Tranformers: The Live Movie say it ain't so(They are crushing my childhood alert)

MSN ^ | 13 June 2003 | trueblackman

[Trueblackman]

'Transformer' Robots May Appear in Film Jun 12, 10:13 AM EST

The shape-shifting "Transformer" robots from the 1980s may soon be using 20-something nostalgia to fuel a Hollywood movie.

The Hasbro Inc. toy company has teamed with the production company Angry Films to create a live-action version of the popular cartoon series that ran from 1984 to 1987, about a group of alien robots who disguise themselves on Earth as common vehicles.

"The basic thing is that if you've been going to the comic-book festivals and seeing all that stuff, the '80s kind of came back last year in a huge way," Angry Films producer Don Murphy said Wednesday.

"We figured the technology had finally caught up to the point where we could actually show an 18-wheel truck turning into a giant robot," added Murphy, who also helped make the upcoming comic book movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

The story of "The Transformers" centers on a war between two mechanized armies — the heroic Autobots, led by the red tractor-trailer Optimus Prime, and the evil Decepticons, ruled by the gigantic silver gun Megatron. Seeking new sources of energy, both factions crash-land on Earth.

Although the "Transformers" toys have changed over the years — from animal shapes to the current series of futuristic machines — Murphy said the movie would be based on the original lineup.

The 1980s Hasbro toys, which the cartoon helped turn into a money-machine for the company, have recently been reissued by the original Japanese manufacturer, Takara Co. A recent comic book based on "The Transformers" and a DVD of the original cartoon series have also become best sellers.

Murphy and his producing partner, Tom DeSanto, whose credits include "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United," are still in the early stages of the "Transformers" movie. The project has not yet settled at a studio and no potential release date has been set.

[Trueblackman]

Why Why Why...Tranformers the Movie was good enough, but after the bad reviews of this new HULK Movie, why this? What is this nation coming to, it over I quit and I am moving to Cuba(NOT)

[conservativeinbflo.]

totally agree... our childhood memories are being stolen and resold as crap! have you seen the "new" strawberry shortcake dolls?? they look awful!!! (pathetically, i still have all of my strawberry shortcake dolls up in my parents' attic!).

[jedwardtremlett]

I dunno, man. It might be good if they handle it well. But I think there's some things that just work better as animation, and the Transformers are one of them.

Kind of like a GiJoe Movie with real actors? It'd sort of seem too real.

J

[OXENinFLA]

It would be cool if they did it 100% CG.

Like Final Fantasy.

[LanPB01]

I say "Hell yes!" to this news! And we had a good discussion about it yesterday as well.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927929/posts

[Katana16j]

This is excellent news.

Hasbro realized a little while ago that the children who grew up on Transformers are adults now.

They've done a good job of catering to them, if you have any doubts Go read Dreamworks new comic books. Incredible, and theyre selling quite well.

I just hope they gt Simon Fuhrman to write it.

[jedwardtremlett]

Yeah, that might work : )

Did you get a chance to see Animatrix, yet? The CGI work on 'last flight of the Osiris' was really amazing. They still can't get skin tone right, but it's still pretty good.

J

[jedwardtremlett]

Heh, yeah. We're adults, alright ; )

You should see my Lego collection. Sheesh.

J

[Cable225]

OH BABY! OH BABY! OH BABY! OH BABY!

Optimus Prime in full CGI would be beyond cool.

[Petronski]

I think the producers must be Decepticons, because they are EEE-VIL.

[Charlie OK]

I kinda think its cool. I have the original Transformers movie on VHS. My wife thinks I am a complete dork, but I love that movie!

[Question_Assumptions]

Transformers? No. GI Joe. That they could do as a live action movie.

[AFreeBird]

Bonnie Hammer (SciFi head) and Ron Moore (writer) are doing the same exact thing to Battlestar Galactica, killing it with a bad script and no acknowledgment of the fanbase.

[tnlibertarian]

Doing a live version of The Transformers sounds, on the surface, like a bad idea. Hopefully, there's "more than meets the eye".

[Saundra Duffy]

I'm gonna tell my son about this. We used to watch The Transformers all the time. "The Transformers - more than meets the eye!"

[section9]

Doing a live version of The Transformers sounds, on the surface, like a bad idea. Hopefully, there's "more than meets the eye".

Transformers was one of the first of the great Japanese Robot Transforming animes. All of these series were great riffs on the fascination that Japanese adolescent young men had with Samurai armor.

The genre did produce two high quality "robot" anime (also known as "mecha" anime), The Vision of Escaflowne and Neon Genesis Evangelion:

Hitomi and other characters from The Vision of Escaflowne

The lead characters of Neon Genesis Evangelion

Transformers isn't the only anime series to go live action. Evangelion is in pre-production for a live action version.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[jriemer]

I can't find the FR thread about the Ohio reservist who change his name to Optimus Prime and deployed to GWII. Here's an outside link w/ picture.

Optimus Prime Deployed to Middle East

[Question_Assumptions]

Too bad all the plane wrecks don't leave behind parachuting people and all the building aren't empty when they collapse in the real world like they are in GI Joe.

[Qwerty]

I watched Transformers just for Soundwave... he was so cool.