Transformers 3 First Day Total of $79.4 Million

Transformers: Dark of the Moon's first day haul, with Tuesday's pre-screening numbers, is an impressive total of $79.4 million. The North America box office account for $42.8M with the remaining $36.6M coming from International box office sales. By Friday the movie will be out worldwide except for China and Japan. The total is impressive but falls short of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen first day US total $62 million. On the bright side it is exceeding Transformers 2 in the International market.

It is possible that savage critic reviews have hurt sales with Rotten Tomatoes showing an average of 36%. However, that low number is more than offset by an audience rating of 90%. At this point it is just to early to know if DOTM will send any records tumbling but the International box office totals will be key to any final results.

Transformers 3 Cast Plays Nuts and Bolts

MTV has a little fun with the Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, John Malkovich, and Patrick Dempsey as they attempt to answer the question of which three robots they would f**k, marry or kill. Rosie was given options of C3P0, Terminator and Bicentennial Man. The men had to choose from Rosie from Jetsons, Eva from Wall-E, and Number 6 from Battlestar Galactica. While Rosie seemed mostly lost, Shia had the most fun with the question while the other two made the most of a weird but amusing question.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review

I really wanted to love Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I am a fan of thinking that you have to approach movies with the right mindset to enjoy them. For an expensive summer movie action flick, you know going in that you probably have to check your brain at the door. Don't look for plot holes, don't look for characterization, and don’t try to make sense of the motivations for the bad guys. While you hope it isn’t always the case, Dark of the Moon is that type of movie. Just sit back with your popcorn and enjoy the spectacle that the movie’s director Michael Bay is a master at creating. Bay brings his best as a top action director but with it is the usual pluses and minuses where everything is in service to the visual instead of the story and characters. The problem is Transformers is capable of more than just being a visual experience.

The story by Ehren Kruger is straight forward and follows the formula from the previous films. It opens with more background on the Transformers’ civil war and how it ended up tying into the 1960s space race. It tosses in another history revision with the Chernobyl nuclear accident as a means to introduce and explain why a certain Decepticon character may not have been available for Megatron's previous two attempts at world conquest. Instead of an All Spark or Matrix, this time is a important piece of Space Bridge transporter technology. The villain, who will remain nameless for spoiler reasons, is the main focus causing all other Decepticon characters both new and old to be sidelined for most of the movie. Once again the Autobots on the verge of defeat rally behind the leadership of Optimus Prime as they attempt to stop the Decepticons from enslaving the world to rebuild their dead planet of Cybertron with the city of Chicago as the final battleground.

Chicago Call Sheet For Ultra Magnus

Thanks to Sam, below are images of a call sheet for filming in Chicago on July 27-28th, 2010 "with" Megatron and Ultra Magnus. Early this year a redacted call sheet was posted online with Magnus listed as a character. While not the same sheet this does further confirm that for at least a while the character of Sentinel Prime was going to be called Ultra Magnus. Test screening apparently drove the change from Ultra Magnus to Sentinel Prime. According to Sam, the head of what would have been Ultra Magnus was re-used as what the Apollo 11 astronauts step on and uncover as they explore the ship.

DOTM's Midnight Box Office Results

The early release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon has netted a US box office total of $13.5 million with $8 million coming from the midnight showings. This is a good total for midnight showing but falls shorts of a record. Transformers had an $8.8 million total while Revenge of the Fallen scored $16.6 million. I can't say I am surprised by the news as I remember leaving the IMAX theater for Revenge having a huge crowd for the 3AM show time while last night for Moon there was just a dozen waiting.

Dark of the Moon The Score Available On iTunes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Score is now available on iTunes. It doesn't seem to be available yet at retail nor on Amazon. The album of 17 tracks costs $15.99 or $1.29 for each. Considering the high cost of the album I am wondering if iTunes was granted an exclusive sale period as normally a new soundtrack album would be in the $10 to $12 range. With the release is a look at the official cover for the album.

New TF: DOTM Clip

A new clip has been posted on the Huffington Post from Transformers: Dark of the Moon in a confrontation between Epps and Sam. Thanks to Kris for the link.

Details Profile on Shia LaBeouf

Details Magazine has an interesting article with Shia LaBeouf that reviews his career as he discusses his life, mistakes, and career. Among the revelations is his getting with his co-stars from the first two Transformers films. Below is the about the only quotes related to Transformers from the article which is worth the time to read. You can find it here. Thanks to Genocide Chaos for the link.

There was that time he rolled his truck while "philandering around," as he says, with his Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen costar Isabel Lucas. "It was sort of disastrous," LaBeouf says. "Neither one of us, I think, were in love. Just sort of experimenting or whatever." Technically the accident—in which LaBeouf's car flipped three times, pinning his arm and leaving his hand mangled—was the other driver's fault. But LaBeouf admits he'd had "three or four" beers a few hours before getting behind the wheel.

Asked if he hooked up with Fox, LaBeouf nods affirmatively. "Look, you're on the set for six months, with someone who's rooting to be attracted to you, and you're rooting to be attracted to them," he explains. "I never understood the separation of work and life in that situation. But the time I spent with Megan was our own thing, and I think you can see the chemistry onscreen." When I inquire about Fox's status at the time with her longtime boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, LaBeouf replies, "I don't know, man. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. . . ."—repeating the phrase exactly 12 times with various intonations, as if trying to get it just right. Finally, he says, "It was what it was."

Transformers: DOTM Voice Cast

Now that the movie has been released, IMDB.com has now been updated with the official cast list, likely direct from Paramount. While a movie is in production, the cast list can be hit and miss in accuracy because it is community edited information. Once the movie comes out, usually the studios will provide the official info which is why IMDB has the dual reputation of being reliable and not reliable all at the same time. A notable subtraction from the list is Mark Ryan who is not listed as being the voice of Bumblebee. In the movie they completely relied on movie lines for his voice. The main additions include Reno Wilson who voiced Mudflap in ROTF and did Brains in DOTM and Shockwave who had a line in the film (and grunts) via the voice of Frank Welker. Below is the full list. Thanks to Feris Othman for verifying the cast.

Transformers: DOTM US Premiere Video

Last night was the US red carpet premiere of Transformers: Dark of the Moon at Times Square in New York City. At the time, it was posted live by Yahoo! Movies but for that missed it, below is a summary of the precedings.

Transformers 3 Chevy Rollout Commercial

If you love the cars of Transformers: Dark of the Moon you will like the video below. It is a glorified commercial for the Chevy cars used in the movie and has little to do with promoting the movie beyond using footage from it.

Transformers: DOTM Reviews Video

MichaelBay.com has posted a video that acts as a kind of "best of" the various reviews that have been posted about Transformers: Dark of the Moon. My selection of reviews (part 1 & part 2) tends to be more up the middle (aka about 5/10) but in most cases all complimented the special effects and the 3D. Thanks to Feris Othman for the heads-up.

Tyrese Talks DOTM

In an interview with i09, Tyrese Gibson discusses Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It doesn't really cover any new ground. Below are a few highlights, full article here.

A lot of people are saying that this Transformers is a lot like Black Hawk Down. Did you notice a difference as they filmed it?
Tyrese Gibson: The whole Black Hawk Down connection is probably because of the helicopters; the real presence of the helicopters that's in the film. But I don't really think it's like Black Hawk Down at all, personally. (agreed, comparison makes no sense - Tflamb)

How was this filming different Transformers 3 compared to the other two Transformers?

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review Round-Up II

Another review round-up for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The second wave of reviews averages an up the middle review but only because those that liked it really liked it and those that didn't pretty much just hated it and didn't hold back.

Entertainment Weekly B
Dark of the Moon is hardly a fleet production, but here Bay makes his best, most flexible use yet of all the flamboyant bigness at his command: Computer-drawn characters and human actors seem to occupy the same narrative for once.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon In Theatres Today

Today is the day many have been waiting for. The first day that Transformers: Dark of the Moon is in theaters, nearly worldwide. As a way to get you excited, below are two playlists of videos. The first is all the trailers and TV spots for the film. Also have them in none playlist form here. The second is nearly 200 videos that were posted when the movie was being filmed in Chicago, LA, Florida, Washington, DC, and more. Also note that the movie does have a scene during the credits involving ex-Agent Seymour Simmons.

And before the box office results start, going to make a guess that DOTM will make $1.1 billion worldwide with 60% of that coming from international sales. Opening week? $310 million worldwide total, $165 from US through July 4th. When do you plan on seeing the movie? What is your estimate? Those closest get...well nothing except knowledge you estimate as well as those that get paid megabucks to read the tea leaves.

The Sound of Transformers: Dark of the Moon

A behind the scenes video at how the sound effects for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It includes interviews with the members of the sound team that created what will likely be an awesome experience when the movie official comes out later today. I wish more movies did a look into sound effects, at least I find it interesting how simple every day objects are used to become something more like the engines of a starship.

An Oral History of Michael Bay

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

New Dark of the Moon Clip

A new clip aired today when Shia LaBeouf appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and than put up on Yahoo! Movies. The clip is a confrontation between Sam and National Intelligence Director Mearing. Shia's appearance on the show can be found here where he related the story of an argument he had with Bay. Thanks to Sam for the heads-up.

"I know his name" Clip

Bay: "532 cars were destroyed"

Movies Online has posted a short but interesting interview with Michael Bay when he was in Moscow. He revealed that 532 cars were destroyed for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, all donated and how 3D tech had to be modified to match what he wanted for the movie. The full article is here.

So do new technologies make your work harder, or more difficult?
It actually, new technologies make it harder, because you keep trying to push the boundaries. Jim Cameron called me up and he asked me, he said, “So making the third one, was it easier, or, or harder?” And I knew he was asking that because of “Avatar II”. And I said, “Jim, it’s definitely harder because you keep trying to push yourself farther.”

Bay Talks 3D and Criticisms

An article from USA Today talks with Michael Bay about what he hopes Transformers: Dark of the Moon does with 3D and the strong criticism his films received. Full article here, main highlights below.

"I don't know why people like to take so many shots," Bay says at a park bench on the Paramount Pictures lot, where he had just wrapped Transformers: Dark of the Moon. "I think the media does that with anyone who has success. I make movies that audiences like, that I'd want to see. That's all. It helps take off some of the pressure."

Transformers: Heart of Darkness #4, Transformers Relaunched Planned

New Comic Book Wednesday brings Transformers: Heart of Darkness #4 that concludes the prequel story arc to the "Chaos" storyline that will run biweekly in Transformers for the rest of the year. The covers and first 7 pages of the issue can be found here.

In additional, IDW's Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall revealed that after the Chaos storyline, there will be a "relaunch of two new "Transformers" titles, and there's very important reasons in the Transformers universe why these titles are becoming two, how they're splitting and what's going to happen from there. It's a big that's sort of rocking the whole Transformers status quo and shaking things up to a big degree." I think the title is splitting is Transformers ongoing which will get a new numbering to #125 with the opening story being "The Death of Optimus Prime." The details on IDW's future plans can be found at Comic Book Resources.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Collector's Posters

Mondo Tees has announced a giveaway and special sale for two posters they created specifically for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The giveaway portion is the first 3000 ticket holders to the Arclight Hollywood in Los Angeles will be given a print of one of the posters below. The sale portion is @MondoNews on twitter will announce when a variant of the same poster will be available to buy on Wednesday. I am not clear which is the giveaway poster and which is the one to buy. Personally I am not interested in buying a print do find the artwork interesting. Press release and poster images below. Thanks to emptygalaxies for the heads-up.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Mondo has partnered with Paramount Pictures for a special in-theatre giveaway. Mondo commissioned Artist Jesse Phillips to design a limited-edition TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON movie collector’s print. Arclight Hollywood in Los Angeles is the only theatre where this print will be handed out at the Tuesday midnight shows of the latest installment of TRANSFORMERS. The first 3,000 ticket holders at the Tuesday midnight shows will receive one of these collector’s items.

Additionally, Mondo will have a variant of the poster available for sale at MondoTees.com on Wednesday, June 29. Follow @MondoNews for on sale announcement.

Artist: Jesse Phillips
Size: 18x36
Edition: 200 (Variant)

Freedom TV Spot & Two New Posters

Yet another TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon to go along with what some sites are calling the "final" trailer for the movie but to me is a 60 second TV spot. Also two new posters to promote the 3D and IMAX 3D versions of the movie.

TV Spot #24 - "Freedom"

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review Round-Up

The reviews are starting to come in for Transformers: Dark of the Moon and over all most are indicating an above average film. The strengths being mentioned is a much steadier edit and camera from Bay, amazing visual effects, some of the best 3D yet and the last hour in Chicago. So remember to take the bathroom break before then. Most have said that if given a choice between 3D or 2D to go with 3D, something I have not seen consistently from reviewers since Avatar. Some of the negatives have been the acting and humor. Below are highlights from some of the reviews.

New Long TV Spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Here is another TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon that is a 60 seconds long and includes even more new scenes. You get a brief look at Alan Tudyk (plays Simmon's assistant), new lines and a shot of Prime killing Decepticons as he runs toward the camera. All trailers and TV spots can be found here. Thanks to Brendan for the link.

TV Spot #23

2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro Announced

Chevy has announced their plans to release the 2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro. This would be the second time the company has done this as they also release a Transformers inspired version of the car in 2009. Ordering begins in July for September delivery that adds a $3000 to the cost of the car. Below is the press release.

DETROIT – The Chevrolet Camaro returns as the Autobot “Bumblebee” in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which opens exclusively in 3D Tuesday and worldwide Wednesday. To celebrate, Chevrolet will offer a 2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro Coupe to Bumblebee fans in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

“The Transformers franchise has helped introduce Camaro – and Chevrolet – to a whole new generation of fans,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “Its role in the films helped make the Camaro the best-selling sports car in America, and one of the best-known cars of any kind around the world.”

The fifth-generation Camaro previously played Bumblebee in the 2007 film Transformers and in the 2009 film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The films generated $1.5 billion in global box-office sales, and helped reintroduce the Camaro to consumers after a seven-year hiatus from dealerships.

In 2009, the Camaro was the most-searched-for car on the web, according to Yahoo!Autos, even though the first models didn’t arrive at dealers until late that year. In 2010, the Camaro assumed leadership of the U.S. sports car market from the Ford Mustang for the first time in 24 years. This year, the Camaro continues to lead the segment, fueled by the introduction of the Camaro Convertible. Chevrolet has sold 40,275 Camaros this year, compared to the Mustang sales of 30,206.

That momentum is expected to accelerate early next year with the introduction of the 550-hp (405 kW) 2012 Camaro ZL1, as well as limited-edition models such as the Transformers Special Edition.

The 2012 Transformers Special Edition will be offered as a $3,000 package on 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupes with Rally Yellow paint. In addition to the content offered in the popular RS appearance package, the Transformers edition will feature black rally stripes that stretch over the hood, roof, decklid and unique high-wing rear spoiler; 20-inch, black-painted wheels wrapped in high-performance summer tires; and Autobot Shield logos on the center caps and front quarter panels.

Inside, the Transformers Camaro has a black leather interior accented with yellow stitching on the instrument panel, center console, armrests and seats. Autobot Shield logos are embroidered on the front headrests, as well as the center console lid.

Two dealer-installed options are also available: exclusive, 21-inch, black-painted wheels and a black ground-effects package.

Customers may begin ordering the 2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro in July, with vehicles arriving at dealers in the U.S. and Canada in September.

US DOTM Premiere Live Streaming Event

Paramount Pictures has announced that they are teaming with Yahoo! Movies to stream the US Premiere of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The red carpet streaming will start tomorrow June 28th at 5:30pm EST and likely be in plenty of time for people to hit their theatres for the 9:00pm early 3D release of the movie. On a related note, here are two galleries from two other country premieres - Berlin & United Kingdom. The live stream will be here.

Leonard Nimoy Talks Dark of the Moon

For those paying attention to all the TV spots that have aired over the last week weeks, there is one character that has not been shown - Sentinel Prime. Bay's desire to keep the character a mystery has been a minor blessing for Leonard Nimoy who has been able to avoid all the press conferences and the like as he continues to do what is likely his final year of Star Trek Conventions. That didn't stop Big Fanboy from sitting down with the voice of Sentinel to find out how he scored to role (helps to be related to the director and have voiced Galvatron in the 1986 cartoon movie).

New Critics Dark of the Moon TV Spot

Another day, another TV spot. A 15 second one that has brief flashes of some new scenes with quick critic blurbs. Also below is a Burger King footage that makes use of some of the trailer footage. Thanks to Blackfire561 and Katsuhono for the heads-up.

TV Spot #22

Bay: "Thank You"

Michael Bay has posted on the Shoot for the Edit forums a thank you letter to the fans. Thanks to Feris for the heads up.

Thank You

I just want to take the opportunity to thank all the fans around the world for letting me have fun with the Transformers franchise. It has been a wonderful opportunity to have worked with about 4000 crew members around the world. These artists are some of the very best in the entire film business. I’m honored to have had you work along side me. We had an amazing time.

‘Dark of the Moon’ has some of the most technically challenging sequences ever shot. And shot in 3D. I must urge you to find the very best theatre and see this movie in that format. 3D was a forethought, not an afterthought in this movie. I’m glad Jim Cameron and Steven Spielberg really convinced me to shoot in this new technology. We used and invented many new techniques to make the 3D sharper, brighter and more color contrast. I think theatre owners heard their audience that they need to respect the specs of the projectors and not dim the bulbs to save money.

Many theaters are presenting it in the brand new 7.1 sound, which is awesome. This is the most complex, intricate sound track that me and my Academy Awarding winning sound team have done. They really out did themselves to make this a big picture experience. Hopefully you will have as much fun watching this movie as we all had making it.

Thanks,

Michael Bay

Michael Bay Letter to Projectionists

Michael Bay once again demonstrates just how serious he is about wanting the best 3D experience for audiences with a letter that was sent out to projectionists. The letter asks them to crank up the brightness of the movie as instructed. I guess this is just in case the theater bosses decided to ignore his plea to do the same.

Transformers 3: Master Class Trailer

A tongue-in-cheek trailer on why you should see Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The opening title card of "The following preview has been approved for lovers of excess" should give you an idea of things. When it comes to summer movies, I am a proud lover of excess. (via i09.com)

Transformers 3 Cable Swing Comparisons

Last August, Transformers: Dark of the Moon was filming at a Chicago parking deck and Wabash Avenue that thanks to the Iridescent trailer (among others) we know was where they filmed the confrontation between Starscream and Sam. At the time the images shows Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel (along with stunt doubles) flyng around on wires along with Sam wearing a "power glove" of sorts, which Jeff of Pixel Rally managed to capture. From that trailer and the pictures he has now created another gallery of images that compare what he saw last year with what is now on camera. Some of the comparisons have been tweaked to help with the imagery.

The left and two images below is a mix of his photos from then mixed with the trailer images. The fourth images is a track-move diagram. Jeff wrote, "Michael Bay set up a stereoscopic 3D camera that moves along a rail, and goes underneath two flipped cars... It was used to follow soldiers running, as it tracked along with them, and ended up at a 3rd overturned vehicle, where it filmed close-up on Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (who were hiding inside the flipped truck)." The last image is the spot Jeff took many of his pictures from and it is possible that during the scene when Bumblebee "catches" Shia and Josh, a speck of his head can be seen in the background. If you want Jeff's gallery of images from the parking deck filming and more, click here.

Shia: Bay a "Big Brother" With Arguments

In a profile piece on Shia LaBeouf from Hero Complex, Shia LaBeouf provided a story from the set of Transformers: Dark of the Moon that led to Michael Bay posting a comment on it in the Shoot for the Edit forums. The story took place at Kennedy Space Center last October. Apparently the two were arguing over what song to play to help Shia get in the right emotional frame of mind for a scene. Shia wanted Feist’s “Brandy Alexander" while Bay wanted a track from The Dark Knight score.

Megatron vs Lincoln & Dreads DOTM TV Spots

Two new TV spots have aired today. The first has a few new scenes including additional lines from Optimus and a shot of Megatron taking out Abraham Lincoln. The other give you a look at Sideswipe transforming and the Dreads starting theirs. Thanks to Winston, Blackfire561 and Katsuhono for the heads-up.

More from DOTM World Premiere With Linkin Park Performance

Thursday was the World Premiere of Transformers: Dark of the Moon at the Moscow International Film Festival. As part of that, after the movie Linkin Park held a live performance that included Iridescent. MTV has posted an intro and video of the performance (below) that includes quick snippets from the cast talking about the band. If you just want to see and hear the performance, Linkin Park has posted the same video (also below) without the cast introductions. In case you missed it before, the last video is the YouTube embed of Paramount's behind the scenes video at the World Premiere. Last, click here for gallery of images from the group press conference. So far I have not seen it online so unable to post about it. ET's also posted a report from the concert (video here) which said MTV and VH1 will be airing the concert at 7PM EST. Thanks to Mackie for the link.

Ken Jeong DOTM Interview

Below is an interview with Ken Jeong as he discusses his brief role in Transformers: Dark of the Moon as Jerry Wang. Apparently he was asked to be on his best behavior as none of the humor comes out that you normally see from the actor in Hangover movies and Community. It is a very much by the book, careful to avoid revealing any real information or spoilers, interview. A common technique in interviewing is to ask the actor to incorporate the question into their answer so that the interviewer can be edited out. Actors with more experience in dealing with the press often do it so naturally you are not even aware of it. Ken Jeong needs more practice.

Last Stand of the Wreckers Fortress Maximus Custom

I was going to post this as part of the Transformers Linkfest but really this custom job is just too pretty and deserves a little extra attention. In what can only be called dedication, GetRightRobot took one of the most coveted (and expensive) Generation One Transformers, Fortress Maximus, and added a fantastic paint job along with a bunch of custom tweaks resulting in a just gorgeous toy to emulate his Last Stand of the Wreckers look. The images were posted on the Seibertron message boards and almost a good reason to get my own boards.

This beauty has a custom parts, new main weapon, LED eyes, interchageable faces, new hands and whole lot more. Really worth the time to click here to view the full gallery with notes on its features. After that, watch the video below to learn the effort involved in creating him.

Transformers Linkfest

Yep, another link fest already but this one is for the non-Dark of the Moon news. News bits include a return to Botcon with a G4 report and Transformers: Prime panels. Also cover two custom figures, the new Masterpiece toy, 3rd party toys, Vince DiCola interview, two Transformers customs and reviews of the new Seeker Masterpiece toys. Bonus: Added one technically DOTM related item with Peaugh's review of the $150 Oakley Transformers 3D glasses.

Dark of the Moon Ultra Magnus Custom
During production of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the character of Sentinel Prime was referred to by his placeholder name of Ultra Magnus. Customizer autobotx23 decided to make the toy version of that character by taking the leader class Sentinel Prime toy and performing his magic. At the link is a gallery of images and notes on the custom Transformer. Maybe one day this level of paint detail will be available at the retail level.

Botcon Transformers: Prime Panel and Video Interview
I glossed over it when I was reporting on Botcon but TFormers has posted a detailed summary of the Transformers: Prime panel (1st link). The discussion went from the development of the show, to how the G1 legacy informs what they do, toys, characters and more. They also posted a 35 minute interview with Transformers: Prime Executive Producer Jeff Kline (2nd link) in a separate panel as he discusses the characters and plans for the series as they gear up for season 2 (article here).

CNN Article on Peter Cullen

CNN has posted a profile piece on the legendary voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen where they discuss Transformers and the "responsibility" he feels for Optimus Prime. The full article is here. Below are a few highlights but really just better to read the full article.

"I was taken aback by the response and the sheer love that was in the audience," he said [at his first convention of Botcon 1997]. "It became quite evident that (voicing this character) was a responsibility that I wanted to fulfill. I had no idea he was so popular."

Cullen said he is personally touched by how strong the response has been. "I remember an officer in the Marine Corps who had just returned from Iraq, and he gave me his golden anchor emblem from his officer's hat," he said. "He presented that to me and said this is how much you mean to me. There are no words to describe it, but I was humbled. That sticks with me forever."

Cullen -- who said that police officers have made similar gestures toward him -- came up with the voice because of his brother Larry, an officer in the Marine Corps. "I saw a difference in him when he came home. There was a maturity and calmness and understanding, and a very strong source of confidence, respect, caring and dignity," he said.

Sentinel Prime International Dark of the Moon Poster

Paramount has released a new international poster for Transformers: Dark of the Moon featuring Sentinel Prime. Thanks to emptygalaxies for the image. For now below is the only size available.

Bumblebee Juggling Sam Dark of the Moon TV Spot

A new TV spot aired during ABC's Wipeout that includes an extended sequence that shows Bumblebee catching Sam in the air and transforming back to car mode without missing a beat. Should look outstanding on screen. I would have done a TV spot that was just a slowed down version of just that one sequence. (via Seibertron)

TV Spot #19

Transformers: Dark of the Moon's Moscow World Premiere (Updated)

Today, Transformers: Dark of the Moon premiered in Moscow. The film opens the Moscow International Film Festival. As with all premieres, you get your usual red green carpet images of the stars and director. Linkin Park was also on hand with a free concert. With it comes a press conference and shorter one-on-one interviews. No press conference video yet available but below are links to galleries and video embeds of interviews with the cast. I will likely add links and whatever else that pops up as more news from the premiere hits the web. Thanks to Eanetdude for some links and Tamar for Moscow pics.

Update: Added more links to galleries and a new video from Paramount that summarizes the day's festivities with a tilt (of course) to promote the movie.

Galleries: TFormers | TFW2005 | MB.com | PopSugar | MovieGeeks (Linkin Park) | Movieline
Links: MTV Blog | THR | We Are Movie Geeks | Collider

Video Interview Summaries:

Transformers: Dark of the Moon TV Spot "Believe"

A new TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon called "Believe." It looks similiar to tv spot #16 but it does have scenes different from it including a nice look at a Dread.

TV Spot #18 - "Believe"

ESPN's Transformers Commercial

An amusing commercial from ESPN featuring Mark Cuban and Optimus Prime.

Paramount Making Demands of Theaters to Save 3-D (Updated)

It seems that while Michael Bay was making an international promotional swing for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, he was also working hard to try to get the best 3D version of the film to audiences in part by trying to get theaters to display the film in the best way possible. Meanwhile Paramount issued their own demands.

The New York Times is reporting that movie goers have started to become disenfranchised with 3-D with the percentage of overall sales dropping consistently below 50% for the first time since it suddenly became popular after the success of Avatar. As predicted, Hollywood doing constant poor post-production conversions on films that do not benefit in any way from 3-D has resulted in the public getting tired of paying out extra money for little benefit. The hope seems to be that Transformers: Dark of the Moon will remind the public of what 3-D can do. Considering Paramount spent an extra $30 million for real 3D, causing the budget to hit $195 million, they have a vested interest in 3D sales.

Dark of the Moon "The Duchess" Clip

No idea how I missed it but apparently this clip has been online for about a month. Called "The Duchess", it introduces Patrick Dempsey's character of Dylan Gould to Sam and he talks about his appreciated of Carly.
Update: Turns out I did post about this a month ago. Oops. Probably new to some.

NY Times Profile on DOTM Chicago Filming, Shockwave

New York Times has posted an article that discusses Shockwave and the scenes that were filmed in Chicago last summer with Transformers: Dark of the Moon director Michael Bay and Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar. Among the highlights I found interesting is the middle base jumpers in the scenes we have seen is computer generated "since he has to land on Shockwave's shoulder." At the time I figured that scene would be 3D post-converted but it turns out the camera man that trailed the base jumpers had a small 3-D camera on his head.

Some filming occurred at 35 East Wacker Drive, specifically the Jeweler's Building which is described as playing "a significant role in the last part" of the film. The articles mentioned that in its first few years of existence (circa 1881) it had car sized elevators at street level for security reasons. After all leaving your car then made you more vulnerable. The article just drops in this historical anecdote for some reason so figure it might become useful once see the film.

DOTM TV Spot "Hero Countdown" (Updated)

Update: The comments called it, this is TV Spot #14, not a new one. I am leaving the post up anyway but bumping it down the time scale a notch since not really new.

TF3: Defend the Earth Mobile Game Released

Paramount Pictures has released an Apple iOS augmented reality game called TF3: Defend the Earth. The game makes use of the built in camera and Optimus Prime posters online or at theaters to activate the game. Since it is only from the iTunes store and requires a built in camera, this means you need an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 or iPad 2 to play. If you have the right device, click here to try it out.

The Secret Origin of Transformers Part II

Then Marvel's Editor-in-Chief (or about to be) Jim Shooter has posted "The Secret Origin of the TRANSFORMERS – Part 2". Normally when people get into the history of Transformers, the discussion is on the business side with Marvel and specifically Bob Budiansky's efforts in creating the characters and mythology we now all know and love. What Shooter gets into with the second part of the discussion is the business side of the Transformers origin from his Marvel Comics perspective, specifically the dynamic that existed between the three companies that was molding what would become a worldwide franchise - Hasbro (toys), Sunbow (cartoons), and Marvel (comics, creative aspects).

An interesting tidbit that I didn't know is that Sunbow was a division of Hasbro's advertising agency Griffin-Bacal that was created specifically for the G.I. Joe cartoons and commercials but then extended to include Transformers (and later other Hasbro properties). Now it is obvious since most 80s cartoons existed to push the toys but then I just thought of them as like another Disney type company that made stuff I loved. The result is Sunbow and Marvel execs clashed for Hasbro's attention. Sunbow would take credit for Marvel's efforts while one Marvel executive was happy to let them due to his own hatred of comics (ironic but typical). The result is the usual ego and fighting that often occurs at the executive level, especially when one of them thinks they know everything while really knowing very little. My own experience supports this often chronic but rarely identified problem that occurs in corporate America. The article makes you wish someone from Hasbro would do their own behind the scenes blog posts as I am sure the franchise had its own battles getting to market within Hasbro. Part 2 can be found here (part 1 here).

Dark of the Moon Linkfest

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is now less than a week away from release. Thursday will mark the world premiere in Moscow even it seems Michael Bay and company already really premiered it in Rio de Janeiro and other places, but just didn't throw a party for it like they are in Moscow. In case this is another chance to get caught up on Dark of the Moon related stuff.

Takara Heat Scramble Booster Pack Art
Heat Scramble is apparently a collectible card game that Takara makes for the Japan market. For our purposes it is mostly just a great way to look at unique artwork inspired by all three Transformers movies.

Diecast Transformers Vehicles Coming
Full Metal Hero is reporting that Tomica (part of Takara-Tomy) is planning to release a die cast vehicle line around the movie version of Transformers. Think of them as (probably) higher quality matchbox cars. This is for the Japan market only.

The Secret Origin of Transformers Part I

Jim Shooter has posted the first part of what he called "The Secret Origin of the TRANSFORMERS – Part 1". At the time, circa 1984, he was Editor-in-Chief of Marvel when Hasbro brought the franchise to them to help create the names and stories that would be used to market the toy line. It was the same model that they used in relaunching G.I. Joe where Larry Hama was given a chance to name, create the history and bios for those characters.

Any case in part 1 he discusses how the project came to Marvel and some of the early bumps that occurred in developing it. Of note is the mention of Dennis O’Neil who is credited with coming up with the name of Optimus Prime. The 1st part of the story (with more to come) can be found here.

Combined DOTM Trailers, TV Spots and Scenes Fan Edit

Ask and you shall receive. A fan edit of all the US trailers, TV spots and scenes released up to about Monday have been posted online. I estimated that at most around 12 minutes of footage was released, turns out it is 9 minutes 15 seconds. I should have stuck with my 10 minutes estimate I tweeted.

Dark of the Moon Iridescent Trailer Version II

Linkin Park has posted another video that features Iridescent on their YouTube page. From what I can tell it is nearly identical to their first one with a few new scenes (but most of which have already appeared in all the TV spots). All I saw as new was a shot looking down on the Decepticon ship.

Despite the volume of videos, I think if someone were to combine all them, I think the grand total of scenes shown might reach around 12 minutes. Considering the movie is 2 and half hours that isn't much. Normally there is a fan edit by now but probably the lack of HD quality video for most of the TV spots has prevented such efforts.

Also, the band's twitter account tweeted, "If you "Shazam" TV & radio ads for Transformers 3, you'll get a download of a live track, plus have access to more content from the film." Shazam is an iPhone/iPad app (not sure if available for Android). I tried the app on the song and didn't come up with anything special. (via TFW2005, thanks to Sahara for the link)

Two More 15s TV Spots for Dark of the Moon

Two new 15 second TV spots join the one that premiered yesterday. The first one is to promote Transformers 3 in 3D while the other will be loved simply for battle-axe Prime. All of them can be found here.

TV Spot #16


TV Spot #17

New 15s Spot Featuring Megatron (Updated)

A new fifteen second TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon aired on MTV today. The spot shows a good look at Megatron in robot mode with his battle scarred face. No HD version currently available. Update: From the comments, a higher quality version.

Dark of the Moon The Score Tracklist

Film Music Reporter has posted the full track list to Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Score by Steve Jablonsky that is set for release on June 28th. The cover art however has not been confirmed. While to me the track names don't really provide any movie information, consider this a spoiler warning. (via TFW2005)

01. Dark On The Rock
02. Sentinel Prime
03. Lost Signal
04. In Time You’ll See
05. Impress Me
06. What War Destroyed, We Can Rebuild
07. Battle
08. There Is No Plan
09. We All Work for the Deceptions
10. The Fight Will Be Your Own
11. Driller
12. No Prisoners, Only Trophies
13. Ospreys
14. It’s Our World Now
15. I’m Just the Messenger
16. I Promise
17. The World Needs You Now

Dark of the Moon Reel Stats, Running Time

From the AllSpark, here are a few technical stats about the movie that probably only those that worked in theaters would find interesting. The main piece of information is final verification that the movie's total running time is 157 minutes (2 hours, 37 minutes). Nelson also provided a running time but it was unclear if that included around 10 minutes of credits or not. This total is from first frame to final frame of credits. The 14,129 feet of film is on 8 reels so feel bad for the people that have to splice those together for play.

IDW September Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for September that continues the Chaos storyline that will run through the books through the end of the year. A total of two books and one trade is being released. 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, and more click here.

Transformers #25
Mike Costa (w) • Brendan Cahill (a) • Marcelo Matere, Cahill (c)
“The Last Story on Earth” part 1 of 3! While there is much “CHAOS” on Cybertron, there’s no less bedlam here on Earth as our remaining Autobots investigate the accusation that Spike, their trusted human ally, murdered a TRANSFORMER in cold oil(?) Now it’s up to our heroes to find the truth and decide the fate of human/Cybertronian relations for years to come! Prowl and Jazz take center stage!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.

Two New DOTM TV Spots, Four Recent Ones in HD

A whole lot of TV spots premiered over the last few days but sadly few were in a quality to enjoy the sound and detail - until now. Coming Soon has posted six Transformers: Dark of the Moon TV spots in HD (I think). Four of the commercials are ones we have seen before from fans recording them off TV and posting online but two of them appear to be new. At least when I compared them to all the trailers and TV spots posted about so far (can find them all here). As has been the case for most of them, it is a combo of old scene fragments with new ones. Thanks to Feris Othman for the link.

Brazil Dark of the Moon Screening Mini-Review

Brazilian website The Omelette (english) has posted a mini-review of the 1st worldwide screening of the completed version of Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon that Michael Bay attended in Rio de Janeiro.

The translation is imperfect but in short the writer seemed to enjoy the movie, especially the 3D, noting that the franchise has returned to its roots and is better than the Revenge of the Fallen. (via S4TE) Thanks to someone in the comments, here is a better translation to English.

Rosie and Megatron Set Video

Thanks to @thesamnickelson, below is video that was filmed during a closed set in Chicago last summer. This apparently took place off of the main public filming locations as I know I never heard anything about it. The scene shows Michael Bay giving directions to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as she stands on top of a blue object. Typically those blue objects get replaced with Transformer parts in post-production but are necessary for when the actors are physically "touching" a pure CGI creation like a robot Transformer, in this case Megatron. As the recent TV spot hints at, Carly and Megatron have a conversation in a scene that Sam describes as when "Carly persuades Megatron to rise and fight again." At the end, when someone suddenly starts waving their hand for no apparent reason? That is them wanting Sam to get out of the scene.

Speilberg, Not Bay, Fired Megan Fox

Australia's News.com is reporting that Transformers franchise Executive Producer Steven Spielberg is the one that fired Megan Fox, not director Michael Bay. The reason why was because her comment back in September 2009 in Wonderland Magazine that Bay "wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is." Below is a major portion of article.

The comparison angered Spielberg, who is executive producer of the Transformers series and deadly serious when it comes to Nazis. Bay revealed for the first time he was told to get rid of Fox.

"You know the Hitler thing. Steven (Spielberg) said, fire her right now," he said ahead of the premiere of Transformers 3. The comment drew the ire of the film's crew, who compared her acting to that of a porn star.

New Dark of the Moon TV Spot with Megatron

A fourth TV spot has debuted this weekend for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. This one finally offers a look at the new Megatron, along with quick glimpse of Sideswipe. (via TFW2005, thanks to Sahara for the link.)

Two More Dark of the Moon TV Spots

It is hard to keep track of the TV spots coming out. Between the news of the three hour bump in release time for the movie, the sweet surfing TV spot and now these two, it is a good day for Transformers fans. The first video was recorded by Sam which he gave the appropriate, but currently unofficial "One Team" title and contains about 50% new scnes. The other was found by Blackfire561 and is a 15 second spot that has a beat or two that is new.

Another New Transformers: DOTM TV Spot

The TV spots for Transformers: Dark of the Moon keep coming. This one aired on Nickelodeon tonight and shows about 90% new scenes including Dino "surfing" the road behind a Dread, more Bumblebee Stealth mode, and more. The quality is cell cam but hopefully an HD version will be released soon. (via Seibertron)

Transformers Release Bumped Up Again

Deadline reports that Paramount's internal projections are indicating they could make $150 million at the US box office over the five day 4th of July weekend. In a desire to exceed or surpass that number they have decided to announce "an exclusive 3D and IMAX engagement" for Tuesday, June 28th at 9PM. Paramount had previously bumped the release date from July 1st to June 29th. They also did this for Super 8.

The exact details are unknown the time frame allows time for theatres to still do 12:01AM showings. If I recall correctly, Paramount did the same thing for Revenge of the Fallen. Personally I have my tickets for the 7PM showing of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Extended Edition showing and the 12:01am Transformers: Dark of the Moon in IMAX 3D so it has no impact on my movie plans for that day.

Transformers: Prime New Episode and Interview

A new episode of Transformers: Prime, called "Operation: Breakdown", premieres tomorrow on The Hub at 7pm EST. The description for it is "The Autobots roll out to rescue Breakdown, the Decepticon, who has been kidnapped by Silas and the sinister agents of MECH." No idea if this is the beginning of a cluster of new episodes or not. Screenshots from the ep can be found here.

On a related note, ToonZone has posted an interview with Transformers: Prime (and G.I. Joe: Renegades) executive producer Jeff Kline. He discussed how they developed the series and hinted at future plans. The full interview can be found here.

Dark of the Moon Linkfest

The movie news keeps coming and expect to ramp up even more with the world premiere in Moscow, the various talk show appearances and who knows what else. This is probably the best time to squeeze in various Transformers: Dark of the Moon news related to toys, promotions, toy reviews, Kre-O reviews, Oakley 3D glasses and more.

Life Sized Transformers Scrap Metal Statues
At this link is a few pictures of Transformers created over the years from scrap metal. I think I have posted about most of them at some time or another but nice to see them collected together. If want to check out more Optimus Prime, click here. Thanks to Feris for the link.

Soundwave Toys Coming
Now that we know that Soundwave's earth mode is a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, it is just a matter of time before the toys would come out. Full Metal Hero is reporting that three of them are in the works - a Human Alliance with Laserbeak, Deluxe Soundwave, and Cyberverse Legion. Expected release date is October, sadly no images yet.

New DOTM Footage in Linkin Park's Iridescent Trailer

Linkin Park has posted a short video to promote their new single Iridescent in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. With it is a ton of new footage not seen before or a few extra seconds to those scenes like the Bumblebee wall bounce to catch Sam and Lennox. If listen carefully can hear a hint of some of the great sound effects too. Its like getting a trailer and couple TV spots in one. Thanks to Chris for the link.

Higher Quality DOTM TV Spot Featuring Brains

It only took six days but a higher quality version of the Transformers: Dark of the Moon TV spot that briefly shows the new "Brains" character has been released online (amusing to see all the sites treating it as "new"). I don't think this is the HD version yet and sadly it seems MichaelBay.com has stopped posting the new TV spots so this might just be as good as it gets.

Transformers: DOTM Clip From The Late Show

Transformers: Dark of the Moon's Rosie Huntington-Whiteley appeared on The Last Show with David Letterman. During the appearance a new movie clip was shown. Thanks to Chris I was aware of the appearance and waiting on the Late Show website to add the clip but thanks to Seibertron there is no need to wait. The clip seems to serve as an introduction to the relationship between Sam and his girlfriend Carly. A video of the Rosie interview is now on YouTube (below).

Spielberg To Direct Transformers 4?

The short answer is probably not. The long answer is it is way too soon to know. However, that has not stopped MovieWeb from posting their "exclusive" that Hollywood great Steven Spielberg "may" direct Transformers 4. Spielberg is the Executive Producer of the three Transformers films so he has at least the basic knowledge to easily take up were Michael Bay leaves off. Don't get excited though, this "information" comes from Tyrese Gibson who was suggesting this hypothetical scenario.

If Michael Bay decides to come back for Transformers 4, I'll be there. We'll make it happen. (Right now), I think we are all exhausted with the process. If this movie does what we are all assuming it's going to do, then, I think it’s time to revisit this conversation. When it's time. There are no concepts, no direction, no nothing for Transformers 4, because everyone has been so focused on Transformers: Dark of the Moon. But here is the safety net. Are you ready for this?