Mark Wahlberg Confirms He Will Return for Transformers 5
BY SPENCER PERRY ON DECEMBER 14, 2015

Mark Wahlberg will return for Transformers 5

Almost one year ago, actor Mark Wahlberg was pretty sure that he would return for a Transformers 5, and though some progress has been made on the next entry in the franchise, Wahlberg hasn’t spoken about returning again, until now. In an interview with CinePop, Wahlberg confirmed once again that he’ll be back for the film.

In the fourth film, “Age of Extinction,” Wahlberg played Cade Yeager, a Texas inventor and mechanic who was also very protective of his daughter, Nicola Peltz’s Tessa Yeager. Transformers: Age of Extinction grossed over $1.1 billion at the global box office, bringing all four films combined to a total gross over $3.7 billion.

Transformers 5 is set to be written by Iron Man scribes Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down). Director Michael Bay hasn’t not been officially confirmed to return, though Bay remains in contention to return to the helm of the franchise.

In addition, Ant-Man scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari will script an animated “origin story” film that will be set on the Transformers’ homeworld of Cybertron. Both films came from the newly formed “Transformers writers room,” which includes the likes of “The Walking Dead” and “Invincible” creator Robert Kirkman, “Fringe” and “Lost” scribe Jeff Pinkner, X-Men: The Last Stand and The Incredible Hulk‘s Zak Penn, “Black List” scribes Geneva Robertson-Dworetrepeat, and “Marvel’s Daredevil” season one showrunner Steven DeKnight.

Michael Bay to Return for ‘Transformers 5’
JANUARY 4, 2016 | 03:36PM PT
Justin Kroll
Film Reporter
@krolljvar

Michael Bay has confirmed that he will return to direct the fifth installment in the “Transformers” franchise for Paramount.

Bay broke the news to Rolling Stone, after months of speculation, while promoting his new war movie “13 Hours.”

Mark Wahlberg, who appeared in the last installment, is expected to return and Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing.

Bay directed “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” the fourth in the series and the first one without Shia Labeouf, in addition to its three predecessors. “Age of Extinction” also starred Jack Reynor and Nicola Peltz and, despite losing Labeouf, grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

Details behind the next movie are under wraps, but sources say Wahlberg is the only cast member from “Age of Extinction” expected to reprise his role.

This past spring, Paramount announced it would be assembling a writers’ room to build its new “Transformers” universe that would include spinoff pics along with new installments in the franchise. The room was overseen by Akiva Goldsman with the studio recently tapping Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (“Iron Man”) along with Ken Nolan (“Black Hawk Down”) to write the script.

Bay is repped by WME. His “13 Hours” bows on Jan. 15.

Paramount has set release dates for three more “Transformers” movies for 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The studio announced Friday that “Transformers 5” would open on June 23, 2017 — the same date already selected by Warner Bros. for “Wonder Woman.”

“Transformers 6” has been set for June 8, 2018, which sets it to go against the “Godzilla 2” sequel from Warner Bros. and Legendary.

“Transformers 7” has been scheduled for June 28, 2019. It’s the first title to land on the date.

Michael Bay said in January that he would return to direct the fifth installment in the “Transformers” franchise for Paramount. Mark Wahlberg, who appeared in the last installment, is expected to return and Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing.

Bay has directed the four movies in the franchise, which have grossed a combined $3.7 billion worldwide and are based on Hasbro’s toy line. Shia LaBeouf starred in the first three films.

The first “Transformers” opened on July 3, 2007, and the next three films launched in late June. 2014’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction” grossed $245 million domestically and $858 million internationally.

Paramount announced last March that Bay and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura were bringing on Akiva Goldsman to help expand the “Transformers” cinematic universe. The studio then hired serveral prominent writers such as “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman and,“Iron Man 3” writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway to join the writing team for the expanded universe.

Up-and-coming actress Isabela Moner is being eyed for a lead role opposite Mark Wahlberg in Paramount’s “Transformers 5,” an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.

Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Michael Bay is returning to direct the action-packed sequel, which boasts the involvement of executive producer Steven Spielberg as well as a litany of writers including Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman.

Moner is poised to play the young female lead of Izabella, a street-smart tomboy who grew up an orphan and was raised in foster care. She counts a small Transformer as her only friend… until she meets Wahlberg’s heroic inventor Cade Yeager.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto will produce “Transformers 5” with Hasbro, and Paramount will release the film on June 23, 2017. Production is slated to start this summer in Detroit.

There may be a hint of corporate synergy behind Moner’s expected casting, as the rising young actress is a Nickelodeon star whose credits include “100 Things to Do Before High School” and the animated series “Dora and Friends: Into the City!” She recently wrapped CBS Films’ comedy “Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life,” based on the series of books by James Patterson. The Cleveland native is also slated to star in a movie based on the TV show “Legends of the Hidden Temple” that was popular in the mid-’90s.