It’s already been acknowledged that Transformers 4 is going to focus on a new cast of robot characters (in part for marketing purposes) and human players – though, at the least, Optimus Prime is coming back (once again, voiced by Peter Cullen). However, people such as Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Tyrese Gibson, and Josh Duhamel won’t be reprising their roles from previous films, in director Michael Bay’s supposedly-final outing with the franchise.
One of the main motivating factors behind making fresh-faced actors like LaBeouf – as well as Whitely and her predecessor, Megan Fox – the leads was to appeal to the core teenage/young adult demographic. However, seeing how TF4 is being sold as a more straight-faced film (matching the tone of the final act in Transformers: Dark of the Moon), it might make sense for the human characters to likewise grow up a bit (literally).
The latest TF4 rumors suggest that won’t be the case (shocking, we know), as the new flesh-and-blood leads are indicated to both be under the age of 19, as was the case with LaBeouf and Fox’s onscreen counterparts in the first two Transformers movies. To be specific, Spoiler TV reports that Bay and his team are looking for an actress and actor to play “a high school senior and her boyfriend a Texas racing driver,” respectively.
It ought to be pointed out that Spoiler TV identified the former of those characters as the “new female lead,” while the latter is referenced in a more off-hand manner. That could mean Transformers 4 will depart from literally every other film made by Bay to date, by featuring a female protagonist in a capacity similar to LaBeouf in the original Transformers trilogy. On the other hand, that might be little more than wishful thinking because, well… this is a blockbuster made by Michael Bay.
Human characters – as well as the drama they come attached with – are a necessary cost-cutting measure for the Transformers movies, so you can expect TF4 to have its fair share of them. However, Bay has suggested that part of the film will take place somewhere other than Earth (and not just in flashbacks, a la the prologue to Dark of the Moon). The movie also gets going in the immediate aftermath of the destruction-happy climax to TF3, so it won’t have to waste time rehashing the Transformers’ backstory in any significant capacity.
That is to say, TF4 won’t completely abandon the formula of its predecessors, but it looks to incorporate some new ingredients into the mix to help keep this series from feeling stale (for its fans, anyway). You can color me pleasantly-surprised if the film actually takes some ‘risks’ and centers around a woman, rather than male lead – though, I’ll be downright shocked if the female leads actually proves to be interesting (and more than ‘upgraded’ eye candy).
Transformers 4 opens in theaters on June 29th, 2014.
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Source: Spoiler TV
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The only way I’d watch this one is if:
1) The Transformers actually become real, audience cared-for characters in their own g****** show.
2) Sam dies one way or another.
3) There’s no 3D. Just please no.
4) They clean up the ‘transforming’ and shoot less hectic, hard-to-follow action scenes.
I don’t really hate Michael Bay, there’s entertainment somewhere in his method
I’m watching TF Prime and I’m at the end of Season 2 and I can’t say enough how good it is to have some episodes with ONLY the bots in it.. Back how it used to be focusing on the transformers, life is good. Highly recommend Prime, Frank Welker baby! Best decision they made, pity Bumblebee still has no voice, why they took that across from Bay’s crap I do not know.
I think somehow the movie execs think they still live in a world where there needs to be a white male/hot female star to pull audiences. Seriously, *how* many people watched any of the movies for Shia LaBeouf? Or even Megan Fox? Heck I know guys were all mad about her but I’m *pretty* sure the giant transforming city-wrecking robots were the bigger draw.
That’s very true. Just look at how successful Megan Fox’s other films have been.
Sam was OK, and it was cool that they linked him to spike from the cartoon, but I actually liked Josh Duhamel’s character better.
In any case, the real stars are the robots and the humans seem to just get in the way, especially when they’re the government being stupid and going against the good guys like they always seem to do in these kinds of movies.
i watch it for shia and the transformes I lovethe transformers but if shia leaves its a little of a diseption
Transformers prime has the Robot and Human companionship down perfectly. The humans are part of the story but there not the main focus.
This movie needs no human protagonist.
Agreed!
I still just find it odd and it made me giddy, they were taking 3D Renders and shots of my Helicopter…Not saying it would be put in or even used…But if my Helicopter was used in the next transformers movie…I am leaving you suckers and moving over to Famous People Screen Rant!
I shall be famous!
well jeff, they were also taking 3d renders of my Bugatti Veyron so maybe we will both be famous
Hate you! lol
My Helicopter is property of the United States Coastguard. They were looking for rescue aircraft a couple of weeks ago, and they took 3D Renders of my Jayhawk. Because it was only 3 weeks out of the factory and was the newest variant.
Plus she is real shiney, and she sparkles and she has that New Helicopter smell.
I come to watch gaint robots not screaming teenagers… if there going to force me to follow a human in the story line make it someone not still in high school!
You have something against teenagers?
You mean self-absorbed sacs of flesh who live on their iphones all day and haven’t a single clue whats going on in the world? Of course not, nothing wrong at all with teenagers.
Hehe nothing wrong with actors/characters of any age really so long as they are played/portrayed in an authetic/beleivable fashion. The problem with bay’s directing style if that alot of the characters (esp in TF movies) tend to act like they’ve snorted a giant bag of coke. I can point out a few characters in the movie that werent teenagers that were pretty annoying.
Whoa, whoa. Calm down with the profiling there, Ed. You were a teenager once, too.
And if that’s going to be your definition of “teenagers,” it applies to many, but certainly not all. And I can say the same exact thing for “adults.” Many adults, too, are “self-absorbed sacs of flesh who live on their iPhones all day and haven’t a single clue what’s going on in the world.” Obviously not all of them are, but the majority of our population (especially America) seems to fit this definition IMO.
I supposed fit that description, though I’m more muscle, bones and organs than a simple fleshy bag. And I’m 33. Hah. Burn. I think.
-This message was typed in an iphone
So all teenagers spend their lives on their iPhones do they? And no teenagers have a clue with what’s going on in the world either, am I correct?
Huh, well I wonder what the hell I must be seeing as I’m a 17 year old guy, but can’t possibly be a teenager according to your logic.
Even though a lot of us do fit your description, like ezra said, it can easily be applied to a lot of adults as well.
Think twice before discriminating against one of the largest groups of people on the planet mate.
You are right my “young” friend. I dont know how many adults I see buried in a phone and not looking where they are going. Too many adults put on makeup and shave on their way to work while driving a car, I see this every day. Look at how many adults are making drastic mistakes at all levels of society from the very poor to the very rich. Hell, look at our government, I have never seen more self absorbed people.
Btw, Im 36
me,too 36, hehe big kids !
nice stereo type by the way
Can we just have a Transformers movie with NO humans please?
Transformers needs human companions. How ever it needs to step away from the human point of view and let prime be a protagonist not a supporting character.
Get rid of the humans.
As for the cost effective factor.
Why not use men or women in suits.
Those Japanese sentai movies of late have sucesfully managed to combine cgi with men in suits.By that I mean it doesn’t look cheesy as it sometimes did.Also the Japanese always understood what the audience wants to see.The human factor was present but only to intensify the action scenes as it should be.
How about just remake TRANSFORMER THE MOVIE from the 80s shot for shot as Live Action. Boom. Done. Mega hit. AND it would be awesome.
i´m not an expert about the 80s transformers, but i have seen some busts and toys ,and the original transf. have these japanese robot-human like faces,it would look cooler if they make the next transformers more simillaire to the 80s robot-face design.
There will be humans in a Transformers film with Michael Bay at the helm. Its gonna happen. You know what else is gonna happen? This movie is going to make at least 600 million just because of the title. I am not crazy about any of the Transformers movies but they are decent eye candy. But the formula will not change much, if any at all, as long as the same studio and director are calling the shots.
Let’s all argue about teenagers.* (*sarcasm) Well, I suppose that the topic really does relate to the Transformers; thank you, Michael Bay. I would totally love to have a respectably characterized and acted female lead in the next film. Pllleeeaaase.
I’m sorry but without shia I will not see this movie its just pointless I mean really just optimus will be in the movie it will suck without shia and bumblebee sorry but its true this movie will not be the same Imean if you change a few caracters after 2 movies yeah but obiesly secundery really shia hes like the face of transformes even in the series i dont like it with out sam its pointless
well i love all the tf films and cartoons, and im a girl (call me a geek if you want)anyway the point is that Mr.Bay has alot of work to do, he does his best on the films(he’s good w/ explosions and sets)and Mr.Spielberg is good too. i really hope that Mr.Bay finds a good actress for the female lead, i really can’t wait for the nxt movie
I wish there was a like button for all these comments.
I think it would be cooler to have them go back to cybertron somehow i mean come on how cool would it be to see a brand new world and have them fight another war but not againt eachother maybe like something that settled their while they were gone. i mean the previous movies were cool but the story line is just the same old thing even tought the adventures that they go on change the main plot dosent now if they were to face someone else in a differnet inviroment with no humans at all that might appeal a little more. And please dont take out the hot girls even if their robots because it has to have some sort of sex appeal.