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Michael Bay has added some quality veteran actors to Transformers 3. He has set John Malkovich and Frances McDormand to join Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. McDormand will play a big role, the National Intelligence Director. Malkovich plays Shia’s first boss. That promises to be interesting. Also aboard is Ken Jeong, from The Hangover. Pre-shoots start next month, and shooting is set for Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Florida, Texas, Africa, Moscow and China.
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Will Malkovich and McDormand be playing futuristic versions of LeBeouf and Fox? Is this a time travel story? Can’t see any other reason to use (sorry) older actors to be in such a youth-oriented franchise film.
Dude, get a clue. Ever think that they’re adding to their demographic. Eureka!
Dude, I AM that older demographic; I haven’t seen any Transformers movie / cartoon (and I grew up with them), and even with the additions to the cast, I still am not intersted. And I’m sure I can speak for others my age–adding quality actors does not make this Masterpiece Theatre!
Don’t be so sure.
I have independent knowledge that M. Bay is placing large emphasis on garnering respect from fellow film makers and critics. He’s been reading Stanislavski and watching videos of an acting teacher who lost his voice (forget the name), and from some script guru. He may like Box Office results, but if you’ve seen his office, you know he also likes awards. And the collection isn’t complete… (Yet?) For the sake of paying audiences, sounds good to me, and I’m there on opening day (if I won’t have been to a screening)! Sorry about the disrespect in the earlier post, dude.
Yay CGI characters well-versed in ‘the method’. Bet James Lipton can’t wait to interview them.
It sounds like a brilliant idea for a webseries so long as Bay & Fox have nothing to do with it.
As described though, not so much.
Apology accepted for the disrespect.
an acting teacher who lost his voice (forget the name)…
Sanford Meisner.
If you are looking for masterpiece theater, then WHY are you even bothering to comment here. These movies are to suspend disbelief and have fun with. You can’t take them serious. I love em.
And before you say it, my SON grew up with the cartoons, so don’t talk your demographic with me.
if you have no interest and have never watched the cartoons and such, why even bother posting. leave that to the people who are fans and grew up loving Transformers. It’s like asking a baseball expert to comment on a hockey game.
It’s to distract from the fact that the script will most likely be an abortion.
With John Tuturro already in the series, and now Malkovich and McDormand, it is clear that Michael Bay is slowly turning the Transformers sequel into a Coen Brothers film.
Were Malkovich and McDormand victims of Bernard Madoff? That can be the only explanation for why these two fine actors are sinking to this level.
unfortunately malkovich was. cynically thought that to myself when i read this headline, knowing he’d lost his savings w/ madoff, but why not.
we all know he’s beyond talented and has proved his worth, can’t blame him for taking a check and flexing his comedic chops for most the world to see.
How quickly we forget that he already stooped to this level when he played (quite capably, actually) “Cyrus the Virus” in the Simon West-helmed CON AIR.
“stooped” to this level?? con air was an awesome film. no sarcasm!
The over/under on how long Megan Fox survives part 3 should be about 5 minutes… I’m already picturing Shia’s slowmo, “Noooooooo….” as she gets blasted to smithereens by some B-grade bot.
I like the sound of that
Yes, ’cause young people can’t stand to look at those icky old people…like John Turturro and Sam’s parents.
Wow. Let’s dig up Orson Welles and Sir Lawrence, maybe Richard Burton too.
I know I’m desperate, but do these two really need the money.
After 8 movies and 5 plays you still have a lot to learn about movies and theatre. The correct spelling is Laurence.
BTW, I’m not really impressed by titles but I believe it’s – Lord Olivier.
you cant see the reason to use great actors in a movie? Is the National Intelligence Director suppose to be in there 20′s, does that sound realistic. Transformers is far from a realistic movie, but by adding strong actors into the fold the end result might be better. Bottom line, it cant hurt the movie.
The National Intelligence Director should the a 19 year-old Australian underwear model with dewy skin and a great rack. Didn’t you see any of the other Transformer films?
Malkovich is clearly playing an evil bot.
Or Megan Fox’s thumb.
Yeah, there should be no old people in films for young people. It should be ALL young people, even if they’re supposed to be playing dads, mothers, priests, presidents, Jesus, whatever. The only reason there should be old people in films is if they’re playing future versions of the young people who are already in the films – that’s the only thing that makes sense.
I put it to you, LouW, that you are an idiot.
Why start adding old people now? It hasn’t been done before, and young people neither care about nor want to see old people in films. Or TV. After all, Old People such as myself do not want to see action films.
Yes, sequels of films should just have younger actors than the film before it. You LouW, make no sense.
Look at the Harry Potter franchise: full of old folks.
In the case of Harry Potter, the movies didn’t have anything to do with adding older actors–look at the source material, they weren’t going to screw around with that.
Well Shia and Megan Fox are gearing to become grown-up stars. So adding stronger supporting performers who can broaden the demographic and introduce these “young” stars to “older” audiences and potentially increase box office seems like it would explain itself…in many more ways than I just offered.
The bottom line with Michael Bay is just that the bottom line…storytelling is obviously not high on his agenda.
Transformers 2 was the ultimate video game for kids. It was Transformers 1 on steroids when it came to effects, but completely lacked any charm of the original.
Even the young demographic that went to see it were not thrilled, and they may even be cautious for Transformers 3.
The debate about McDormand and Malkovich is as pointless as the next sequel will be. Michael Bay forgot how to tell a story along time ago…if he ever truly knew how.
Some audiences like good filmmaking, and some audiences like video games on film. Fortunately for Michael Bay, the video game audience is considerable, and even more fortunate…they don’t demand much in the way of storytelling.
What are you talking about? Everybody loves Malkovich. Shia, Megan, and the concept bring the young crowd. Anything else about the subject of “youth-oriented franchise film” doesn’t matter for the age because the supporting roles help lift the performances. Yes, marketability is important, and Malkovich brings that element to the table, but get real. There are other factors that makes the franchise more creditable for the youth.
Sometimes you gotta pay the bills.
Francis and John are probably getting a nice check from this, but they’re also getting back into the mainstream. You have to keep proving your marketability if you want to get financing for the little films that you want to do. Transformers 3 buys them a couple of indie films that they really want to do, financed by overseas investors who need names to sell in their markets.
Giant, brainless movie with smart actors.
McDormand was in Darkman & Aeon Flux (ok, so they weren’t big moneymakers) and Malkovich was in the g-d awful The Mutant Chronicles. So, it’s not like these actors are adverse to action spectacles.
It’s still won’t make me want to see the Transformers movies, though.
Why would a great actor like John Malkovich risk blowing his indie cred with this pathetic schlockfest?
Transformers is not Twilight where everyone is a non acting douchebag
just out of diapers, and fresh from their mothers teets, Optimus Prime is an ancient robot who does not even know what hair gel is
and could care less about Vampires and Werewolves and would sqaush
them in an instant albeit by accident.
older actors are a necessity for many movies, I mean how many
military leaders are 18 years old?, I know too many younger
people end up parents seemingly starting at 14 now days, but a 20
year old does not have a teenage to 20 year old kid, that would
just be stupid.
who cares about older people in movies, they are needed so EVERYONE (not a prepubesant teenage girl (or guy who might as
well be one themselves) hooked on queer guys with plasma
addictions and Rogaine over using idiots who think they are
supposed to be walking on all fours, and grrr I will bite you
so hard grrr attitudes) get a life, get a grip and you can’t have a real movie with just a bunch of “look how pretty I am” jackasses
and think that all demographics will say “OH MY GOD, I HAVE TO SEE
THAT MOVIE” I for one hate Harry Potter and Twilight, I want to see a movie with people that can act, and Transformers may not ever be the worlds best movie series to most, but I love the
Transformers, always have since I was 8 in ’84 and always will
I use Harry Potter and Twilight books for toilet paper.
A shitfest with A List actors– while it may be a Grade A shitfest… Is still a shitfest.
I’m just and assistant but i snuck a read at the script and it is much better then number 2,
So as great as the two actors are, live on screen, how is it that NONE of you could see them as voice actors for new robots? Hugo Weaving was recruited for Megatron – and he reportedly hasn’t even seen the films.
Though I thought the time-travel, in-the-future idea was the most original take. Seriously where else could number 3 go without doing some stupid space road trip to Cybertron?!
Shia`s got a Kevin Costner thing goin on. Charismatically Challenged
transformers are sooper cool iwant them tocome to my house
Human characters are all good but you are forgetting about what it’s all about its called transformers for a reason. I think he should not introduce to much more human characters and focus more on the bots there back ground and there character not that i don’t like the human characters that are already in it.
There are already too many human parts in it that they focused too much on they need to focus more on the robots this time. Brining in big actor names won’t make it better but brining in some of the popular robots that we loved as kids will bring bigger crowds so I think some of those actors that are getting parts are stupid and will just add to more plot holes and unnecessary shots that don’t do anything for the story. Bring in Hotrod instead of Malkovich and other popular robots because that’s what we all go to see robots fighting other robots with a little human comedy in-between.
personally i think Bay should stop adding more human characters and focus a bit more on the robots. i know for a fact that some people were very displeased that bumblebee really wasn’t acting like a guardian at all in fact in some parts he should have been a robot but instead he was a car. but i can only ask this of Micheal bay for the sake of the franchise make this movie great
With John Tuturro already in the series, and now Malkovich and McDormand
Bring in Hotrod instead of Malkovich and other popular robots because that’s what we all go to see robots fighting other robots with a little human comedy in-between.