Transformers Bring Home A Hero Optimus DVD

ENI has posted the first image of the re-issue of the DVD of Transformers. Under the promotion title of "Transformers Bring Home a Hero Promo", the one disc sets will come with either an Optimus Prime or Megatron face mask. The two discs will also be re-released with a transforming Megatron package. Finally, on the same date will be the Blu-Ray edition of the movie. The sets will be released on September 2, 2008.

TF2 Teaser Poster?

Seibertron.com found the poster to the left that could be a teaser poster for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Where the picture came from, where the poster was found, and really anything that could help in validating it is not available. Also the tiny size is all that is available so trying to figure out details is difficult. Basically there is a whole lot of nothing for something that is supposed to be the real deal. I figure its fake because if its not that is not going to do a whole lot to get people excited for the sequel. Thanks to Russell for the heads-up.

Fox: No Brunettes Allowed

According to Star Magazine, apparently the reason that nothing but blondes has been cast in the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is because of an edict from Megan Fox:

Megan is definitely the star of the sequel, and she wants to keep it that way. It’s fine with her if there are hot blondes in the film, but she’s made it clear that she doesn’t want any brunettes.

I don't know if its true but considering the things you hear Hollywood starlets in general demand and rumors of Megan's ego I have to say it sounds plausible.

The picture (one of the best ones I have seen of her) and info from TOB. Thanks to Russell for the link.

Transformers 2 Is Voight-less

In an interview with Collider.com, Jon Voight said he will NOT be in Transformers 2, contradicting a statement that he would be from Tyrese. I guess at that point Tyrese thought he was still going to be in it but that changed as since then Voight accepted the role of the villain for season 7 of 24 which will occupy an unknown amount of his time. This begs the question of who his "replacement" will be for the purpose of access to military assets.

The interview was conducted after the 2008 Saturn Awards where Transformers won Best Special Effects. The video interview is here. Thanks to Russell for the link and post title.

The highlights:
- "I am not in Transformers 2."
- Started 24 work that day, joined the show because fan of the show and Kiefer Sutherland.
- Knocked out by the finished work on Transformers and not surprised by its success.
- Impressed by the CGI, "fantastic, just fantastic."
- Praised Michael Bay for his work, "attention to detail...impressive imagination, a great sense of humor. He's got enormous personality on the set. It gets great results, gets everyone going..."

Trailbreaker Fan Made Concept Art

From Jolin and Jester, the team that brought you the Jetfire concept art, comes the below Transfan made concept art of Trailbreaker. His vehicle mode is a Chevy Tahoe Offroad Edition. Whether or not Trailbreaker is going to be in TF2 is unknown but this piece of work makes a good argument for his inclusion.

Transformers 2 Filming at Smithsonian Video

Russell has once again found another video, this one from when Transformers 2 was filming at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The video takes about 7 seconds before images show and then you can see Shia Labeouf and I think Megan Fox as they are discussing a scene near the SR-71 Blackbird (Jetfire).

When Will the Hiatus End?

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has ended its first half of shooting. A planned hiatus was built into the schedule but when it ends is not known. My best guess is early October. Here is my reasoning.

Part of the reason for the hiatus was because of the probably SAG strike that is coming around July 8th. Even if a miracle happens (say firing SAG President Alan Rosenberg) so an agreement can be reached, the month of July is wash. Whether the strike lasts a day or an agreement is reached before the 8th, all the studios pretty much operated on the assumption that no work would occur for the month of July.

This brings us to August. Same reason, the strike might be long so no point in scheduling things then either. There are other reasons too though for skipping August. The main one is most of the filming is expected to occur on the West Coast in Arizona, at Holloman Air Force Base, Edwards Air Force Base and so forth. Since some of those locations are desert and a lot of the action is going to be outdoors just like in the first movie, it’s safe to assume its going to be very hot. Filming actors sweating through their costumes and looking like they are going to pass out in the heat is probably not the heroic image Bay would be looking for. Another reason is they would have to stop production again anyway for Shia LaBeouf.

Now to September. On September 26th, Shia's next movie, Eagle Eye (trailer below) is scheduled to come out. It also stars Michelle Monaghan, who I have a bit of a crush on. Anyway, assuming the strike is over, Shia will be spending pretty much the entire month promoting the movie so he will not be available for Transformers. Also, Josh Duhamel is currently filming "When In Rome" (with Kristen Bell and Alexis Dziena, the lucky ...) so unless his role is really small, he may still have to complete his commitment to the film. It doesn't make sense financially to start production, stop it, start it, and then stop it again. It is better to stop, wait until all current commitments are complete and then start up again.

That leaves October. Also, regards to shooting at Holloman Air Force Base, "Fall" is the repeated time frame and October fits in nicely for that. Hopefully I am wrong but we shall see. I just hope between now and then some character design sheets and the like are leaked for us to enjoy.

Eagle Eye Trailer

Why Princeton Isn't Princeton In TF2

In an article from the NJ Times, it was revealed that as part of the plot for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Sam Witwicky is "enrolled at a fictional East Coast school with an Ivy League feel." The natural next question is why a fictional school when Transformers 2 just finished filming at two distinguished institutions of Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania. It’s a question that UPENN students have also asked and started a public Facebook page on the subject.

Princeton? Really? You HAD to shoot at the University of Pennsylvania and choose to have us 'play' Princeton? Shia couldn't have gone to UPENN? Join this group and ask Michael Bay to CGI the University of Pennsylvania (not Princeton) back into Transformers 2.

The group already has 200 members and amazingly got a response from Bay via "Nelson" who is a webmaster for Bay and been a reliable source of information.

Michael has indicated to me that neither school gave him permission to use their names. There was a very funny “mom” scene were both felt it did not represent the school.

So there you go, now you know why its a fictional school. It seems the school officials have some explaining to do. Considering the movie is probably going to be PG-13 and I am assuming (maybe incorrectly) that Julie White is the Mom is question, then I think its safe to say the scene will probably be hilarious.

If I was a booster for either college I would be very angry at this news for the school official’s essentially pissed away god knows how much free advertisement for their schools. Sure, some people will know the schools where used for the movie but nothing like seeing the schools name on the big screen to get the curiosity and interest of the public. You can't buy that kind of attention. Nor the money and students it could bring in.

To bad Bay didn't choose my alma mater (UGA), they probably would have been okay with it. Besides, honestly I have to agree with the Facebook group, the Sam character is just not an "Ivy League" guy, he is a University guy. Nothing against Princeton but between the two schools, UPENN just “fits” the character better.

Thanks to RiahRiddle for the link.

Update:
From the comments, it turns out the University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League school. I didn't know that and so far I have not spoken to any one that did (even two people form PA). I don't know but that strikes me as something like that should be common knowledge. So based on that, then Sam doesn't fit at either school because he simply doesn't strike me as Ivy League material based on how he was established in the first film. Sadly a comedy moment was missed as they could have had it so Sam didn't know UPENN was an Ivy League school and had to be corrected by Professor Colon (where Rainn would have had fun with various ways of doing that). Nice thing is the scene would have been funny and told millions and millions of people that UPENN is Ivy League. Oh well, too late now. Now I wonder if UPENN as one of those secret fraternity (or even better a sorority) that the other Ivy Leagues schools are rumored to have.

SAG Strike Threat Grows

LA Times is reporting that the strike threat has Hollywood on edge as the countdown continues to June 30th when all SAG actors are likely to strike as talks between SAG leadership and the studios have failed to reach an agreement.

The talks have become so continuous that the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) broke away from SAG after more then 25 years of co-representation and where able to reach an agreement modeled after those reached with the Director's Guild of America (DGA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA). SAG has refused a similar agreement citing it not going far enough to meet their demands.

This disagreement with handling of this issue extends beyond the AFTRA to include the SAG membership itself with many members expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of progress and the hard line that SAG leader Alan Rosenberg has had. The heart of the disagreement is DVD residuals, cut of advertisement fees used within a project, and fees for their images being used online. Essentially they want more then already agreed on with the DGA and WGA and as a result the studios are balking.

The actually strike is not expected to start until after July 8th. In part because of the July the 4th holiday but also because on July 8th, AFTRA's membership is expected to vote in support of the reached contract. If that occurs it could put a major dent in SAG's position. Despite that, 90% of SAG’s membership fuels the TV and movie industry so a strike would bring Hollywood to a near standstill.

SAG has granted waivers to 350 independent films (those made outside the studio system) but major studio projects have not been granted waivers as a result this directly impacts Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen which has built-in hiatus to plan for the event. The length of this hiatus is not known and if the strikes goes past the planned schedule that could prevent the movie from meeting its release date.

So to sum, SAG doesn't appear close to an agreement. If a strike occurs it will likely start July 8th or shortly after. Transformers 2 production is already shut down and when they return is unknown. The impact on current and future projects will pretty much be immediate.

Bay: "not a complete Transformer"

Michael Bay, now home from the first month of Transformers filming, posted on his blog about "Frenzy".

What that picture is - that is not a complete Transformer. We use detailed puppets for effects for sizing and color - the real effects are later completed but the robots are much more complicated.

I will post soon to tell you all about the shoot.

Michael

I keep using "Frenzy" in quotes because it at least invokes a mental image and size that isn't confusing but I seriousily doubt its the same Transformer. A lot of people are theorizing Lazerbeak or Rumble.

Transformers 2 Plot Spoilers

The day after Transformers 2 started its shooting hiatus (confirmed, Bay already at his home in Miami, FL), more plot details have come out about the movie. From The Movie Blog, where I added links to related posts. Thanks to Jeff for the link.
It happens that they were in the classroom scene that was being shot yesterday with Rainn Wilson. The shoot was to cover two separate days within the movie, the first day of classes for Sam, and the second day of class.

On the first day of class, Sam goes crazy just before getting to class for some reason. It seems there is some object that he was exposed to that affected him, our guess is the splinter from the cube. Anyways, Rainn Wilson asks the class to turn to the first page of the text book (which, apparently, Rainn Wilson’s character is the professor of the class AND the writer of the Astronomy text book that they are using in class). Wilson’s character’s name is Professor Colon (pronounced: koh - lawn). Everyone except Sam turns to the first page. Sam, instead, read the entire book in 5 seconds by just flipping through it, then starts telling Wilson’s character about what parts of his book are wrong. He also starts talking about how Einstein was wrong. Sam gets up from his seat and goes up to the chalk board and starts writing a lot of weird symbols on the chalk board (probably Cybertronian). Then he starts asking why nobody understands and then he leaves class. On the second day of class, he apparently returns, but acts less crazy.

The reason we suspect that it is an object he touches that makes him crazy is because there was a scene shot earlier where he was on the phone Fox’s character Mikaela, and he was asking her if she had “it” and then told her to make sure she doesn’t touch “it”. Our guess is the “splinter” (left over piece of the Allspark Cube), but it could be something else, of course.

Oh, and the last scene that was filmed on Wednesday evening was of Sam arriving to class while riding the red motorcycle that people have seen in pictures. I don’t think that proves whether or not it is a Transformer or just a motorcycle, but it could be worthwhile information in the future.

Cheeseburger reported a similar story about the plot few days ago. One possibility is that the red motorcycle scene with Shia and Megan filmed on the last day could be one of the last scenes of the movie. A reward to her for job well done during the course of the movie and shows a character progression. Shia is less chaotic (books ordered rather then disorderly), she is driving him around rather then vice versa, the relationship is strong (rather then in trouble from Isabel's Alice), and she has had a change in financial situation. Just an idea to toss around.

Duhamel Talks TF2; Reveals Plot Hint

Josh Duhamel (Captain Lennox) spoke with Empire Magazine briefly about Transformers 2 and revealing a slight spoiler. Josh is currently filming "When In Rome" which explains why the shoot when from Bethlehem Steel with him and Tyrese to "Princeton" for Megan and Shia.

“I guess who he’s working with is probably the biggest change,” said Duhamel, before adding once more, presumably for emphasis. “Who he’s working with.”

And then he was gone. But Duhamel’s cryptic clue would certainly seem to add credence to recent rumours that the second Transformers movie will, as with X-Men 2 (another movie produced by Transformers’ Tom De Santo), see the forces of good and evil team up to fight another, more terrifying foe.

The title of the movie already strongly hints at the presence of The Fallen, an incredibly powerful robot – one of the thirteen original Transformers – hellbent on vengeance. Could he be so powerful, so mean, and so nasty that his presence forces the Autobots and the Decepticons to set aside their differences and work together?

I grabbed Empire's speculation on the spoiler because it matches what popped into my head when I read Josh's clue.

Now that picture above. You probably thought it was from the Bethlehem set during the shoot but it turns out that picture was taken on June 22nd, weeks after. Why is some of the set dressing still up? Plans to go back? Forgotten? Building being demolished so who cares? I don't know but makes you wonder what else was left behind and was it on purpose or not. Thanks to Jason for the link and info.

Last is the below video that was taken somewhere that shows Bumblebee driving by. I am thinking at Laurel Hill Cemetery but not really sure. Thanks to Russell for the find.

Megan Fox Final Day at Princeton

The Prox Blog has posted a picture from the final day of filming that shows Megan Fox getting kissed by Shia as they film a scene for Transformers 2. The red bike is the same one this blog reported about, an Aprilia RS125 or RS50. Considering she was at one point filmed arriving on campus in a taxi, it’s curious to know how she ended up having a motorcycle. Thanks to Ann for the links.

In related Megan news, the Movie Insider shares the story of how Cameron Busacca managed to score the holy grail for movie shoot gawkers - a picture with Megan Fox. Thanks to Jeany for the link.

After about an hour of watching the crew unload equipment, Shia LaBeouf came on set around 8 a.m. to film what appeared to be a "move-in" day scene right next to the Princeton University Chapel. After several takes, the crew moved out onto the street to shoot a few stunt scenes on Washington Street. Most of the cars looked brand new (there was no futuristic Chevy Camaro in sight, which was a bummer) but after a few takes, one of the cars had bullet holes and a smashed windshield, which led me to believe they were filming a chase scene. Shia's stunt double nearly got hit several times by another car, and the crew shot the scene from different angles up and down Washington as if all of the shots were going to be pieced together later. And even though the stunt drivers went really fast, you could tell that they speed it up even more in the editing process.

After the first stunt was over, we saw our first sighting of Megan Fox. They were getting a shot of her driving from inside the car but she lost control and slammed it into a curb. Don’t worry, she’s perfectly fine. She got out of the car smiling and laughing and walked it off. Shia, on the other hand, hadn’t stopped chain smoking since the end of the first scene and every time they broke from filming he seemed to have a really bad attitude.

When the stunts got wilder the crowd was forced into nearby buildings where we got to watch from the second story. As we were leaving we were hoping we would be able to see Megan Fox again through a window or something, but we were even luckier, -- when we got to the end of the hall, Megan was chilling at a snack table.

Shia had turned us down when we asked for a picture earlier, but after seeing Megan take a picture with another fortunate group of guys, we walked up to her. Her people immediately shot down the request, but she very graciously and kindly agreed to take one more. We took a picture with her and proceeded to ask her a few questions about the movie. Shia was also there but added nothing to the conversation.

The crew is going to be shooting for another two days in Princeton. All in all, a really, really cool experience.

--Cameron Busacca, 19 years old

Transformers to Skip San Diego Comic-Con?

Slashfilm is reporting that Paramount has decided to not make an appearance at the San Diego Comic-con when its held from July 23-27th. Normally the comic convention is the annual coming out party for Hollywood for the next batch of action and comic book related action movies. For the first movie, this was used in 2006 to discuss some of the news for the first movie. Seems only natural to do the same this year and perhaps release a teaser trailer.

First (potentially) the actors, and now it looks like Paramount has decided to sit out of this year’s San Diego Comic Con International. A Paramount spokesman told Anne Thompson that “The timing was off this year.” Most of Paramount’s upcoming geek slate isn’t scheduled to hit theaters until 2009. Paramount might still participate with some viral marketing, and with a presence on the show floor, but most of their big titles will be M.I.A.

This is a shocking move considering that Paramount/DreamWorks’ huge presence at last year’s con. The Iron Man panel was considered by all to be the highest point of the convention. Even Favreau credits the panel as jumpstarting the hype for the superhero film. The company also showed 20-minutes of Beowulf in 3-D, revealed Karen Allen’s return in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and the now infamous headless statue of liberty poster for the then untitled Cloverfield.

I am hoping that this gets reversed for Transformers. Just because Paramount doesn't want to spend money on the event doesn't mean that Dreamworks may not be willing. Even if the strike prevents the actors from showing up, the nice thing about comic conventions is often the Directors, Writers and FX crew, etc can be given as big a welcome as the stars themselves. An appearance by Bay or members of the special effects team along with a Q&A session would probably be one of the most attended. All are normally welcome. If the traffic on my blog is any indication, interest in this movie is very high and they should make every effort to help fan the flames.

Thanks to Russell for the links. The Hasbro picture above is from Artwork by KD site.

Hummer H3 In Transformers?

TFW2005 has posted pictures (below) from the Cinema Expo International 2008 in Amsterdam. At the Expo is a platform with the Transformers logo and faction insignias along with an H3 sign and a black Hummer H3 on display. In the first movie Ratchet was a Hummer H2; does this mean the Ratchet is getting an upgraded?

Thanks to Russell for the link.

Ghost Fun with TF2

Philly.com relates a brief story where site personnel took advantage of the ghost stories surround the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia for some fun.

Before the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen visited Eastern State Penitentiary to shoot last week, director Michael Bay and stars Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf read up on the joint.

The landmark in Fairmount has lots of tales: "Slick" Willie Sutton's escape, Al Capone's posh cell, the legend of Pep the Cat-Murdering Dog.

And ghost stories.

Between scenes Saturday - their last day working in Philly before moving to Princeton - Bay and the actors were having a spirited conversation when site manager Fran Dolan offered to take them to the third floor of Cellblock 12, which the TV show Ghost Hunters declared the most haunted, to look for ghosts.

Slowly they climbed the stairs. Whispering nervously, they stepped into the cellblock. As Dolan pointed out the spot where ghosts were spotted, out popped Jason Ohlsen, the site's exhibit and special events designer, who had slipped upstairs before them.

I hear they were good sports, even though they had the LaBeouf scared out of them.

If only there was video of that. Thanks to Russell for the link.

Brooklyn Bridge Rumor Solved?

Filming In Brooklyn may have figured out why there was no Transformers 2 production at the Brooklyn Bridge over the last week despite rumors. It turns out there was one but no one may have noticed.

Last week, rumors were flying far and wide about a weekend shoot on the Brooklyn Bridge for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which had been filming in Philadelphia before moving on to Princeton, NJ this week. Filming In Brooklyn had stopped by the bridge over the weekend to check things out, but found no signs of filming, and figured that maybe the rumor had been completely false.

However, Filming In Brooklyn has just learned that T2 had a permit to shoot from a helicopter for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. They were supposed to be shooting a car driving over the Brooklyn Bridge. And while we still don’t have confirmation of the shoot taking place, it’s completely possible that it happened without anyone really noticing.

Very interesting if true. Second unit crews exist for this very reason, to get shots that don't require cast participation to execute. I guess we will find out when the movies comes out. Thanks to Amy for the link.

Rainn Wilson On Set Pictures

As previously reported, Rainn Wilson aka Dwight K Shrute of The Office, has been spotted. Thanks to JD, we now have pictures to go with it that show Rainn in full beard mode. His role is likely the professor for Sam's Astronomy 101 class which I am betting Sam is late getting to which explains why Shia has been spotted rushing across campus fumbling his books and papers. The report from JD:

As reported, all of today (and even right now @ 7:30) was shot in a corner lecture hall/classroom in McCosh & Dickinson Halls. Rainn Wilson aka Dwight K. Schrute was 100% on campus and in the scene as the professor. At one point he was wearing a formal outfit with a sash around his neck but he came out a half an hour later with a pair of leather pants and button down shirt (pictures below). No sign of Megan Fox (sigh) at all today.

Didn't feel like sticking around but all the trucks were definitely packing up to go and some were already gone. I did ask a lady who was on set where they would be going next - she said they are taking a "short break" and then production will head to the west coast.

I found a map of shooting locations etc. on the ground which was interesting - I'm sure not too many people knew about the base camp on the bottom of the map or the second street location located all the way to the left of the map.

In addition, Rainn Wilson briefly discussed the role with Dark Horizons after the MTV Movie Awards:

You haven't signed up for anything else for your next hiatus, have you?
No. I mean, this hiatus, there really was nothing shooting, because there's this potential SAG strike happening. So there are not really any movies happening right now. But I have The Rocker to promote and I'm doing a couple days on The Transformers II.

Oh, really? As whom?
As a robot. No. As a professor. But maybe he's a robot. Maybe I'll just pretend he's a robot, or I'll play him as a robot.

Have you ever worked with Michael Bay before?
I have not worked with Michael Bay before. And I think that is a hilarious, hysterical match-up. Is Rainn Wilson and Michael Bay.

Thanks to JD for the pictures and report.

Transform Nate Party

In an attempt to get cast in Transfomers 2, Nathan Barilka has taken a rather novel approach of starting his own website TransformNate.com. In that regard he has bought an ad in The Hollywood Reporter (how much did that cost?) inviting all cast and crew to The Happy Ending Bar on June 26th, 2008 at 9:00pm. The bar is located on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, CA. The party is also a fundraiser for Spondylitis, which is a form of inflammatory arthritis along the spine and other related joints.

Today is the planned last day of the Princeton shoot in New Jersey so whether they will even be in Hollywood tomorrow is unknown. I am guessing the planned hiatus starts tomorrow but so far no information has leaked to verify that.

I wish Nate the best of luck and hopes he is able to get a role in the movie.

Rainn Wilson Spotted, More Videos

Ben, of the Beetlejuice casting news has provided a brief report on the filming today at Princeton.

I just got back from the set so I thought I'd shoot you a quick e-mail. There wasn't really too much to report. My girlfriend was an extra and she confirmed that the bulk of what was shot in the morning/afternoon were some lecture hall scenes. I can confirm that I saw Rainn Wilson and it appeared as though Shia was the only principle actor on the set. I'm sorry I couldn't get any good pictures, but everything was indoors. It was almost 90 degrees out and Michael Bay still wears the button-down shirts. Today is the last day of filming in Princeton.

-Ben

Rainn Wilson has finally popped up on set and probably playing the Astronomy 101 professor for a class Sam is taking at unknown Ivy League school. Princeton isn't playing Princeton but some other school, according to Bay. Below are three videos that Russell found.

A shot of Isabel Lucas (not confirmed) calmly walking away as extras leave in a panic during a possible "Frenzy-thing" attack as described yesterday. The characters lack of reaction to the chaos around her is very interesting. Wonder what it means?

A video of a scene being shot with Shia walking across campus while fumbling with his books that probably matches with one from Monday. This video is from WPRB, student-run radion station at Princeton.

Yay, stretching again (but no Megan, sorry). Is it an acting 101 thing?



Thanks to Russell and Ben for their help.

Princeton Article on Transformers Plot

The Times has posted an article about Transformers 2 productions presence on campus with brief interviews with extras and Michael Bay. The article also revealed a little bit on what the shoot is about. Also it said that today will be the final day of shooting on the campus. The next destination (if there is one) is unknown. Some choice bits from the article:

"I thought the school was going to freak out and did a little" before accepting the crash shots, Bay said yesterday during a brief interview.

In one scene shot inside one of Princeton's large lecture halls, LaBeouf's character attends an Astronomy 101 class, Bay said.

In another shot at Princeton's Dillon Gymnasium, he and co-star Megan Fox are among dozens of students fleeing the building into a courtyard and parking lot ahead of some yet-to-be-revealed menace.

And while filming here is officially a closed set, hundreds of onlookers for the last two days lined the perimeter of some of the scenes -- though they were periodically instructed to keep quiet and take no pictures.

For a time yesterday afternoon, the area outside Dillon Gymnasium was the place to be for a glimpse of the celebrities and a chance to see the cameras rolling.

The university angle to the plot "is all about Sam growing up and going to college ... a teenager growing into a man," Bay said.

As the battle continues in the second film, LaBeouf and Fox reprise their roles. Although both characters have grown from high school- to college-age since the first "Transformers" installment, only LaBeouf's Witwicky is off to college because Fox's Banes can't afford school, Bay said.

With Witwicky enrolled at a fictional East Coast school with an Ivy League feel, Banes comes from Los Angeles as a visitor to her friend's new campus, Bay said.

Not much is revealed but now know how Mikeala and Sam hook up before the latest Transformers adventure kicks off. Interesting ivy league Princeton is not actually going to be Princeton in the film. Thanks to Jeany for the link.

Kym Whitley in Transfomers?

At the BET awards yesterday, it was revealed that Kym Whitley (The Hustle, The Boondocks) will be in Transformers. From AP, "Actress-comedian Kym Whitley, who revealed she'll be appearing in a small role in the upcoming "Transformers" sequel, donned a tight purple shirt that read 'Barack Obama 08' in glittery black letters." As the norm now, what her role is, when, where and the usual details are unknown. Thanks to Charl Huntress for the link.

More Signed Transformers

Stacey has provided the below pictures with her son Austin and his signed Transformers. One is the Masterpiece Optimus Prime and the other is Ultimate Bumblebee.

Hey everyone! This is really cool. My son Austin has been following Transformers from state to state. He got Megan Fox, Shia Labeouf, Michael Bay, Tyrese on his special addition Bumblebee Transformer car. There are so many fans that have helped him get up front to get this signed, but he just called Shia and Michael Bay over and the signed it right away! This is truly a one in a lifetime experience! Enjoy the pictures.

Thanks for the pictures Stacey and congratulations to Austin.

"Frenzy" In Action

In another post, a robot that looks a lot like Frenzy is seen chasing after a Saturn Astra, with Sam and co. inside, on the streets of Princeton. In many descriptions and pictures you can see a hole in the windshield. As the picture (from TFW2005) and the video (from PhillyFilmGirl) shows, now we know why that hole is there. Is that the return of Frenzy? A different Frenzy-like Decepticon? If so who? Possible Soundwave minion? The options are many. Feel free to debate and discuss in the comments.

This next video, also from PhillyFilmGirl, is for you Megan Fox fans. Proper stretching is also a must just before running or standing around in boredom.

Beetlejuice in Transformers?

In a report from Ben:

I just got back from the Princeton set and I thought I'd fill you in on what I saw there. The scene I saw had Shia, Megan (who was driving), Ramon, and I think Isabel in the silver Saturn [Astra] as something that appeared to be Frenzy attacking them. Also, I've included a picture. You may notice a certain Beetlejuice from the Howard Stern Show on the set. I don't know what that means...

-Ben

I don't know what it means either. Lester "Beetlejuice" Green (on the steps in the background) is a frequent Howard Stern Show guest and Wack Pack member with a small film career that includes voice work. Does he have a role in Transformers 2? Doing a voice? Maybe he was just visiting the set? Many questions, no answers.

As for the Astra, at least now we know who supposed to be in the car as it is driven and hits a lamp post.

Thanks to Ben for the picture and report.

Update:
As commenters have pointed out, it’s possible that his role is from the original little person casting call that for Philly but adapted to Princeton. An added note is Ben heard that tomorrow is the day Rainn Wilson is supposed to be on set for his Professor role.

Set Report From Princeton Day 2

Mark has provided another set report for filming at Princeton University's Holder Hall. Sadly it appears that Sam's Transformer problem has followed him to school and chaos ensures. Thanks for the report.

The TF2 crew was shooting at Holder Hall this morning until about 1:30. The scene they were shooting today ended with Shia, Megan, and Ramon running out of the building into the courtyard, which they shot several times. Once, they ran out into the courtyard, hooked each others’ arms at the elbow, and did a little dance (clearly trying to alleviate some of the boredom of doing the exact same thing over and over). Isabel Lucas was visible at one point, but I couldn’t tell if she was involved in the shot.

Once the principals were done, the crew shot a group of about 20-30 student extras running into and out of the dorm’s western entryway (the same one that Shia, Megan, and Ramon had run out of). It was pretty funny to watch the extras run, because they were being funneled in and out of the doorway in a big circle, so the kids that had just run out of the building would circle around and run back in until the shot was over. In both cases the crew used a smoke machine in the dorm’s southwest hallway, which was visible from one of the windows.

While the extras were being shot, Shia and Ramon threw a football around in the building’s courtyard for a while. The security guards and local policemen who were guarding the main archways of the building (where the rest of the gawkers and I were standing) were very strict about pictures today. They waved off anyone who even took a cell phone out of his or her pocket. Around 1:30 the crew broke for lunch and relocated to Whig Hall, where catering had been set up.

Michael Bay walked into the building with Isabel, then came back out and sat on the building’s front steps drinking a Diet Coke and talking to one of the crew. A few minutes later Isabel came back outside with some food and Michael joined her and one other crewmember for lunch on the steps. Not long after that security started dispersing the small crowd that had gathered on the lawn opposite the front of the building.

-Mark

Update: Russell has found additional pictures (like above) on Just Jared that show Megan Fox and Shia Labeouf on campus. Of note is the picture of Shia that shows a tattoo or some marking on his lower arm. Part of the character or just a personal choice?

More Princeton Videos

After a bunch of set pictures, here are more videos to go with them.

The first seven are videos Russell found on Google video that show a scene involving the Saturn Astra and the Persuit Go-Kart as they down a street. It includes a reset, re-take, and the extras doing their thing. The Astra is damaged so I guess its something that occurs after the pole crash. The last video is from PhillyFilmGirl that shows Shia filming a scene as he clutches his books and also just him goofing around to kill time on set.
Thanks Russell and PhillyFilmGirl for the videos.

Update: Russell found an article from the Princeton Packet that indicates the filming occured on Nassau Street and Washington Road.

Princeton Day 1 Picture Extravaganza

I have already posted a report with pictures of the Transformers 2 Princeton University shoot. Well here are a bunch more from a lot of site readers.

First up is JD, who reports that the Saturn Astra used in the shoot (and seen at UPENN) actually has a twin. One was pre-damaged for a collision with the light pole with a large hole in the windshield and damage on the hood (first pic in the background). The second car is an un-damaged version of the same vehicle. He also provided a picture of some of the rigging around Holder Hall and a shot of Megan chilling in the shade.


Next up is pictures from Mike. He reports seeing Shia, Megan, Ramon, and Isabel all filming on set. As for the pics, they show the area being shot, Shia in the Astra which suggests he is in it when it gets shot up and crashes in a pole and the camera Go-Kart (also seen at Bethlehem) that usually follows the action to get the various needed coverage.


Onward to to BP who also reports seeing the two Astras and the Pursuit Systems Go-Kart. The pictures show the pre-damaged Astra and Megan Fox is she does whatever it she is doing.


Cheeseburger's turn. She provides some close-up eye candy for the guys and girls (depending on your preferences) in the form of Shia Labeouf and Megan Fox. Personally I am not complaining about Megan's outfit.

Last, but not least, is J Fuller. He was once again tapped to be an extra thanks to wearing solid color clothing to help in the blending that background requires. He was with his friend as they walked and talk. The scene, filmed 5-6 times, was of Megan Fox getting out of a taxi cab and collecting her bags from the trunk. He also spotted Shia, and unlike last time, was friendly and spent a good deal of time signing autographs for everyone. Megan did sign 5 but then left. J also learned that they are filming through Wednesday and that all scenes would be "walk & talks" so no Transformer cars are expected. He also learned that the cast is staying at the Princeton Marriot.

Potential Spoilers. The shoot at UPENN and Princeton are two sides of the same coin where, via the magic of editing, will all represent Sam at Princeton for the movie. Obviously something happens though to get Sam from Princeton and on to his next Transformer adventure and Cheeseburger has a theory from the various conversations she has heard on the sets for the last week or so.

The idea is the basic plot for the two shoots is Sam touches a box or some TF object and loses it in the middle of class drawing symbols the same way his great grandpa Witwicky did. This leads him to getting locked up in a prison or insane asylum and needing to get broken out. She also heard references to Megatron's return. Speculate and discuss but remember it is all theory until the movie comes out. The speculation is half the fun anyway (your theory turning out to be right later is the other half :P).

Thanks to JD, Mike, BP, Cheeseburger and J Fuller for their pictures and information.

New Vehicle Spotted

VDG spotted a new motorcycle at the Transformers 2 base camp. He took the pictures just as it was put away in its trailer. A type that is used to transport the various vehicles being used in the production both Transformer and otherwise. The bike appears to be an Aprilia RS 50 which not the rumored pink, blue, and purple custom bike built by RetroSBK.

So the speculation becomes, what is the bike for? If it there for non-shoot reasons, it wouldn't be stored in the trailer (they had a parking lot for that). Besides there is no license plate. Is it background? Pretty expensive bike just to site parked on a street or seen doing a quick drive by. Used for stunt purposes? Maybe a Transformer? Who knows? Like pretty much everything regarding this film, its all speculation until finally confirmed on June 27, 2009.