The news of Transformers 3 being released in July 2011 has been met with a big 'No!' from Michael Bay.
Paramount has wasted no time in capitalising on the imminent arrival of Transformers 2 in our cinemas by announcing the sequel will be with us by Independence Day 2011. The franchise's director thinks differently though. He wrote on his blog, "I said I was taking off a year from Transformers. Paramount made a mistake in dating Transformers 3 - they asked me on the phone - I said yes to July 4 - but for 2012 - whoops! Not 2011!!! That would mean I would have to start prep in September. No way. My brain needs a break from fighting robots."
Paramount are yet to respond, but this could be the beginning of a major Hollywood spat. Bay and the Transformers stars, LeBeouf and Fox are not confirmed for the 3rd instalment. So Paramount may be weighing up their options by striking an early blow in a pay negotiation with them or even thinking the franchise is bigger than the director!
Both the studio and Bay are banking on Transformers 2 being a major box office success, even on the scale of 2008’s The Dark Knight.