Saturday, July 24, 2004: I just heard on the radio that Dreamworks and Steven Spielberg will oversee production of the new live-action Transformers movie. It sounded to good to be true, so I did a little checking around, and lo and behold, it appears to be official! Here are a couple links which prove...this is no dream!
BBC News Story (released 8 hours prior to this update)
Miami Herald Story (released 10 hours prior to this update)
It appears the expected project due date is 2006, ironically one year after the setting of the original TFTM from 1986. The new live-action Transformers movie is sure to boost the popularity of Transformers even further, but will this boost be a blessing or a curse to the already-vibrant TF community?

"There's no better mythology to bring to the big screen than Transformers. Transformers has got great characters and created an iconic world, and the mythology still resonates with people 20 years after it was launched. Even though they're robots the characters have a lot of personality and a lot of heart and people still care about them. That's a great thing. The the film will combine live-action with CGI. I think it's going to be something the audience has never seen before. In all the years of movie-making, I don't think the image of a truck transforming into a 20-foot tall robot has ever been captured on screen. I also want to make a film that's a homage to 1980s movies and gets back to the sense of wonder that Hollywood has lost over the years. It will have those Spielberg-ian moments where you have the push-in on the wide-eyed kid and you feel like you're 10 years old even if you're 35. That's the energy I want to go for. We want to get to the core of what makes Transformers great. We're going to get back to the heart of what Transformers is and distill that into a movie. The live-action version will be based on Generation One and set on Earth. I am rewatching all the cartoons and reading all the comics."

Friday, June 13, 2003: Hasbro lets it be known to all that it has entered into Agreement with Movie Producers Tom DeSanto and Don Murphy for Full Length, Live-Action Transformers Movie.

PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 2003--Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) announced today that it entered into an agreement with the highly successful producers Tom DeSanto (X-Men and X2: X-Men United) and Don Murphy (currently producing 20th Century Fox's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) for a full length, live-action movie based on Hasbro's enormously popular TRANSFORMERS brand.

"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," said Don Murphy.

"TRANSFORMERS is one of those rare properties that has been embraced by a generation around the world. 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 on screen," said Tom DeSanto.

"The property has been successful in every arena it has played in throughout the world - toys, comic books, television - and we now believe it's time to take TRANSFORMERS to the next level, and into a live-action event movie," continued DeSanto.

"We're thrilled to have entered into an agreement with the very talented and accomplished Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto," said Brian Goldner, President of Hasbro's U.S. toys group. "TRANSFORMERS is a natural for the big screen, and both Tom and Don have the track record and skill to bring to life a TRANSFORMERS movie that will be action-packed and flawlessly executed."

Hasbro's focus on the TRANSFORMERS brand is consistent with the Company's strategy of driving and extending its core brands through innovative toys and games as well as other forms of entertainment. TRANSFORMERS is one of the most popular boys toy brands, with sales up 64% in 2002 vs. 2001. First introduced in the U.S. market in 1984 as a toy line, the success of TRANSFORMERS continues to grow in a wide-range of entertainment categories. The hit television show TRANSFORMERS ARMADA airs on Cartoon Network seven times a week, with more than 12 million viewers. The show also airs in Europe and Australia. TRANSFORMERS ARMADA comic books, published by Dreamwave are also highly successful, with some of the most popular titles in the industry. The comic books are also translated and distributed in many markets around the world. There will be new TRANSFORMERS television programming and comic books launching in 2004.

"The Hasbro Properties Group (HPG) continues to deliver on its mission of extending Hasbro's rich portfolio of brands beyond toys and games and into multiple forms of entertainment," said Jane Ritson-Parsons, HPG President. "Our alignment with Tom DeSanto and Don Murphy demonstrates the power of our TRANSFORMERS brand and our determination to leverage our properties aggressively and creatively."

See the full original press release about the new Transformers The Movie.

Feeling nostalgic? Visit our online Transformers store where you can buy all your old favorites toys such as Optimus Prime, Megatron and Soundwave (not to mention those hard-to-find obscurities)! more info

We buy collections! Still have that pile of old-school TF goodness in the closet? We are interested and will pay cash for your collection! We have a great reputation for our fair pricing offers and fast payments. Ask to see our list of references! more info