Between 2007 and 2011 came out respectively transformers, Transformers 2: Revenge and Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. Michael Bay blockbusters that have marked many memories, for better or for worse. After 3 feature films, Steven Spielberg, producer on the franchise, gave him excellent advice. Only history has proven it: Michael Bay decided to ignore it.
a lucrative franchise
Of transformers in 2007 at Transformers: The Last Knight in 2017, the Michael Bay-directed film franchise grossed over $4.3 billion at the box office. A hen with golden eggs for Hasbro, Paramount or Dreamworks who do not intend to stop there. transformers, it is above all one of the most lucrative franchises in the world. In addition to the cinema, the extra-terrestrial robots originating from Cybertron are found under a host of different derivative products. And although Michael Bay stepped away from directing the saga, leaving his place to Travis Knight to Bumblebee (2018) and Steven Caple Jr. for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023), he remains the iconic director of the franchise.
On this occasion, the Unilad site wanted to ask him questions about his work on transformersthe director multiplies the media appearances on behalf of Ambulancehis next film. Bay therefore returned to this prolific experience, which will have been at the origin of the rise of a now cult franchise:
“The first was scary. It was a technology that we didn’t know if it was going to work, and then it was very successful. It was the first time that the digital effects were so thoughtful, so it was a first.
It was a fun experience. He brought in more than [709 millions de dollars]that’s a lot of movie tickets and a lot of people who saw it.”
With its memorable soundtrack and its successful special effects, transformers has paved the way for a new slew of blockbusters. Only, fans of the saga had to be faced with a general decline in the quality of the opuses. Wacky scenario, grotesque situations, excessive special effects, the following have never been able to find the quality of the first, even if the box office seems to claim the opposite.
pretty wise advice
In front of this situation, Michael Bay wanted to stop directing after the first trilogy. Especially since Steven Spielberg, co-founder of Dreamworks and producer on the franchise, also advised him to stop.
“I overdid it. Steven Spielberg told me: ‘Stop at three’. And I said I was going to stop. The studio begged me to do a fourth, and it made a billion too. And then I said I was going to stop there. And they begged me again. I should have stopped. They were fun to do.”
Only, Michael Bay’s statement echoes a 2011 interview in which Steven Spielberg said he wanted Bay to make more movies. transformers. To the question about another film transformers directed by Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg replied:
“I hope so, because I think he did the best of three with the latter. I certainly can’t imagine anyone other than Michael being equipped to do another Transformers. He invented a genre and he has the secret formula.”
Faced with this change of position, it is possible that Steven Spielberg changed his mind between the two dates. But it’s also possible that the statement dated 2011 is linked to a producer Spielberg giving a positive interview aimed at reassuring investors, when the second is real close advice. Anyway, Michael Bay eventually gave in and directed two films. transformers in addition. While Hasbro doesn’t consider these lucrative films to be too much, early fans may have a different opinion.
