Michael Bay Explains Why He Keeps Coming Back To The 'Transformers' Franchise

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by Cain Rodriguez
September 24, 2012 9:44 AM
7 Comments

Despite telling everyone that he was, in no uncertain terms, done with the “Transformers” franchise after 2011’s “Transformers: Dark Of The Moon,” Victoria’s Secret model connoisseur Michael Bay -- to the surprise of no one -- signed up for a fourth film. In an interview with the Huffington Post, the fireball aficionado explains why he returned to the franchise.

According to Bay, his change of heart came at the opening of the 3D “Transformers” ride at Universal Studios Hollywood this past May: “Bottom line is, when you go to Universal Studios and you have the two-and-a-half-hour line, it’s hard to give it up. You birth a baby and you want to carry it on.”

Apparently the director had a hard time letting the films go to another director who might “come in here and screw it up, you know?” He added that “when you have a franchise, it’s very hard to give it up,” and pointed to Peter Jackson’s upcoming three-part return to Middle Earth as further proof of the director/series relationship.

Bay does have a point -- many filmmakers are fiercely protective of their films. Just look at how Christopher Nolan flatly refused to entertain any notions of his interpretation of the caped crusader interacting with Warner Bros. DC universe at large. Or the way Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon are staying away from the 'Bourne' franchise, for now, until they find a story worth telling. That’s why it’s unusual when a director willingly leaves a franchise they started or re-booted, like Gary Ross did from “The Hunger Games” earlier this year or the recent reports of Rupert Wyatt dropping out of the “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” sequel.

Before he returns to robots and explosions, however, Bay’s low-key (at least compared to last few films) Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson-starring “Pain And Gain” will be released next spring on April 26, 2013.

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7 Comments

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Glass | September 24, 2012 5:13 PMReply

Man I can't wait for P&G. These Transformers movies have gotten totally unwatchable, and I want to see some Bad Boys-type filmmaking from him again. I'm not saying he's great or anything, but when he's on his game, the movies are fun to watch.
m . brow | September 24, 2012 11:39 AMReply

âcome in here and screw it up, you know?

Oh the irony...
cunterman | September 24, 2012 11:05 AMReply

Scoff all you want, but it's true there are very few directors out there capable of delivering the Bay aesthetic and spectacular action scenes. He's hated by many but it's far to say he's an "auteur" of the blockbuster world, in that he has an instantly recognizable style and one that clearly connects with audiences given his phenomenal box office track record. Studios aren't completely dumb; they know that replacing him with any old hack-for-hire could be the end of the franchise, so it's not surprising they deliver dump trucks full of money to his house and beg him to do another one. Personally I'd love to see Bay mix it up with more offbeat choices like Pain & Gain, but the man clearly enjoys money and the Hollywood lifestyle, so I expect him to stick around the Transformers franchise for the foreseeable future.
MJ | September 24, 2012 3:22 PM

Sweeping cameras around explosions does not an auteur make, & the man's got an army of action/stunt choreographers & visual effects artists that actually design & execute the work that bears his name.
Christian | September 24, 2012 10:42 AMReply

Oh God!
KT | September 24, 2012 10:10 AMReply

"Michael Bay Explains Why He Keeps Coming Back To The 'Transformers' Franchise".... MONEY.
Mike | September 24, 2012 10:10 AMReply

What happened to Bad Boys 3?