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Michael Bay opened up a Transformers-size can of worms recently when he revealed that the title characters in the new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie he is producing for Nickelodeon and Paramount will be "from an alien race," rather than simply terrestrial turtles that have been mutated. The online backlash against Bay and the franchise reboot has been so vocal and volatile — The Guardian called the idea "witless" and Topless Robot called Bay the "nerd devil" and suggested he "suck sh*t" — that Bay has already responded to it, writing on his personal blog that fans should "take a breath, and chill."
Bay also tried to assure fans that he plans on doing right by the Turtles by mentioning that his "team is working closely with one of the original creators." He didn't specify whether he was referring to Kevin Eastman or Peter Laird, but Laird recently commented on Bay's decision on his own blog, saying that "it might actually work" to turn the Turtles into aliens, if only so that they can exploit them by making more of them than just the original four.
what did laird say? >> Posted 03.22.12 by BrentJS -
With initial reviews of The Hunger Games overwhelmingly positive (the movie currently has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), most would agree that Gary Ross was the right person for the job to direct this highly anticipated adaptation. But what would the movie look like in the hands of Michael Bay? Jennifer Lawrence would be replaced by a Victoria's Secret supermodel and the tributes would to battle with robots... in 3-D. We'll give you a minute to shudder at the thought. We think the Hunger Games franchise is safe from Bay, who is busy ruining the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
Entertainment Weekly posted some re-imagined Hunger Games posters if the movie had been directed by by the likes of Bay, David Fincher, and even Woody Allen. Though the posters are rather humorous, we can only let ourselves laugh knowing Ratner and Bay are no way involved in the franchise.
And in other "What if?" Hunger Games news, NextMovie.com posted photos of the Hunger Games characters as Simpsons figures. Apparently, Kantiss and company would feel right at home in Springfield.
see Kantiss as a Simpsons character >> Posted 03.20.12 by Chris -
Oh, Michael Bay.
The successful Transformers director has caused an online backlash with his recent comments about the upcoming live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot he is producing for Nickelodeon and Paramount. During the Nickelodeon Upfront presentation in New York City, Bay revealed that the new Turtles would be "tough, edgy, funny, and completely lovable" but also "from an alien race." Of course, it's that last part that has fans in an uproar, considering that the characters, as originally conceived by comic book creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, were victims of an accident where toxic ooze gave the turtles their enormous size, while a mutant rat named Splinter raised and trained them in the martial arts. While their initial origins were based in parody, the subsequent 1980s cartoon series and trilogy of live-action movies have made the characters beloved by many, and Bay's retooling of their story was not met well by the online community.
read some online criticism and bay's reaction >> Posted 03.20.12 by Ryan -
Whether you're a fan of Michael Bay's particular style of filmmaking or not, there's no denying that he is very, very good at it — his average movie opens to the tune of $52 million and his catalog has brought in a combined total of more than $4.5 billion worldwide. Because of his success in turning the Transformers toy line into a multi-billion dollar movie franchise, the news that Bay would be co-producing a new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie for Nickelodeon and Paramount wasn't met with the usual amount of grumbling from the fan community.
However, recent comments made by Bay about the movie are likely to stir up a firestorm of debate in fan forums and chat rooms. According to ScreenRant, Bay revealed at the recent Nickelodeon Upfront presentation in New York City that the Turtles are going to be aliens in the franchise reboot.
what did Bay say? >> Posted 03.19.12 by BrentJS -
Oops! What was supposed to be a major announcement from Parmount Pictures — that Michael Bay will return to direct a fourth installment in the studio's popular Transformers franchise — was spoiled yesterday when producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura unceremoniously disclosed the information to MTV during a video interview at Toy Fair 2012. According to Deadline, "Paramount is furious at di Bonaventura" for not only spilling the beans about Bay's involvement, but also revealing that Transformers 4 (working title) will be a "reboot...hybrid" that keeps the "continuity" of the first three movies, but with "a whole new story" and "a lot of new cast."
more about Transformers 4 >> Posted 02.14.12 by BrentJS -
Next week's Contraband will end a mini-drought for Mark Wahlberg, who hasn't appeared in a movie since 2010's The Fighter. Even before the boxing biopic earned Wahlberg's co-stars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo Oscars for their performances, Wahlberg was talking about a Fighter sequel, revealing that a second installment would follow "Irish" Micky Ward's trilogy of fights with the late Arturo Gatti.
As late as last June, Wahlberg was still confident about a Fighter sequel, saying "We're not going to do Fighter 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, but we're gonna do 2." In an interview with Collider, Wahlberg offered the latest update, claiming that a script is in the works.
Wahlberg talks The Fighter sequel, Pain and Gain >> Posted 01.08.12 by Ryan -
Steven Spielberg recently said that he would like Michael Bay to return as director for Transformers 4, which is currently in planning stages. Bay had previously announced publicly that he was "not talking to Paramount" about another Transformers movie and was instead looking to direct the body builder comedy Pain and Gain instead — a project Bay was planning to do before he was convinced by Paramount to direct this summer's Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Whether it was Spielberg, Paramount executives, or Bay himself that did the convincing this time, it looks like the action movie director has had a change of heart about returning for a fourth Transformers movie.
there's no Transformers 4 without pain and gain >> Posted 12.07.11 by Ryan -
After Transformers: Dark of the Moon became one of the biggest comic book movie hits of the summer (and of the year, just behind just Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2) after earning over a billion dollars worldwide, it came as no surprise when Hasbro CEO and Transformers producer Brian Goldner revealed that the toy company was in talks with Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, and Paramount Pictures about Transformers 4 (working title). Further reports indicated that Transformers 4 could be shot back-to-back with Transfomers 5, but Bay quickly refuted the reports. "I am currently not talking to Paramount on T4 and T5 despite reports," Bay announced on his personal website.
Whether Bay's comments are a negotiating tact is unknown, but there is someone who wants Bay back for a fourth installment in the Transformers franchise: Spielberg. During an interview about his long career in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly, Spielberg said that he wanted Bay to return for Transformers 4.
spielberg wants bay to return >> Posted 12.06.11 by Ryan -
Update: According to Variety, Mark Wahlberg has passed on the project but The Rock is still in discussion.
After finishing his blockbuster trilogy Transformers last June, director Michael Bay is finally creating his dark comedy Pain and Gain. The project has been in the works for the past decade and has a reported budget of $20M. The script was written by Captain America writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and has, oddly enough, been compared to Fargo by the two.
It is also rumored that beefcakes, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, will star in the comedy. According to Moviefone, Pain and Gain is "based on a 1999 article in the Miami New Times about a pair of bodybuilders caught in an extortion and kidnapping scheme."
Posted 12.05.11 by reelz -
Earlier this week, Transformers fans were greeted with the news that Hasbro CEO and Transformers producer Brian Goldner was in talks with Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, and Paramount Pictures about Transformers 4 (working title), the follow-up to this summer's outrageously successful Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Further reports claimed that a fourth installment would also mean a fifth, and the two would be shot back-to-back. While that news may be true, Bay told fans on his personal website's forum that he is not personally involved in any talks for Transformers 4.
read bay's comments >> Posted 10.20.11 by Ryan