Exclusive: ‘Transformers’ Producer Talks New Installment

After the critical bashing that the two TRANSFORMERS sequels took, the announcement of a new addition was met with more than a few groans. TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, sees a change in cast with Shia LaBeouf replaced by Mark Wahlberg. As it’s release date rolls ever closer information has been rather guarded.

Earlier today THN had the chance to sit down with producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura to chat about new film JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT, whilst there we snuck in a cheeky question about the fourth film. We asked what, if anything, could he share about the film; would it be a complete reboot or would it acknowledge the events of the others? Here’s what he had to say:

It’s definitely not a reboot. It’s an interesting question about what you should call it. On a certain level it’s a continuation of the previous stories, in the fact that it acknowledges what has transpired before it. It acknowledges in the last movie, the destruction of Chicago, it’s actually something that carries through the sort of emotional repercussions of that, not unlike 9/11 has emotional repercussions in the real world. In a fantasy world there are repercussions to what occurred.

That plays into the movie, moving forwards with a totally different human cast, who doesn’t know anything about the other humans, it’s not a reboot, but a continuation, yet you’re continuing with a new cast and group of characters. It was a big decision to do that.

We miss our friends that we did the first three with, and they were great, and they probably could’ve done more. But the advantage of doing it this way is that it feels almost like a first movie. It’s a very different dynamic than I’ve seen in a movie, I’m very curious. I guess Star Wars did that a little bit, but not so close together, the way we’re doing it.’

So AGE OF EXTINCTION is both restart and continuation, a new story in the same universe, and this re-freshinging might be just what the franchise needs to boost its popularity again.

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, directed by Michael Bay, stars Mark Walhberg and is released 27th June in the US, and on the 10th July in the UK.

Source: THN