My 1st Blog: 'Transformers': What's Next For The Cast?

Saturday, July 9, 2011

'Transformers': What's Next For The Cast?

As 'Dark of the Moon' threequel shuts down the summer box office, we look at what director Michael Bay and his stars have lined up next.
By Kara Warner

Optimus Prime in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Paramount

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is flashy, action-packed and dominating at the box office. And although director Michael Bay and star Shia LaBeouf have said they're retiring from the franchise, the billion-dollar success of the films means the 'bots will likely live on.

So while we've speculated about what's to come for the "Transformers" series, we also wondered what Bay and the cast may be cooking up. Read on for our breakdown of what to expect next from your favorite Autobot aficionados.

Michael Bay
The prolific producer/director always has a slew of projects looming on his IMDb page, but according to the man himself, the next Bay-directed film moviegoers will see is "Pain and Gain," a "Pulp Fiction"-style dark comedy that revolves around extortion and abductions in the Florida criminal underworld.

"It's a fun script," Bay said. "[It's] something fun to shoot fast."

In the meantime, look for plenty of Bay-produced films to hit theaters like "Ouija," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Zombies vs. Robots," to name a few.

Shia LaBeouf
LaBeouf has all but guaranteed he will not be back for future "Transformers" installments, so where will we see him next? Likely in the period gangster drama "The Wettest County in the World," starring alongside an all-star cast, though the highly anticipated film doesn't yet have a release date.

After "Wettest," LaBeouf said he doesn't currently have anything lined up. "I'm still a hired gun," he explained. "I don't know what I'm going to do next." He did express interest in a possible big-screen adaptation of "Preacher," for which director D.J. Caruso has previously named LaBeouf in citing his wish list of actors for the project.

"I love the ['Preacher'] comics," LaBeouf told MTV News. "I think Arseface would be awesome."

Tyrese Gibson
Summer 2011 has been a very good one for Gibson. He has appeared in not one, but two, box-office blockbusters. First, with his return to the "Fast and the Furious" franchise in "Fast Five," and then with "Dark of the Moon." The success of "Five," with nearly $600 million at the U.S. box office earlier this summer, put a sixth installment in motion. Universal set the release date for "Fast Six" on May 24, 2013, and although Gibson's name has yet to be officially attached, it's a good bet he'll at least make an appearance in the film.

In addition, Gibson would like to get his feet wet in the superhero movie genre, with a big-screen adaptation of Luke Cage, as he told us at the Moscow premiere of "Dark of the Moon."

"Listen, to Marvel: This is Tyrese Gibson. Get it together. Let's go ahead and shoot this comic book," he urged the studio during our interview. "Luke Cage is one of the original Marvel characters. Show some more respect," he continued. "Go ahead and get some traction going on Luke Cage."

Josh Duhamel
Duhamel has done a nice job of juggling roles in big, action flicks with work in the romantic-comedy arena. Next up for the tall, dark and handsome Duhamel is the star-studded "New Year's Eve," a follow-up to director Garry Marshall's 2010 hit "Valentine's Day." After that, it's back to the intense, action-drama side of things with "Fire With Fire," alongside Bruce Willis, Vinnie Jones, 50 Cent and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
The franchise's new "It" girl was plucked from one glamorous world and dropped into another. Huntington-Whiteley, a Victoria's Secret model, beat out plenty of hopefuls for the role (an audition she admitted she thought she bombed. The first-time actress told MTV News she hopes "Dark of the Moon" is not her last foray into acting.

"I'm really hoping to do another movie," she said. "I'm working toward that, although I very much hope to stay in the fashion industry; it's my first love. We'll see what happens. I've got no idea."

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos