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Transformers 2 Sets Meaningless Release Date
The lack of any legitimate Transformers 2 announcements out of Paramount has been odd to down right eerie. Generally speaking, when a franchise film that has every intention of being a franchise hits it out of the park as significantly as Transformers did (Nearly $700 million worldwide and still counting), a studio will be VERY quick to capitalize on the early buzz and put out some news of plans for the follow-up film. Thus far… all has been silent on the Transformers front. Until today.
The good folks over at ComingSoon have let us know that Paramount has “officially” set a release date for Transformers 2. The date is June 29 (correction - 26th), 2009. So considering how much of a fan I was of the first film (just saw it on IMAX this weekend and ran into Michael Bay while there), why am I not breaking out the streamer and confetti at this news? Well… that’s simple… because it’s meaningless news.
The reason I call it meaningless news is that it doesn’t mean anything. They’ll change that release date for sure… unless they can FINISH FILMING by June 2008… because that’s when the strike will start. So it’s all well and good for them to come out and announce a release date for the movie… but unless they plan to get their collective asses in gear and start making the movie SOON… that date is totally meaningless.
The REAL announcement we need to hear from Paramount here is NOT a release date… but rather a date for when they plan to start shooting. Last I heard, Michael Bay wasn’t even sure what was going on… that means serious pre-production hasn’t even started yet… which means they’re still FAR from being ready to get everyone together and start filming (a LOT of work has to be done before the cameras start rolling).
IF they can start shooting this thing by January, then getting everything done that needs to be done before the strike (provided they don’t settled the issues before that happens), then yes… a Jun 29th 2009 release date is more than possible. But right now, we still have no idea (and it looks like even Bay has no idea) when they’re going to get the ball rolling.
So yeah, a release date announcement is all well and good… what we need is a shooting date announcement for it to be worth getting excited about.
Hey John, I’m pretty sure the arbitrary release date is June 26th (which is a Friday).
Perhaps they’re confident they’ll reach an agreement by then. It’s not like any of the two sides REALLY want to be on strike and loose money.
I’m being a bit optimistic you see.
i just hope that if they do try and rush it through they don’t make a bodged sequel. As transformers has already done better than a lot of people thought it would, it would be ashame if they wrecked it all with a naf sequel!!!
Plenty of films have been subpar to piss poor by rushing to make a strict release date.
I agree, start shooting the thing first, then worry about when it’ll get released.
Last I heard they didn’t even have a writer lined up yet, let alone a screenplay.
If they throw in some new ‘bots (meaning more insanely detailed renders) I’d guess 2010 at the EARLIEST.
Do they have to make a sequel?…the movie was such bleah…but I was very happy to have paid 1/2 price to go see it…but stil even with extremely low expectations and a 1/2 price ticket, I still found it uninteresting. But each to there own ( Like John said it still made a whomping $700 million)…I guess I’ll go and watch Pearl Harbor again to see what really happend on Dec 7 1941…now that’s great filmmaking!
Ugh, they just don’t listen do they? Like you say John, they are so far away from being ready right now that it’s ridiculous. I will say that if anyone can get this thing shot by June, it’s Bay. But i doubt very much that he’s thrilled about working under such rushed conditions.