTM Daytona 500 Ad in 1080p (HD)

As promised, Nelson has posted the 1080p HD version of the second TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon that aired during the Daytona 500 this Saturday. He also provided a download link at MichaelBay.com but the file size is sizable for such a brief video. So far Yahoo! Movies and Apple Trailers have not posted the commercial.

MichaelBay.com | Vimeo | YouTube

Peter Cullen Interview Reveals DOTM Spoiler

I am not sure how I missed this but around the time that MTV spoke with Roberto Orci and Frank Welker about Transformers: Prime, they also spoke with Peter Cullen. The interview covered the usual questions about playing Prime, how does the voice, how has the character lasted so long, etc that we have read before many times over the years. However, MTV did manage to uncover a new spoiler (so warning and junk) about Transformers: Dark of the Moon. That segment of the interview is below, the whole thing can be found here.

Geek: Do you have any other projects you are working on at the moment, or are looking forward to?
PC: I’ve been involved with NASA, and it started a few years back, during their 40th anniversary. They came up with an Optimus Prime award to be given to a student who participated in the NASA program for young people, and I’m going back to Colorado Springs in April to be part of that award ceremony. I talked with NASA about doing things with the Hub network, about a NASA-based Optimus Prime collaboration for younger kids and teenagers. Whether it goes through or not I don’t know, but I think it’s a natural fit. And if it happens there will be another show on the Hub network with me voicing Optimus Prime. So that’s pretty exciting.

In the feature film coming out this Summer, they have Neil Armstrong, a former astronaut, and Buzz Aldrin -- Optimus has a scene with Buzz Aldrin, and this is where it all started to come together in my mind. I thought, wow I really got to get these guys and Optimus together after the movie. Maybe we can do a series of some kind.

Nelson Update on Twins (Updated)

Nelson, the admin of MB.com and general inside man on all things Michael Bay has posted a new update on the forums that says the Twins are not in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I am guessing the post is a response to an IO9 article that inexplicably brought them up when posting about the Daytona 500 TV spot. Nelson wrote:

Just a little update:

1.- Michael is NOT directing a movie starring Taylor Lautner. It's a project Platinum Dunes might produce.

2.- And for the final time the Twins are not in this movie period - end of story.

PS. I will have the DOTM 1080p Daytona ad tomorrow night.

Combined Super Bowl & Daytona 500 Trailer

For your entertainment, Valery T of Cinemotion has edited an extended trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon that combines all the non-repeat scenes in the Super Bowl and Daytona 500 commercials with a touch of the first teaser trailer. The result is a 44 second video of pure Transformer action.

Wheeljack Returns for Transformers: Prime

The next episode of Transformers: Prime that will air re-introduces Wheeljack to the Transformers universe as an old friend of Bulkhead. The preview picture is posted on TFWiki. Wheeljack was a Generation One character that created the Dinobots and Aerialbots who acted as kind of scientist/mechanic for the Autobots. He briefly appeared in Transformers: Animated but really has not been seen as a character since Transformers: The Movie, possibly because of the untimely death of Chris Latta who voiced the character (and also voiced Starscream and Cobra Commander). As a G1 and Wheeljack fan, I hope this is the beginning of his reintroduction into Transformers universe on a regular basis in whatever future iterations Hasbro comes up with. The new episode "Con Job", airs this Friday at 6:30pm EST on The Hub. (via TFormers)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Daytona 500 TV Spot (Updated)

It turns out while Michael Bay, the Wreckers and others were at the Daytona 500, a new TV spot aired for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It is about half identical to the Super Bowl commercial and half of new scenes. Starscream transforming and landing in front of Sam and Carly, Optimus Prime walking as cartridge pops out of gun toward screen, Sam & Carly moment, a voiceover (probably John Turturro) saying "...years from now they’re gonna ask where were you when they took over the planet", Epps yelling "Run!", Bumblebee in weapon mode, and the Wreckers. If you want to see a little footage of the Transformers crew at Daytona click here. Thanks to Ryan, Sahara, John, Kris, Rakeen and others for the heads-up.

Update: Added above image Pixel Rally's Jeff that show one of the images he photographed with what was shown in the trailer. The image is part of the filming that occured at a Wabash and Lake parking deck in Chicago. Safe to say that bus going boom sequence involves Starscream trying to get Sam. The magic of Hollywood in action.

The Wreckers at Daytona 500

Saturday the NASCAR's Daytona 500 was held with Michael Bay and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as Grand Marshalls. On hand for the race was The Wreckers. Thanks to Kaminarimon Nos and his Facebook page, we have a fantastic gallery of images of the vehicles on display at the Daytona International Speedway and more information about the vehicles that he learned while there. As his gallery (below) shows, the cars seem to be officially called "The Wreckers" (before that was unconfirmed fan designation), are Autobots (previous set pictures didn't show faction symbols) and verification of the names of all three cars. From Kaminarimon Nos:

I enjoy your site very much and would like to provide you with High Res pictures I took of The Wreckers today in Daytona Florida I made a album on my Facebook page. If you look close I made notes about their weapons systems that I gathered from Chevy staff. Here is more information I also gathered.

The names are 99% certain with Roadbuster (green), Top Spin (blue), and LeadFoot (red). The cars were built in a Hollywood Ca shop at a cost of 1.5 million dollars apiece. After building and before filming in Chicago the 3 wreckers were secretly shipped to the Daytona speedway track and members of the Daytona police department followed them on the track at high speeds to make sure no parts feel off the production cars. No one in the public caught on to this and it was done on a weekday before the track was replaced.

DOTM Barricade and More Toy Galleries

Barricade has not been confirmed as part of the robot cast in Transformers: Dark of the Moon it is strange that Hasbro has created essentially a new deluxe mold for the character. As a gallery from 4Chan shows, the figure is smaller than its deluxe predecessors (probably because of the oversized TechMech weapons) with a modified transformation process and new head mold. The full gallery can be found here at TFormers.

Also more images from the New York Toy Fair that show off the packaging and some bio information for upcoming toys include deluxe Powerglide, Roller (part of The Ark I think), and Sandstorm. You can find that gallery here.

One more toy gallery has been posted online that show off yet again the robot and vehicle modes of pretty much every Dark of the Moon deluxe or above figure that have popped up online so far. If want to see yet more of Topspin, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Roadbuster, and more click here.

Hasbro issued another press release with prices. All are the same since Toy Fair but now know the price of the Ark playset as $29.99, 3D masks are $9.99, Legion (replacing Legend) line is $4.99 and few other prices.

Blitzwing in Transformers: Dark of the Moon?

Thanks to "oni" here is a possible new screenshot from Transformers: Dark of the Moon that shows of a yet unseen character named Blitzwing. The character is from Generation One, one of the first triple changers with alt modes of a jet and tank. He was also in Transformers: Animated, with the same triple changer alt modes. Judging by the wing span and the treads on his arms, this movie version shows a strong possibility of continuing the triple changing tradition for the character (but then again it does look nearly identical to the G1 incarnation which is a little strange). With a motto of "Destroy first, think later" hopefully this character, if in the movie, will be part of lot of the action. This new "cast member" has not been officially confirmed in any way so tag this a rumor.

IDW May Transformers Comics, Novel Update

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for May which has a heavy emphasis on Tranformers: Dark of the Moon. The month will have four Transformers books and four trades. Three of the trades are specifically related to DOTM either as prequels or an adaptation. If you are interested in the books, just let your local comic book store know. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, Angel and more click here.

On a somewhat related note, Transformers: Dark of the Moon novel by Peter David has a price ($7.99), page count (400 pages), and release date (May 24, 2011) thanks to Amazon. (via TFW2005)

TRANSFORMERS #19
Mike Costa (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Marcelo Matere, Guido Guidi (c)
“CHAOS” PRELUDE! The situation on Earth continues to deteriorate while we shift focus to outer space where RODIMUS was last seen dead! A classic character returns as the things heat up and we begin our descent into “CHAOS”—THE YEAR’S BIGGEST TRANSFORMERS EVENT! Don’t miss “SPACE OPERA, Part 1!”
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.

Transformers 3 Super Bowl Spot Twitter Stats

If you consider Twitter as a bit of an authority on what interests America (and the world) at any given time, than you might find how well Transformers: Dark of the Moon's Super Bowl trailer very interesting. The game scored a record breaking count of 111 million viewers providing a lot of potential eyeballs for the $3 million commercial and the stats from Fast Company seem to indicate the high price tag was worth it for Paramount.

Overall the Transformers 3 TV spot was the second most popular spot with 49,559 mentions after the Doritos commercial (77,799) in tweet volume. In pure "velocity", TF3 was number one with most volume of tweets in a short period of time but the side effect is people moved on just as quickly. In terms of positives, the report grabbed 2k random tweets and graded them as positive, neutral or negative. While the VW "The Force" commercial was the most liked Super Bowl commercial by 90% of tweeters, the TF3 spot was the second most liked spot with a score of 74% positive tweets followed by Captain America (74%), and Thor (72%).

From looking at the various graphs it does seem Twitter fatigue might have also set in as the second half did not get nearly as much tweeting as the first (but then the quality of the commericals took a drop too) so the choice of airing the ad early in the second quarter was smart. Long story short while some people, especially online reviewers, expressed a dislike of the commercial it seems those in the Twitter-verse liked it very much. A good sign for what is going to be a very competitive and crowded summer movie release calendar. Thanks to Winston R. for the link.

Transformers: Prime Scrapheap Clip

A new episode of Transformers: Prime is airing tomorrow on The Hub and MTV has a clip from it. Titled "Scrapheap", the episode is described as "Bumblebee and Ratchet scramble to eliminate a swarm of Scraplets that have invaded HQ while Optimus and Arcee patrol in the Arctic." Apparently a Scraplet is kind of a Cybertronian rat in overdrive. (via TFW2005)

DOTM Cast are NASCAR Grand Marshalls

NASCAR has announced that Transformers: Dark of the Moon starts Josh Duhamel, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and director Michael Bay will serve as Grand Marshals for the Daytona 500 on February 20th, 2011. The marketing synergy isn't really a surprise considering three of the Transformers in the movie are NASCAR stock cars, which will also be at the event as pace cars. The full press release is below.

On a related note, Rosie and Bay were at the New York Toy Fair on Monday to promote the toys and movie. While there apparently held has a private screening of DOTM. The rumor is Bay showed around 30 minutes of footage to Hasbro execs but sadly whatever was shown was not for public viewing. A few more images of the pair with Ultimate Prime can be found here.

DOTM Game Shockwave Full Body Render

It seems while High Moon Studios was updating their Facebook page with a tease of Shockwave, they also went ahead and updated their Transformers Video Game YouTube page with a full body image of the big bad. The image is from Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Game but if previous games are any indication, the design is from Industrial Light & Magic's files on the character so really for the first time we now have a solid approximation of what the one-eyed wonder will look like in the movie. Thanks to FFN and NHLfan for the link and image.

Optimus Prime Ticketed

An amusing picture from Toy Fair 2011 as it turns out that even Optimus Prime isn't above the law. As the image from Oh No They Didn't shows, the truck and trailer used in the filming of Transformers: Dark of the Moon was ticketed by NYPD during the Fair while it was illegally parked outside for posterity. Thanks to Brian for the link.

DOTM Super Bowl Trailer Rewind Theatre

IGN has posted an interesting video that breaks down the 30 second Transformers: Dark of the Moon Super Bowl TV Spot. About the only mistake I noticed was Ratchet being identified as Mudflap but the twin has a mostly black color scheme for the third film. Most of it fans have already figured out from screenshots but it doesn't hurt to have it spelled out more clearly. Thanks to DJ.Bigtyme Beats for the link.

Dark of the Moon Video Game Teaser Image

Today Activision released a press release making official the information (and trailer) from this weekend regarding the Transformers: Dark of the Moon video game that will serve as a prequel to the upcoming movie. Along with the release was an update to their Facebook page that shows a render of Shockwave that I assume is from the game but likely derived from ILM's movie model. It would not surprise me if the image is part of the 3DS Decepticon cover. Also of note is the release makes no mention of a PC version of the game. The Press Release:

Transformers™: Dark of the Moon™ Video Game Sets the Stage in the Ultimate Battle for Earth

New Game to Feature an Original Prologue Storyline to Upcoming Film and Debut In-Game 'Stealth Force' Conversion Mode

The next colossal entry in the TRANSFORMERS saga on Earth is on the way as Activision Publishing, Inc. ATVI announced today that Transformers: Dark of the Moon is in development by the critically acclaimed developers at High Moon Studios. Based on Hasbro's legendary TRANSFORMERS property and featuring a brand-new 'Stealth Force' conversion mode, the game thrusts players directly into an original prologue storyline to experience the ultimate battle between the AUTOBOTS™ and DECEPTICONS™ that leads into the summer's most anticipated blockbuster film and reveals another face of evil, SHOCKWAVE.

Tyrese, Rosie Talk Dark of the Moon

In two separate members, Transformers: Dark of the Moon cast members spoke about the film. Tyrese Gibson spoke with MTV describing the film as "the biggest and best" of the series while Rosie Huntington-Whiteley spoke briefly with Total Film about being cast in the movie.

On her character, Carly, Huntington-Whiteley tells us: "She's English and is working for the British embassy... I can't tell you more! That's all I can say for now!"

Huntington-Whiteley was cast as Sam's (Shia LaBeouf) new girlfriend after Megan Fox left her breakthrough franchise. "I went to the casting unaware they were looking for a new female lead", says Rosie. "We were told it was for a 'nemesis' role and I left thinking I was awful. The next day I was offered the lead! I met with Shia that evening and within three weeks I was on set shooting my first scenes..."

Transformers: Infestation #2 Preview

For New Comic Day this Wednesday, Transformers: Infestation #2 hits the shelves. The storyline continues IDW's event where zombies spread across the various universes. The last issue began with Galvatron landing on Earth and ended with the maybe death of Kup. Newsarama has the covers and first five page preview here.

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (w) Nick Roche (a) John K. Snyder III, Nick Roche with Gabriel Rodriguez (c)
It's 106 miles to Vegas, They've got full tanks of gas, half a pack of energon, it's dark, and they're wearing disguises. HIT IT. Zombies are the latest show on the Vegas Strip, and it's going to be an action-packed battle of machine and mayhem to get this town cleaned up! Don't miss the conclusion of TRANSFORMERS: INFESTATION! The concluding issue of the bi-weekly TRANSFORMERS Infestation tie-in! And wait'll you see where new writing mainstays DnA take the TRANSFORMERS next month!
2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio | FC 32 pages $3.99

New York Toy Fair 2011 Transformes Images

Saturday was the beginning of the New York Toy Fair 2011 convention where retailers get a look at the upcoming years’ worth of toys the various toy manufacturers plan to release for the next year. Hasbro was on hand with a huge display that showed off their Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Transformers: Prime, and more. They also had the real Optimus Prime truck with trailer on hand. The other Transformers sites were able to go and they have posted official Hasbro pics and images from the convention. The first wave of DOTM toys are schedule to be released on May 16th.

Over all there are not really any surprises since most of them leaked early like Ultimate Optimus Prime, Shockwave, and Megatron. A few did grab my attention such as a first look at leader class Ironhide, a look at the Space Station mode of The Ark, the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive, and Skyhammer is the voyager class helicopter. As for prices, it is in the expected range - Leader ($39.99), Voyager ($19.99), Deluxe ($11.99), and Ultimate ($79.99).

With the release of Hasbro's official images for the Mech Tech line we might just have the official names of a few Transformers, at least judging by the posted files names. Assuming the names are accurate then green Wrecker is Roadbuster, blue Wrecker is Top Spin, and Crankcase is name of the SUV (not Dread). So far no info on the third Wrecker.

Eight Dark of the Moon Toy Reviews

It seems that Transformers reviewer Peaugh has scored the mother lode of leaked toys from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon toy line as he has posted eight video reviews for the upcoming line. The reviews include a look at the Voyager Optimus Prime, Megatron and Shockwave along with reviews of the new Human Alliance "basic" class and three deluxe toys. It seems the H.A. basic class is a scout sized toy with tiny action figure that are sort of triple changers with a weapon mode that some voyager class figures can hold. For those wondering why Shockwave has a hose, it is likely a homage to the Generation One figure as he had a hose too but then it was for the practical purpose of getting power to the lights. Below are embeds or hit the links for all the reviews.

Deluxe Skids | Deluxe Crankcase/Dread | Deluxe Green Wrecker | H.A. Sandstorm | H.A. Whirl |
Voy. Optimus Prime | Voy. Shockwave | Voy. Megatron

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Video Game Teaser Trailer

Saturday High Moon Studios, the same studio behind War for Cybertron, has released the first teaser trailer, screenshots and a few details for Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Game which is set before the events in the movie. Game Director Sean Miller says the game should be familiar to War for Cybertron fans as they are "sticking with a similar control and gameplay scheme."

The new game uses the Unreal Engine 3 that War for Cybertron used but this time with a single campaign mode instead of separate Autobot and Decepticon campaigns. The game will have online multiplayer but Activision has not yet released specific details. They have also introduced a "Stealth Mode" (as seen via Bumblebee in the trailer) that is less on stealth and heavy on firepower. Additionally the official website for the game has been re-launched but for now it just shows a countdown clock. The video game is scheduled for release on June 14th on all platforms. Thanks to Kremo and Salvatore for the link.

Official Images of Sentinel Prime, The Ark, and Toy Fair

In a run up to the beginning of the New York Toy Fair 2011 being held this weekend, Hasbro has released official images of three new Transformers: Dark of the Moon toys to Entertainment Weekly. The images prove officially what we all suspected. Sentinel Prime alt mode is the red fire truck, Megatron's new alt mode is worn down tanker truck and the crashed ship on the moon seen in the teaser trailer is The Ark. The Ark is not a Transformer but a kids playset while Sentinel is Leader class (not voyager as first thought) and Megs is voyager class. The pics also verify with the distinct bearded robot is the one discovered on the Ark by the Apollo 11 crew. Makes you wonder what other movie theories might be verified during the Toy Fair. Thanks to Udana for the link.

Speaking of, Hasbro's CEO Brian Goldner gave a presentation that involved Transformers. No movie details were revealed but he did say that the Dark of the Moon video game is going to be a prequel to the movie rather than a direct adaptation as was done for previous movie games. He also said on Monday, Michael Bay would be on hand to show more footage from the film. The slideshow presentation showed off the official logos of MechTech, Cyberverse, and Robot Heroes lines along with a look at the rendered Bumblebee. Thanks to KRandTFfan for the link.

Bay Confirms Sentinel Prime

In an interview with MTV, Michael Bay has finally confirmed that Sentinel Prime is in the movie but still has not confirmed if it is the red Rosenbaurer Panther airline fire truck as rumored. Bay revealed this information during an interview with MTV at the premiere of "I Am Number Four" that he executive producer of. He continued to re-iterate his promise that this film will be much better then Revenge of the Fallen and that this was his final Transformers film. Thanks to Mcat for the link. Update: Hasbro's released official images that verify that the fire truck is the alt mode of Sentinel Prime.

"The second one, we had a tough go," Bay told us. "It was a very, very tough thing to make a movie under those circumstances. It affected a lot of Hollywood at that time."

This time around, Bay said, "We worked extra hard" and struck upon "a better story." "It's epic and it happens in a city," he added. "It's more accessible because you recognize stuff — it's not in a desert. It's kind of like 'Black Hawk Down' with our small group of heroes in a city."

On the carpet, Bay also briefly touched on two new alien bots set to debut in "Dark of the Moon." "Sentinel Prime is great. He's great," he said. "I can't tell you anything else, other than he's great."

And about the villain Shockwave, Bay say, "He's bad," adding that compared to Megatron, "He's got a much bigger gun [and is] a little bit more vicious."

Though Bay is certain he's got a winner on his hands, the director maintained that "Dark of the Moon" will be his final "Transformers" film. "It does have an end, yes," he said. "Because I am finished doing this."

DOTM News: Three Toys, Video Game Dated, Next Book

Three new pieces of news in relations to Transformers: Dark of the Moon licensed products. The first is the official release date for the Transformers video game has been announced by Activision. The game will be released on June 14th, 2011 with the usual scheme of a next gen version for PS3, XBox 360, downgraded version for Wii and Autobot and Decepticon editions for the Nintendo 3DS.

Another piece of news is writer Alex Irvine has announced he is working on the sequel to Transformers: Exodus but would not reveal details. Considering Exodus, War for Cybertron and the movies are considered part of Hasbro's attempt for unified canon (think Star Wars); it may provide insight into the movie. The full interview with Irvine can be found at Unicron.com.

Last bit of news is images of three Dark of the Moon toys - blue Wrecker, green Wrecker, and helicopter. Of note is the helicopter is an Autobot but still not known if an actual character in the movie. As for the Wreckers, it interesting that I could not see a faction symbol on either character. Makes me wonder if the theory they are human inventions in the movie's plot doesn't have legs.

DOTM Ironhide, Masterpiece Rodimus Video Reviews

Two new reviews from Peaugh. The first is a look at voyager Ironhide from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon toy line. The toy has been tweaked in design as he is a touch smaller then previous movie Ironhide releases and has a different transformation sequence.

The second video is for Masterpiece Rodimus Prime that I have been posting about on and off (and costs $210). The Masterpiece line remains an engineering marvel while creating some of the most challenging (and sometimes nerve-racking) transformations in the history of the franchise with this one continuing the tradition. Based on the very tight tolerances of the figure and potential breakage points, it would be wise to watch this video before trying to transform your figure (assuming you dropped the $210 for one). I can see why Hasbro decided that importing the trailer may not be worth the cost it would add to the figure whenever it gets released stateside.

Transformers 3 Ultimate Prime with Trailer Toy

Thanks to images from IO9.com, we already know where Optimus Prime gets his jet pack as seen in the recent Super Bowl TV Spot. As the images of Ultimate Optimus Prime show, it is part of his trailer. I can't decide if I am a fan of "Butterfly Mode" (combined Prime with Trailer) but I am definitely intrigued by this toy. The figure is expected to hit toy shelves in August with a price of $79.99. The toy description from Hasbro:

Transformers Mechtech Ultimate Optimus Prime Action Figure
With the upcoming Transformers: Dark of the Moon movie, one of the most iconic characters in the Transformers lore will capture the spotlight as his heroic story becomes the focus of the first-ever 3D Transformers movie. Now, an action figure befitting such an icon will be available with the new Transformers Mechtech Ultimate Optimus Prime action figure. The figure includes the Autobot leader's classic trailer that doubles as a weapons arsenal and is an integral part of the figure's converting play pattern. The Mechtech Ultimate Optimus Prime figure features three modes of conversion – vehicle, robot, and robot with "mech suit." The trailer, which serves as a weapons depot and command center, also converts into a "mech suit" that Optimus Prime shows off when it's time to rumble. Featuring lights, launching projectiles, electronic battle sounds and Optimus Prime phrases, this is the must-have item for kids and fans alike.