NEW LIVE ACTION TRANSFORMERS!!! Sweet
06-11-03, 09:24 AM
#1
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NEW LIVE ACTION TRANSFORMERS!!! Sweet
'Transformers' Rolling Out in Live-Action Film
Wed Jun 11, 1:54 AM ET Add Movies - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Chris Gardner
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "The Transformers" -- the ever-morphing Hasbro toy line that spawned comic books, TV series and an animated feature -- are ready to change shape again, this time into live-action stars of the big screen.
Angry Films chief Don Murphy (whose next film is "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen") and writer-producer Tom DeSanto ("X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United") have teamed to produce a feature-length, live-action movie based on the popular brand.
The duo are expected to shop the project to studios shortly, and DeSanto said they have already received interest from a handful of directors.
DeSanto is currently working on a story treatment for the project before he and Murphy hire a screenwriter to adapt it for the big screen.
"Transformers enjoys an amazing fan base worldwide, and we believe that we can create an incredibly fast-paced, exciting movie that will be appealing to anyone who loves action films," Murphy said in a statement.
Added DeSanto: "Transformers is one of the properties I have been infatuated with for a long time. Like 'X-Men,' Transformers offers an amazing mythology with all the elements to create a successful ongoing franchise, iconic characters, global themes and a world that has never been seen before onscreen."
Introduced in the mid-1980s, the Transformers brand centers on a group of robots that are able to change into a variety of objects, such as cars, trucks, planes, ships and other technological creations.
The feature film will tell the story of an intergalactic war between two races of robots: the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. When their fight comes to Earth, the future of humanity inevitably hangs in the balance.
"We loved the creative take that Tom and Don presented to us," said Jane Ritson-Parsons, president of the Hasbro Properties Group. "And for Hasbro, the center of our corporate strategy is extending our core brands in a variety of entertainment forms ... This is a franchise where the next story arc and the next destination is on the big screen."
The Transformers was introduced in the United States by Hasbro in 1984 as a boy-friendly toy line. But even though the brand has been around awhile, it enjoys continued success, with sales up 64% in 2002 over 2001, according to Hasbro.
Currently, they can be seen seven times a week via the series "Transformers Armada" on the Cartoon Network. According to Hasbro, additional television programs and comic books are on the schedule for 2004.
The only time Transformers came to the big screen was in 1986 with the animated feature "The Transformers: The Movie."
Wed Jun 11, 1:54 AM ET Add Movies - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Chris Gardner
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "The Transformers" -- the ever-morphing Hasbro toy line that spawned comic books, TV series and an animated feature -- are ready to change shape again, this time into live-action stars of the big screen.
Angry Films chief Don Murphy (whose next film is "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen") and writer-producer Tom DeSanto ("X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United") have teamed to produce a feature-length, live-action movie based on the popular brand.
The duo are expected to shop the project to studios shortly, and DeSanto said they have already received interest from a handful of directors.
DeSanto is currently working on a story treatment for the project before he and Murphy hire a screenwriter to adapt it for the big screen.
"Transformers enjoys an amazing fan base worldwide, and we believe that we can create an incredibly fast-paced, exciting movie that will be appealing to anyone who loves action films," Murphy said in a statement.
Added DeSanto: "Transformers is one of the properties I have been infatuated with for a long time. Like 'X-Men,' Transformers offers an amazing mythology with all the elements to create a successful ongoing franchise, iconic characters, global themes and a world that has never been seen before onscreen."
Introduced in the mid-1980s, the Transformers brand centers on a group of robots that are able to change into a variety of objects, such as cars, trucks, planes, ships and other technological creations.
The feature film will tell the story of an intergalactic war between two races of robots: the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. When their fight comes to Earth, the future of humanity inevitably hangs in the balance.
"We loved the creative take that Tom and Don presented to us," said Jane Ritson-Parsons, president of the Hasbro Properties Group. "And for Hasbro, the center of our corporate strategy is extending our core brands in a variety of entertainment forms ... This is a franchise where the next story arc and the next destination is on the big screen."
The Transformers was introduced in the United States by Hasbro in 1984 as a boy-friendly toy line. But even though the brand has been around awhile, it enjoys continued success, with sales up 64% in 2002 over 2001, according to Hasbro.
Currently, they can be seen seven times a week via the series "Transformers Armada" on the Cartoon Network. According to Hasbro, additional television programs and comic books are on the schedule for 2004.
The only time Transformers came to the big screen was in 1986 with the animated feature "The Transformers: The Movie."
06-11-03, 12:01 PM
#7
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Yes, let's hope this doesn't go in the pantheon of great live-action stinkers like Masters of the Universe. My only thing with this is it could go the way of the CGI Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that has since been canned.
06-11-03, 12:37 PM
#8
DVD Talk Limited Edition
A Transformers film with a mix of Live Action / CGI will be tooo $$$$$$$$$$ and too high risk. (ie. Final Fantasy)
I'm sure something will have to be sacrificed (characters, sfx, story).
Just like the "New" Superman flick, this film will have a ton of people rumored to be attached to it and probably never be made. (ie. Nick Cage as the voice of Optimus Prime, Josh Harnett as Spike, Chris Rock as Jazz)
Just pray to GOD they don't try to use the RID or Armada crap as source material.
I'm sure something will have to be sacrificed (characters, sfx, story).
Just like the "New" Superman flick, this film will have a ton of people rumored to be attached to it and probably never be made. (ie. Nick Cage as the voice of Optimus Prime, Josh Harnett as Spike, Chris Rock as Jazz)
Just pray to GOD they don't try to use the RID or Armada crap as source material.
06-11-03, 12:53 PM
#9
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If they do this 'straight,' that is with respect, it could be an awesome film.
If the studio decides to 'committee' it to death and nickel-and-dime it it will be very stank.
Giant robots are cool.
If the studio decides to 'committee' it to death and nickel-and-dime it it will be very stank.
Giant robots are cool.
06-11-03, 04:15 PM
#16
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Good news though I wonder why the decision to go live action instead of doing a feature length cartoon. Who knows, and as long as they stick to the essence of the original cartoon, who cares. Now if only Rhino would announce the Season 3 box set, all will be right in the Transformers universe.
06-11-03, 07:28 PM
#21
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I'll only watch this if they give Judd Nelson something to do again... 
So if Megatron is a regular gun, like in the cartoon, will he only be 14" tall or have the power to reduce in size?
That's one mystery never solved from the cartoon.
So if Megatron is a regular gun, like in the cartoon, will he only be 14" tall or have the power to reduce in size?
That's one mystery never solved from the cartoon.
06-11-03, 10:52 PM
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Originally posted by Goldberg74
I'll only watch this if they give Judd Nelson something to do again...
I'll only watch this if they give Judd Nelson something to do again...
So if Megatron is a regular gun, like in the cartoon, will he only be 14" tall or have the power to reduce in size?
That's one mystery never solved from the cartoon.
That's one mystery never solved from the cartoon.
06-12-03, 10:39 AM
#25
DVD Talk Hero
As excited as I am by this, if it's not the original series bots then no thanks.
The "mini-con" crap they are spewing right now makes my ass twitch.
The "mini-con" crap they are spewing right now makes my ass twitch.