Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes production company are causing a big stir among fans these days with “Turtlegate,” the controversy surrounding the rebranding of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise that you can read all about here. Now, Bloody Disgusting reports that the studio responsible for remakes of A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Friday the 13th is taking on yet another iconic movie monster: Michael Myers will hit theater screens again in a new version of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween.

Rob Zombie recently directed the most recent incarnation of the character in 2007 and 2009, but Drive Angry 3D helmers Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier were hired on to take over the series for The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films, and they even had a 2012 release date set. But that project has been abandoned, and it looks like in the quest to blandly remake every iconic horror character they can, Platinum Dunes has finally gotten its hands on Michael Myers. If you’re an Abercrombie model, I’d suggest polishing up your resume because this company isn’t best known for choosing talented actors to topline these projects (with a few exceptions, of course).

There are no writers or directors attached as of right now, and the aim of this new film is unclear: will it be a reboot of the reboot, or a continuation of Zombie’s storyline? No one is sure right now, but we’ll keep you posted with details as they’re sure to pop up over the next few months. Do you think Platinum Dunes can make a decent Halloween film?

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We haven’t reported on every tiny shred of the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles controversy because frankly, it’s getting a bit ridiculous. But enough has happened since our last report to warrant an update, so here goes. Wrath of the Titans director Jonathan Liebesman is directing a new version of TMNT for Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company, and the film is set for a Christmas 2013 release. Bay recently angered fans by revealing that the turtles will be aliens in this adaptation, causing purists to go ballistic and storm the message boards; even Robbie Rist, who voiced Michelangelo in the 1990 film, pointed to this plot alteration as a sign of the continued “rape of our childhood memories.”

Now, Bleeding Cool has word (via /Film) that the film is operating under the working title Ninja Turtles, fueling speculation that not only will the heroes in a halfshell not be mutated, but they also might not be teenagers.

This very well could be a case of the movie working under an abbreviated title, but it’s rare that it would so closely mirror the actual plot of the film. Normally, those working titles are altered to throw off the scent of the public while the production is out shooting on location. The Dark Knight Rises, for example, went under the working title “Magnus Rex,” Inception was called “Oliver’s Arrow,” and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek chose the name “Corporate Headquarters” because it sounded as boring as possible. BC’s sources aren’t clear about the reason for the name change, and they claim the decision is driven by marketing, citing the recent failure of John Carter as evidence (a comparison that makes little sense, if you ask me). TMNT is much more of a recognizable brand name for today’s audience than John Carter or John Carter of Mars, so wouldn’t the studio want to capitalize on the series’ name recognition?

If the filmmakers are, in fact, going to remove both “teenage” and “mutant” from the title and story, it begs the question: why make a movie about these characters in the first place? It strikes me as odd that a title that completely sums up everything you need to know about these heroes is being truncated for seemingly no reason. I’m not ready to storm the Bay mansion and burn it down like half of the internet appears to be, but it just sounds like a weird choice on their part. We’ll see how this thing progresses, but in the meantime, what do you think of Turtlegate? Where do you come down on all this?

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Last month, Paramount announced that Battle: Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans director Jonathan Liebesman would be directing the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, set for a release in 2014. The film is being shepherded by Platinum Dunes, Michael Bay’s production company that was behind remakes of horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, and more. On Monday, Bay made a strange statement about the angle the new film will take:  the turtles will be from an alien race this time around. Naturally, fans are in an uproar, and Bay has issued a response telling them to “chill.”

Here was Bay’s original statement, via THR:

When you see this movie, kids are going to believe, one day, that these turtles actually do exist when [we] are done with this movie. These turtles are from an alien race and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely lovable.

As anyone who grew up on the television show or previous films knows, the turtles’ original backstory involves being mutated by ooze, causing them to grow to human size. Having them be from an alien race seems to directly oppose the “mutant” part of their moniker, and having them be “completely lovable” doesn’t do much to support the theory that this will be a darker version of the Turtles than we’ve seen before on screen.

Bay heard the uproar, and responded on his website:

Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world.

Apologies if I’m still a bit skeptical, Mr. Bay. I’ll wait until I see a teaser or some real footage for the project before I fully pass judgment, but as of now my anticipation for this movie is pretty deflated. But we’ve still got a long way to go before we see this version of the pizza-loving heroes, because it doesn’t hit theaters until Christmas Day, 2013.

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Before Michael Bay returns to the world of Transformers on the big screen, he’ll be venturing to Miami, Florida for a smaller film called Pain and Gain. Based on a real life story from Miami New Times writer Pete Collins, the film follows two bodybuilders who capture and torture a wealthy businessman, who survives and hires a private detective to exact his revenge. Now it looks like Transformers stalwart John Turturro could join the film as the kidnapped businessman.

Latino Review‘s source tells them Albert Brooks – who was fantastic in last year’s Drive – was originally sought for the part, but the deal fell through and now Turturro is in talks to take his place. Variety recently reported that funnyman Rob Corrdy has signed on as a gym owner, Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson are set to star as the two bodybuilders, and just a couple of weeks ago we wrote about how Ed Harris is circling the detective role, so this cast is shaping up to be really excellent. LR says the script is reminiscent of a Coen Brothers film, and since Turturro is a frequent Coen collaborator, it sounds like a good match. Turturro’s role in the Transformers series was always cringe-worthy for me, so I’m glad he’s looking to move on for the time being. (If Josh Duhamel is to be believed, none of the original Transformers cast are coming back for future films, but I’d bet if anyone returns, it’ll be Turturro.)

Are you excited about Pain and Gain?

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Movies.com points us to a recent interview in which Transformers star Josh Duhamel talks with E! Online about the future of the franchise. While he seems to speak pretty freely for the entire cast, I’d recommend taking this news with a grain of salt. Michael Bay is still a ways out from filming on this one – the explosive director has Pain and Gain lined up to shoot first – so there’s still time for things to shake out a bit differently. Read what Duhamel had to say after the break.

Here’s the quote in question:

I don’t think anybody’s doing it. I know Shia [LaBoeuf]‘s not doing it. I don’t think Tyrese or Rosie [Huntington-Whiteley] or anybody else is doing it. Whenever these movies make that much money they’re going to make as many as they can,” he said. “[But] I haven’t heard anything about it. They haven’t called me.

Since the announcement that Bay would return to direct, the internet community has been speculating about whether this new movie might concentrate more heavily on the robots instead of their human counterparts. Duhamel’s comments seem to support this theory, but like I said – there’s still a bunch of time before it even begins production. Transformers 4 is scheduled to hit theaters in the summer of 2014. What would you like to see in Michael Bay’s newest addition to the franchise?

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With the recent news that Michael Bay is returning to the Transformers franchise to direct the fourth installment in the series, it’s a good time to take a look back at Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The film is up for two Oscars later this month – Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Mixing – and the folks at Twitch have unearthed a couple solid behind-the-scenes videos detailing just how much work went into creating those stunning visual effects.

These are pretty amazing to watch, if for no other reason than to give you an increased appreciation for the unsung artists that toil away at computer stations to make what we finally see up on the big screen. Check out the videos after the jump, and let us know what you think in the comments section.

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Update: Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed the 2014 release to MTV, and said Michael Bay will return as director. He also said it will essentially be a reboot with a new cast and a whole new story, although some familiar faces may return.

Original post below

Although Transformers: Dark of the Moon was said to be the final film of the franchise, we all knew deep down that the billion dollar box office revenue and all-out popularity would be too valuable for Paramount to pass up. So even though we know the inevitable fourth installment in the series is coming, everything else has been unclear. Where will the story go? Who will be replacing Shia LaBeouf? And will Michael Bay return as director?

Well at least one question is clearer, that of the release date. Thanks to Coming Soon, we now know that Paramount is aiming to release Transformers 4 in…2014.

Even though no day or month was has been specified, it’s safe to say the film will most likely be released in the early summer of 2014, in order to continue the trend of the first three films.

What may come as a shock to some is that Paramount and Hasbro aren’t following their normal rapid-fire trend of releasing a hefty dose of Transformers in 2 year cycles, and are instead leaving an extra year of breathing room. That may be to allow extra time for Michael Bay to finish other projects, including the Dwayne Johnson/Ed Harris thriller Pain and Gain, but it could just be because Paramount already has it’s summer 2013 slate occupied (Star Trek 2 anyone?).

No matter the reason, the fact of the matter is Transformers 4 is a reality, so don’t pack up your merchandise just yet. Now that Paramount has essentially given themselves a deadline, our unlimited questions (Will Jason Statham star? Will it be part reboot? Will there be robots blowing stuff up?!) will soon be answered. So mark your calendar, folks, because Transformers 4 is coming to theatres in 2014.

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Ed Harris is about to reunite with the director of The Rock while starring opposite The Rock. The veteran actor is reportedly joining Michael Bay’s Pain and Gain, the director’s smaller budget departure from the Transformers franchise.

Vulture has the story, and a pretty good rundown of the plot:

[It's] about several boneheaded Miami bodybuilders whose plot to kidnap, rob and murder a wealthy businessman yields decidedly mixed results: The left-for-dead victim recuperates in secret, and then hires a private detective to track down his kidnappers and exact revenge.

Harris is in talks for the detective role. This could very well turn into a situation in which Paramount gives Bay the funding for this passion project in return for the director helming another Transformers film afterwards. Bay has said before that the third film would be his last when it came to the robotic action flicks, but I’d imagine you can only say no for so long when they dump millions of dollars on your lawn as incentive. (Metaphorically, of course. Then again, we ARE talking about Michael Bay, so maybe he’d actually have them do that.)

Johnson is set as one of the bodybuilders. Mark Wahlberg was once in talks to play the other bodybuilder, but there’s no word yet on whether that part has been filled. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Captain America: The First Avenger) wrote the script, and with a spring shoot date lined up, we’ll know more about casting soon.

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Update: Bay has addressed the speculation on his official website:

Studio’s are passing rumors but I’m not sure what I’m doing? I know I’m going to do Pain and Gain early spring but that’s it for right now. I’m leaving all my options on the table. I’ve got several Studio meetings in the next two weeks.

While Michael Bay said earlier this year that Transformers: Dark of the Moon would be his last Transformers movie, it’s looking more likely that it won’t be. According to Vulture Bay is in final negotiations to direct a fourth film, but it won’t be the next movie he tackles.

Apparently Bay’s deal with Paramount will be on the condition that he gets to make his passion project Pain and Gain first. It’s a $20m budget thriller which focuses on extortion and abductions in the Florida criminal underworld, and over recent days there’s been speculation that Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg are circling the lead roles (although Wahlberg may have already passed). Bay has been trying to make the movie since 1999 (it’s based on a three-part New Times story) so it’ll give him an opportunity to take a break from robots.

Vulture says “while Paramount “does not have a closed deal” with Bay, the studio “is not far from closing” on one either, and that an announcement could come as early as next week”. Once/If a deal is struck Bay will shooting Pain and Gain early next year, and then enter production on Transformers 4 in late-2012. Pain and Gain, which has an original draft written by Captain America screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, isn’t too technically complex so Bay could prep T4 while finishing up P & G.

Shia LaBeouf has already said he doesn’t think he has “anything more to contribute” to the franchise so, assuming he doesn’t change his mind; we won’t be seeing Sam Witwicky in the next film. Personally I think it’s time a different director took over and gave us something new, but if Bay returns Paramount will happy knowing they have another billion dollar movie on the horizon.

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A few days ago Hasbo announced their intentions to move forward with Transformers 4, and were in “active discussions” with Paramount, Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg.

Following this Variety ran a report which said Shia LaBeouf won’t be returning, however Jason Statham’s name “has been bandied about by sources close to the production” as the new lead and the plan by Paramount was to shoot Transformers 4 and 5 back-to-back. Now, thanks to the power of the internet, both Jason Statham and Michael Bay have addressed the speculation.

Firstly Statham (who is romantically involved with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, so was probably a frequent visitor to the Dark of the Moon set) told MTV:

“You know, I don’t know how those things start. You read them. Someone told me about it. [But] the internet is a dangerous place,” he laughed. “There’s a lot of stuff out there.”

Not to say that Statham would be completely opposed to a “Transformers” movie: “I’ve got a lot of stuff in front of me, but Michael Bay is a talented man. This last one just made a billion dollars around the world, so people like his films. He’s a talented man.”

Actors playing coy is nothing new, but director Michael Bay is known for telling things how it is (like he did when Paramount first set a 2011 release date for Dark of the Moon), and he took to his website to deny the speculation.

I am currently not talking to Paramount on T4 and T5 despite reports. I’m looking at a lot of possibilities coming my way right now weighing options. Most likely going to be doing the low budget Pain and Gain, a true story crime thriller. It’s a very quick shoot and quite funny. Also just finishing the 3 disc set of the Transformer trilogy.

Michael

This doesn’t mean Bay won’t enter talks at some point, as i’m sure Hasbro and Paramount will want Bay involved with the Transformers franchise going forward, whether as director or producer.

As for Pain and Gain, it’s a $20m budget thriller which focuses on extortion and abductions in the Florida criminal underworld. I’m sure this will be a breath of fresh air for Bay having worked more than 5 years solidly on the Transformers movies. It’ll also give him the chance to focus more on an actual story, instead of just destroying cities.

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