Movie news.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:20 am

Straight from Seibertron:

MEDIA: Producer of the upcoming Transformers movie, Don Murphy, has been chatting up a spell for his site once again. In one of the threads on his own board, the producer has started answering a whole host of questions.

Here follow some quotes by Don Murphy taken from his board.

"Hey guess what- we have started to work on cool ComiCon stuff for TF- I will announce when I can."

"We have started some pre-visualization on the film- preliminary- looks fab."

"Hasbro needs to start the toy line in the next month to make the deadline to have toys out a month before our film."

That's good news -so far...

"In John's script there were only 4 on each side...
(massive intake of breath as everyone goes what the [composite word including 'f*ck']?)
Now the plans are 5 main ones.

Wov,that's a lot...

I do hope the minor ones get lines at least.

Megs...Optimus... of course
Soundwave (no longer a blender) Bumblebee (thanks to Herbie not likely a Bug) Jazz.... Starscream.... RC.....more to come...."

Now stop here... Arcee as a main character?!? Not GRimlock, not Prowl, not Shockwave or even Sideswipe.,.. Arcee. Idiots. Grimlock alone would amount for 50%more ratings...

"In the meeting on Thursday Hasbro all but DEMANDED that Soundwave mass shift.... the writers seemed okay with it...."

They better do... atleast Hasbro hasmore sense then this Mruphy guy.

"Interestingly Ratchet is currently there too....
The writers want to make him an ambulance...
Dreamworks doesn't....
And Hasbro actually doesn't mind if he is an ambulance or a firetruck...."

Because, y'know, as Ratchet said: "I'm a doctor, not a fireman!"

"Hasbro seemed anxious to get Soundwave into musical form to unleash Ravage even if it made no sense."

Because todays kids never seen a tape? Don't tell me... they are in the stores here everywhere.

"Official website ASAP- literally as soon as we can....
Final ten TFs chosen- 3 weeks

Shockwave better be in it...

Colors/Models of those ten finalized JULY 1
Prep begin Sept 1
Shoot begin Dec 1
all Tentative"

"No Quintessions in Movie One.

Pfffhttt.... (sighs in relief)

The movie is gonna be much more of the origina film than it ever was before."

Umm, what does that supposed to mean?

"The weridest thing about the meeting is that ONLY because of this board was anyone trying to protect G1 or the looks of Megs and Optimus.

Yeah, in your mind, Murphy. Everyone prefers G1 looks to Energon, for example...

Hasbro doesn't mind what it is as long as they know as soon as possible. Dreamworks is intent on RE-inventing the property. You guys are being heard, but it is tougher now that it was PRE Bay, and it is not Bay it is lots of people trying to get this done. There were 29 people in the room."

What's Bay?

"No idea about film 2 and 3
and it was sounding in that room like the Autobots may have been here since at least biblical times"

You mean prehistoric. Or Jesus will be Prime's powermaster?

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:00 am

BB Shockwave wrote:What's Bay?

]
Michael Bay? Prospective director...

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:15 am

Sounds like its being Hollywood-ised.

"Why are you painting those cows?"
"To make horses. Horses don't look like horses on screen."
"Then what do you do if you want cows?"
"We normally stick some sheep together..."

Weeeeeird. I only pray the meetings for LoTR went like this... but I don't suppose they did for a nanosecond.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:24 am

oh deary me...

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:53 am

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:55 am

I'm slightly worried that our beloved TFs are going to have a movie that will be the bastard child of two really bad movies - like Open Water and anything with Ben Aflick in.

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:11 pm

Why would they have a problem with Ratchet being an ambulance?

And how can Hasbro of all parties involved not want to protect the G1 look? - G1 Prime is their ultimate icon. Even my mother know who that is......

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:20 pm

How can Ratchet be called 'Ratchet' if he ISN'T an ambulance?
I'm still trying to wade through all 36 pages of the stuff, but at the moment it doesn't seem to tell us much that's new. Or very comforting.

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:25 pm

What worries me most is nobody seems to have an overall guiding vision for how it should look.

The studio want to reboot it, Hasbro just want to make (random) dictats about certain aspects of design, the Director doesn't know anything about Transformers and the Producer knows only what he can gleen from the contradictory loudmouths that inhabit his board (of which I class him as one!).

Where on earth is Furman, or Budiansky or anybody else who has actually worked with these things and knows something about them? Where is the guy with the vision that makes these movies work, like Peter Jackson did or Lucas did (originally...).

I get the horrible impression this movie is just going to be a mish-mash compromise of what the various parties think it should be. And I've never yet met a patchwork quilt that was enjoyable to sit through on the big screen for 2 hours.

This is really worrying... but I guess its what we get for having such a divided, fickle fandom and a franchise that has no real definition to it. We end up with a movie that sounds to me like its going to be the incarnate of that.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:29 pm

You are SO (shudders) right.
Someone needs to kick their arses and say "G1 DAMMIT!" And then send them to a decent site like this one and take on board the things we tell them to do. What's the point of having a new TF movie if it immediately alienates the core fan audience. I'd still go to see it though, even if I'd heard it was crap. 'Cos I'm a Transformers fan.

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:33 pm

Well personally I'm resigning myself to the expectation that at best this will be a throwaway action flick that makes it to the "Two for 4.99" bin in Woolworths within 6 months.

I guess because we're into it so, we expect to see some drama, some depth... something great. I don't see anybody involved with the movie that has anything like the qualities needed to bring that to the fore.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:39 pm

Perhaps we expect to see too much. The G1 cartoon was hardly ever high drama, but we still remember it kinda fondly (well, most of us). Can a TF movie ever be more than what we're now dreading it will be? With adult hindsight we can see the flaws of the old shows, but at the time it was great. Perhaps these rose-tinted specs will make whatever the movie becomes less in our eyes by default.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:48 pm

Autobloke wrote:The G1 cartoon was hardly ever high drama

The Beast Wars cartoon was. TF:TM had a good go.

Don't get me started on the comics...

TFs aren't about nostalgia for me. I still want to be challenged.

And I pretty much agree with everything Karl's said.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:54 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:
Autobloke wrote:The G1 cartoon was hardly ever high drama
The Beast Wars cartoon was. TF:TM had a good go.

Don't get me started on the comics...

TFs aren't about nostalgia for me. I still want to be challenged.

And I pretty much agree with everything Karl's said.

Well, slap my mouth.
Yeah, I know BW was better, but the new movie isn't likely to be even remotely BW.
No mention of the comics here - I promise.
No, it isn't about nostalgia - I also want 'challenge' - but how many of these big sci-fi movies ever get praise for their serious and important content these days? We'll be lucky if TF comes across as more than 'BIG ROBOT. NOW CAR. BANG BANG!'
Hope I'm wrong though...

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:07 pm

Autobloke wrote: Well, slap my mouth.

Well, if you insist.

Autobloke wrote: Yeah, I know BW was better, but the new movie isn't likely to be even remotely BW.

The makers could learn a lot from BW, despite the different setting.

Autobloke wrote: how many of these big sci-fi movies ever get praise for their serious and important content these days?

Sadly, not many. I, Robot had potential to be great, but was squandered. Same goes for AI and Minority Report really. What else has there been?

Thankfully there's a fair few decent comic book movies tho. As well as the usual chaff.

Autobloke wrote:
We'll be lucky if TF comes across as more than 'BIG ROBOT. NOW CAR. BANG BANG!'
Hope I'm wrong though...

Me too.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:20 pm

Perhaps the filmmakers should be made to watch BW as a character study for what can be achieved with the G1 characters if they try.
I have those three movies and have not been tempted to go back and watch any of them again - despite my love of CGI and special effects.
I hope that the same can't be said of the TF movie - one of the things I liked about the G1 cartoon was freeze-framing through the various versions of the transformations sequences - a guilty pleasure long gone from subsequent TF shows. I'm hoping that the movie will be the same as G1 in that respect, and not just the same animation sequence used every time a character transforms. It just made it more interesting for me.
I suppose though that financially, and for realistic portrayal, that standardisation will dictate that the TFing sequences will be exact and unchanging. BW had two TFing sequences for each character (action and standing), so once again BW could teach the filmmakers a thing or two - especially as the show also used varying camera angles or quick cutting to give the illusion of new TFing sequences.
A small wish, but important to me.

And as for the mooted Soundwave alt change during the movie - perhaps his 'copter mode just has a CD player in it.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:39 pm

AT least Hasbro demanded Soundwave mass shift!

thats like his ability... just like mystique in the xmen can change shape, doesnt bother me.

I agree with Karl.

Essentially, they should get some clever ppl in to pull top brass strings.

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:02 pm

BB Shockwave wrote:You mean prehistoric. Or Jesus will be Prime's powermaster?

*puts on Ministry's "Jesus Built My Hot Rod"

Wouldnt that make him "Lamb of God-Ginrai" in Japan?

A ding-a-ling-dang my dang-along-ding-dong

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:03 pm

Optimus Prime Rib wrote:
BB Shockwave wrote:You mean prehistoric. Or Jesus will be Prime's powermaster?
*puts on Ministry's "Jesus Built My Hot Rod"

A ding-a-ling-dang my dang-along-ding-dong

Soundwave kinda transformed into a crucifix in the first episode of the G1 cartoon.

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:04 pm

argh cant fix my mistake cause you posted after me lol

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:05 pm

Soz. First come eh?

Dead Head · Post by **Dead Head** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:11 pm

Sounds like compromising to please all the various vested interests in going to end up pleasing nobody.

Murphy is going about leveraging the Transformers fans the wrong way. His messageboard is a cesspit, of which he takes turns stirring.

'RC'? Arcee? Say this pandering ain't so!

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:14 pm

Dead Head wrote:Sounds like compromising to please all the various vested interests in going to end up pleasing nobody.

Murphy is going about leveraging the Transformers fans the wrong way. His messageboard is a cesspit, of which he takes turns stirring.

'RC'? Arcee? Say this pandering ain't so!

RC? 'PC' I say! No no NO! At least for the first movie. Put the female characters into the human cast. Perhaps even as Spike?

veritech · Post by **veritech** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:47 pm

Bumblebee not a VW BUG??????? Because of Herbie???? Weren't the Herbie movies from the '60's and '70's?? Dont' you think that is long enough that people won't associate a yellow modern vw bug with those cornball flicks?

well, maybe they will show Bumblebee in his cybertronian hovercraft mode? probably not. He will probably transform into a mailbox or something.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:48 pm

I think what Murphy says translates as "VW told me to get ******."

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:49 pm

veritech wrote:Bumblebee not a VW BUG??????? Because of Herbie???? Weren't the Herbie movies from the '60's and '70's?? Dont' you think that is long enough that people won't associate a yellow modern vw bug with those cornball flicks?

well, maybe they will show Bumblebee in his cybertronian hovercraft mode? probably not. He will probably transform into a mailbox or something.

Disney has a new Herbie movie coming out.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:43 pm

I don't like the idea of the TFs not turning up until an hour into the movie so we can 'get to know' the human characters. For a start, the humans are always the weakest aspect of TF stories, and as this IS a Transformers movie I'd rather see the 'bots very early. Look at the first episode of the G1 cartoon - straight into Cybertron and the war, with giant robots transforming all over the place. That didn't harm the story OR franchise - and this was back when we didn't even KNOW what a 'Transformer' was.
Basically, I couldn't give a sh*t about the human characters, and I certainly resent giving up an hour of the movie to have to listen to them whine about their daily problems and hump each other.
Also, the fact that Starscream is likely to be the only seeker in the movie is a bit disheartening - especially when Skywarp and Thundercracker are so fondly remembered - even if they WERE just toy repaints. Reusing the CGI models for the movie would make them financially viable as even just background characters. Also, if there are only going to be 10 TFs, that's going to make for a very small movie tie-in toyline. I prettymuch guarrantee that they'll use the Starscream toy mold to put out repaints as Skywarp and Thundercracker then - they just can't help themselves when it comes to toys. Same with Laserbeak/Buzzsaw and Rumble/Frenzy.
Perhaps helicopter Soundwave could drop pods a'la Thunderbird 2 which transform into Ravage, Rumble et al. Just a thought...

Dead Head · Post by **Dead Head** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:47 pm

Autobloke wrote:I don't like the idea of the TFs not turning up until an hour into the movie so we can 'get to know' the human characters.

Don't worry. The remaining twenty minutes might feature a cameo from Optimus Prime.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:52 pm

Dead Head wrote:
Autobloke wrote:I don't like the idea of the TFs not turning up until an hour into the movie so we can 'get to know' the human characters.
Don't worry. The remaining twenty minutes might feature a cameo from Optimus Prime.

Oscar Wilde, I salute you.

Well, kind of.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:58 pm

Autobloke wrote:I certainly resent giving up an hour of the movie to have to listen to them whine and hump each other.

Might perk things up a bit.

TransFans.co.uk

Movie news.

Re: Movie news.

Re: Movie news.

Re: Movie news.