Michael Bay On Walhberg, Shia and When of Transformers 4

In the Friday episode of TMZ Live, Michael Bay spoke with the site about the casting of Mark Wahlberg in Transformers 4, Shia LaBeouf's anti-Transformers comments and dropped a few hints on the story of TF4. The video is below, the phone interview starts at the around 18:00 point. TFW2005 also has a transcript here.

Highlights:
- Decided that casting Mark Wahlberg "was a great way to really take this franchise in a different direction. We’re doing a lot of things that are going to really make it feel fresh and new. ...I love working with him and he’s got a great sense of comedy and great pathos. He’s a guy who can handle great action."
- Bay said Mark was interested, "I really want to show a movie to my kids."
- He was also forgiving of Shia LaBeouf's bashing Transformers dismissing it as "fame is very hard on young people." Also said LaBeouf is a "great, great guy. He's a great actor and I have nothing but respect for him."
- Transformers 4 takes place four years after the end of Dark of the Moon. "Same lineage ...full new direction and feels very natural."
- Bay also said that the release date is Thursday July 4th, 2014, which is different then the previously said June 27th release date but all those fours do make more sense from a marketing perspective.