Michael Bay & Co. rebooted the bigscreen TRANSFORMERS franchise with last Summer’s AGE OF EXTINCTION, the fourth entry in the live action film saga and the first chapter of a new story arc for those wacky Cybertronian brawlers.
Even though that picture left open the possibility that new franchise lead Mark Wahlberg might return for more roboruckus, this notion somehow didn’t feel like a certainty in AOE’s closing moments. Leaving many to wonder if The Powers That Be would re-re-boot the franchise in their inevitable fifth entry (AGE OF EXTINCTION made over $1 billion), or if they’d pursue the same new story arc with fresh players, or…???
Well, it’s looking like the fifth TRANSFORMERS movie will more than likely involve Wahlberg after all, and that production may not be too far off.
“I committed to doing a couple more….”
[EDIT]
“I can’t speak for Mister Bay, but something tells me we’ll be on the set soon…”
…says Wahlberg in THIS interview with MTV. Video of the exchange is embedded below.
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It’s still not clear if Bay will be returning t helm the new picture - or if he’ll hand it off to someone else and backseat drive. Hints have suggested Bay will, indeed, direct. My own personal (and fully unsubstantiated theory) is that Bay's recently announced 13 HOURS may be a leverage tool to entice him to return (allowing him to realize a lower-cost, non-T-formers project he wanted to make) in the same way bankrolling Bay’s wonderful PAIN & GAIN enticed him back for AGE OF EXTINCTION.
We’ll see soon enough. The fifth TRANSFORMERS picture is supposedly targeting a 2016 rerelease, so production should be ramping up very soon…
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Glen Oliver
“Merrick”
