'Transformers 5' is currently in the works with director Michael Bay returning to helm the film. Robert Kirkman of 'The Walking Dead' fame reportedly exited the project after just one day in the writers' room headed by Goldsman.
According to IGN, Kirkman exited Michael Bay's upcoming science-fiction action film after a scheduled throat surgery forced him to drop the project. He reportedly only spent one day in the writers' room headed by acclaimed writer Akiva Goldsman. The American comic book writer is best known for creating 'The Walking Dead' series as well as 'Ultimate X-Men' and 'Marvel Zombies' for Marvel Comics.
Although Kirkman is no longer attached to the project, he expressed his enthusiasm over the latest film in the highly popular franchise. He said "I have heard from the people that are in that room there are a lot of amazing Transformers things coming, and I'm very happy as a fan to see what comes from that." Other writers working on possible sequels of the 'Transformers' series include Art Marcum and Matt Holloway of 'Iron Man' and 'The Punisher', Zak Penn of 'X-Men: The Last Stand' and 'The Incredible Hulk', and Jeff Pinkner of 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2's' and 'Lost'.
According to Collider, Goldsman was tasked at forming a team of writers to brainstorm the next few follow-ups in the franchise based on Hasbro's popular toy line of the same name. The new films are intended to interconnect with one another as a kind of cohesive cinematic universe.
Meanwhile, Bay is returning to helm the fifth film in the franchise despite revealing in past interviews that he was done with the series. His 2014 film 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' panned heavily with critics and was nominated for seven Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture, Worst Remake, and Worst Prequel. It even won Bay a Worst Director award.
However, the film's visual effects and several action sequences received much praise from audiences. The film grossed over $1 billion at the box office and became the highest-grossing film of 2014 as well as the second highest-grossing film in the series. It starred Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey Grammer and Stanley Tucci.
Wahlberg and co-star Peter Cullen will be reprising their roles as lead protagonist Cade Yeager and the iconic Optimus Prime, respectively. According to the Oakland Press, cast and crew members are expected to film at several locations around Michigan, specifically at the Michigan Motion Picture Studio in Pontiac. It was reported that as part of Michigan's tax incentive, Paramount Pictures must hire one local resident for every out-of-towner hired to work on the film.
'Transformers 5' is an upcoming science-fiction film directed by Michael Bay. It is the fifth film in the 'Transformers' franchise and is scheduled to be released on June 23, 2017. Other sequels as well as a 'Bumblebee' spin-off film are scheduled to premiere in the next consecutive years.
