Hasbro Makes Protoform Toys Official

Hasbro has updated its official website that makes the protoform versions that was leaked a few months ago of Optimus Prime and Starscream official. The toys will has a MSRP of $9.99 and will be available around May 1st. Interestingly enough that is a month before the claimed June 2nd date of the movie toys. Has the various online leaks nixed those plans?




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Die Hard 4 Moves Release Date

As I predicted, Live Free or Die Hard has shifted its release date to from July 4, 2007 to June 29, 2007. The move isn't really as the last decade or so of tent-pole movie releases (such as all the 3 sequels coming out) usually get a release weekend to themselves, almost a unspoken gentleman's agreement between all the studios. Sometimes though a studio will challenge this for various reasons as was done with Die Hard initially announcing coming out on same day as Transformers. Probably some behind the scenes maneuvering between the studio is what led to Die Hard's move. I wonder what concession, if any, Dreamworks made for the move. Or maybe the new teaser trailer simple gave them a little competitive scare, which when you are talking budgets in the $150 million range (and opening weekend can often cover 3/4 of the movie's cost) , you don't play chicken with the schedule. Thanks Lucas for the info.

Empire Magazine Feb 2007 Article

The current issue of Empire Magazine, February 2007 on news stands now, has a preview of Transformers. The cover image had been released previously. The article is by Chris Hewitt.

The highlights:
- The article is based on the interviews and press that was allowed on set back in August for the filming in Los Angeles for the last act of the film.
- The McGuffin is called the Energon Cube in the article but online sources have said that has since changed to the Allspark.
- All of the major studios passed on Transformers the first time until DeSanto and Don Murphy was able to get Dreamworks to bit.
- Little bit about how fandom didn't like the choice of Michael Bay as director but the producers feeling he was one of the few directors in Hollywood with the experience to handle a movie on the scale of Transformers.
- Bumblebee will have the most screen time in the movie.
- The Empire cover image was put together by ILM and movie producers just for the article.
- Megatron's alt mode is based upon a prototype fighter plane The Razor.
- The leaked images are "just the tip of the iceberg" according to producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.
- The original G1 designs where not used because in tests they "looked silly".
- Scenes in movie include the opening fight with Scorponok, attack on Air Force One and a freeway chase/robot fight.
- Desanto: "you have to be invested in the characters...It's gotta be character-driven, and Michael Bay realizes that." As long as he doesn't short shift the action and focuses on the human character to much, I agree with that.
- However the human relationships will be given of focus as "have to use your time with the Transformers every carefully because it costs millions of dollars every time you're playing around with these giant things talking and emoting!" says di Bonaventura.

The article doesn't really cover anything that hasn't already been released online but it still will probably kick up some discussion. I am in agreement that the original G1 designs couldn't be used but I am still not sold on the updated versions either. I think a large part of that is the bug faces the Transformers are sporting as I don't really understand the motivations behind that. At the very least seeing how the emote will be interesting to see and probably not going to be easy for ILM to pull off. Thanks to Thontor for the pics.

Movie Related Transformer Binocular Toy?

Taobao.com, a Chinese auction site, has an auction up for transformable binoculars that may be related to the Transformers movie in the same way the cell phone and camera are. Or it could just be a good knock-off. Via Babel Fish, the auction title is translated to "Distorts the Jin'gang 2007 really National People's Congress movie telescope mechanical man." Take from that what you will. I tried to get a larger pic of the binocular mode but for whatever reason the image wouldn't download so had to settle on a screenshot. Thanks once again to Joey C for the link.
Update: Additional pictures added from the TFW2005 boards.

Transformer Books at Amazon Japan

Amazon Japan has posted the information for three five movie tie-books for the Japanese market. It seems to be aimed mostly at those learning to read (English maybe based on the cover images). The main thing to take from this is this more then likely demonstrates the official version of Bumblebee, Barricade, and a few others. Thanks to Joey C for the links.




UPDATE:
Thanks to site reader Lucas, he has found two additional books up on the Japan site, a Transformers Sticker book and Transformers Movie Novel.

"Bay's Touch"

Combine footage from lots of Michael Bay's movies, throw in a re-writing of Stan Bush's "The Touch" used in the "Transformers: The Movie" and you get this music video that is either a tribute or a spoof.


Also apparently there are some scans of the Empire Magazine article on Transformers live action movie. If anyone has a copy or a link, please email them to me.
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Japanese Movie Trailer - Intro from Bay, Spielberg

The Japanese version of the Transformers movie teaser trailer has hit YouTube. It opens with a brief introduction from Director Michael Bay and Producer Steven Spielberg. Most of the trailer itself plays like the American version with slight differences in footage including a few additional quick shots of Bumblebee and Scorponok.

Japanese Version:


American Version: