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Chapter 2 - Transformers: The History “I've been one of the biggest fans of Transformers since they first came out,” says executive producer Steven Spielberg. “I'm not talking about buying the toys for my kids. I'm talking about reading the comic books and buying the toys for myself. I'd play with them at home with my kids, but I'm the one who was enthralled with them,” he recalls. “I was a collector and I always thought the Hasbro toy line would one day `transform' into a big summer movie.” Spielberg was not the only one to think so; several of the film's producers had the same impulse. While producer and former studio executive Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Hasbro COO Brian Goldner were talking about possible movies ideas for Transformers and other Hasbro franchises, Tom DeSanto was approaching Don Murphy to form a partnership in hopes of making his own Transformers project. When all was said and done, the core creative force behind the film is a virtual who's who of Hollywood producing royalty: Steven Spielberg, director Michael Bay, di Bonaventura (“Shooter”), DeSanto (the “X-Men” series), Murphy (“Natural Born Killers”) and Ian Bryce (“Saving Private Ryan”). From the get-go, all of the producers did their homework and knew that making a Transformers™ movie meant honoring a much beloved franchise backed by a strong base of devotees, many of whom had lifelong ties to the characters. “Transformers has a rich, established history that inspired all of us,” says di Bonaventura. “It's no wonder we each had the same brainstorm; each of us was attracted to its mythology. “The hardest aspect of overcoming people's assumptions about robots - even the fans' - was that until we could show footage, no one could really understand what this particular movie is all about,” he says. “So we focused on the work at hand: developing a human story, finding the best cast and producing the most exciting effects we could.  The rest would take care of itself.” DeSanto swears that he's dreamt of making a movie about Transformers since he was a kid, but it didn't occur to his partner Murphy until years later as he was strolling through the Comic-Con convention in San Diego. “I was walking around, looking at a lot of properties and franchises, and all of a sudden it hit me,” Murphy says. “The kids of the `80s have grown up and now they probably want to see movies based on all this stuff around me, all their beloved characters and stories. Oh my God, this makes perfect sense.” Murphy also knew that DeSanto, whom he'd met when the two worked together on “Apt Pupil,” was not only a huge fan of the toy franchise, he was a walking encyclopedia of comic book information.  DeSanto, who owns over 35,000 comic books, called Murphy to partner on the project as Murphy had a previous relationship with Hasbro. “Transformers was something I loved and cared about as a kid,” says DeSanto. “It's hard to get these movies made, so you better love what you do because otherwise you're in for a few dreary years trying to make the idea a reality.” “When DreamWorks told us that Steven loved the idea, I couldn't believe it,” DeSanto recalls. “As a kid from New Jersey, to hear that Steven Spielberg liked the same robots, I just thought, `how did I get here?'  The rest is a dream; it's just been great.” “Hasbro and Paramount were very excited about the process of putting another successful product into live-action format,” di Bonaventura says, “and of course Transformers came up because its one of Hasbro's crown jewels and a brand Brian believes has great potential. “Brian is understandably protective of every franchise at the company,” di Bonaventura explains.  “For that reason he wanted to be involved as a producer, an idea I readily embraced because Brian really knew the brand and has a lot to offer.” Ultimately DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures chose to partner on the film. In previous years their collaborative efforts have yielded such successful films as “Dreamgirls,” “War of the Worlds,” “Collateral,” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Screenwriter John Rogers, a comic book writer and enthusiast, was asked to put together an initial draft of the script.  The nice folks at DreamWorks know I'm a geek; I make my living as a professional 12-year-old,” jokes Rogers, “So considering I was assembling and disassembling Optimus Prime in their offices, I really had no defense when they asked me if I was interested. I was very eager; it was a great opportunity. The only real direction I was given was: write a human story.” Rogers' initial three plot lines eventually evolved into the rich, textured story that is “Transformers,” crafted by the talented team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Prior to passing the torch, Rogers spent an inordinate amount of time monitoring different Transformers web sites. “When I moved onto another project, I left Alex and Bob to take the heat,” he jokes. “The fan base is so huge you could devote an entire section of your life to answering their questions. These people care. No one knows that more than the writers.” Rogers' favorite Transformer is Sound Wave “just for attitude and sheer crankiness,” with Optimus Prime running a close second “for moral clarity.” A longtime aficionado of science fiction, Spielberg was recently inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. “The reason I love science fiction so much is because it's the only genre that allows you unlimited access to your imagination.” For that reason, Spielberg took a special interest in “Transformers” and called director Michael Bay while he was putting the finishing touches on “The Island,” to ask him to helm the film. “Michael is the perfect director for “Transformers,” says Spielberg. “He really had a feel for this material; he had a focused vision for what this franchise could look like as a movie. Michael had all the freedom he needed to breathe life into the humans, the Decepticons and the Autobots.” Without much thought, Bay initially dismissed Spielberg's offer, but when he realized that Spielberg was serious about the project and wanted to act as a hands-on producer, Bay relented and agreed to take a trip to Rhode Island to visit Hasbro's home base. After meeting with Goldner, Bay caught the bug and he swears it took him all of three seconds to change his mind. “Walking down the hallway where they created the Monopoly game, Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe - everything from my childhood - I knew this was a company that took their toys seriously,” Bay says.  “Meeting with Brian, who's probably more manic than I am, if that's possible, really started me thinking. He's wild, he's an absolute zealot about these action figures and he loves his business; his enthusiasm was infectious.” Bay along with producers di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce were put through their paces and attended “Transformers School.” (DeSanto and Murphy had taken the course on a previous excursion to Hasbro.) “That's actually what they call it,” Bay explains. “They take you through the lore and the different incarnations of the comic books and the toys - kind of an overview of Transformers history - the brand, and the characters. The scope of it just blows you away, and the first thing that struck me was the idea of robots transforming at 80 miles an hour on a freeway. Right then and there I was sold on making this idea work.” Bay has been offered many super hero projects over the years, but has turned them down for the same reason many aficionados of original fantasy characters dislike their interpretation on celluloid.  So when Spielberg tapped him to direct an action picture bringing to life a 20-year-old iconic toy line that had already been immortalized with lunch boxes, comic books, games and its own cartoon series, Bay realized he would be confronting an outspoken army of die-hard fans who were dedicated to the original action figures. An admirer of Japanese animé, Bay knew he and his production designer, Jeff Mann, would do justice to the Transformers franchise, but neither of them was prepared for the onslaught of harsh criticism they would face even before a single frame of film was shot. “You have to respect the guys who created these phenomenal toys,” says Bay, “but I was set on taking them into a real world where they'd have to be more intricate to fit in. The Generation One robots were very blocky which would have been like using the unarticulated marshmallow man from `Ghostbusters.'  Our Optimus Prime has 10,108 parts, each of which move. “It was a big leap of faith for me to sign onto a movie like this,” he continues, “because I only wanted to make something that was as photorealistic as possible. These robots are the most complex modules ILM has ever made.  We couldn't have accomplished this two years ago. I guess that's my answer to people who complain that the robots will look a bit different from the originals. Sometimes it's best not to answer your critics and just let the work stand for itself.” “Our goal was always to be true to the original spirit behind the Transformers,” says di Bonaventura.  “You never want to disappoint the people who really care about the franchise if only because it translates to a larger audience and negativity spreads. Besides, we would never want to alienate our core fan base; it's like alienating your family.” Actor Shia LaBeouf, who portrays Sam Witwicky, puts it succinctly. “People love Michael Bay or people hate him.  It's just a fact,” he laughs. “He's not Elia Kazan.  Even Mike will tell you that. Of course, my goal is to work with all types of directors, I want to stretch and make films that mainstream audiences really appreciate for the visceral experience. “Michael is the sickest action director on the planet,” La Beouf continues. “He's General Patton: hard as hell, opinionated, but with a great sense of humor, and he's got an amazing visual sense; he's a genius. I know that I worked with the best Michael Bay there's been so far.” Jon Voight was familiar with Bay, having previously worked with him on “Pearl Harbor.” He knew well the director's fast-paced shooting style, his love of action and his desire for perfection, and similar to Voight's co-stars, he sees Bay's sense of humor as one of the tools in his arsenal of filmmaking techniques. “Michael has a great sense of fun,” Voight says, “and all of his films reflect that no matter how serious the subject matter. It's also what I like about this film - we don't take ourselves too seriously.” “Michael is definitely the fastest director I've worked with,” say actor Tyrese Gibson.“He keeps everybody on edge so that we stay sharp and on top of our game, and that's because he's on top of his game. When I watch everything and everyone he has to deal with on set, it makes me feel that much more responsible to do my part. Michael keeps me motivated.” “As my mother would say, Michael's a pip,” laughs Voight. “He's got this tireless energy and he jumps from one set to another. Sometimes it seems as though he's making it up on the spot, but he's so familiar with the script that he has that leeway. You just never know where a scene might go, so you have to be on your toes and pay attention because all the pieces have to tie together; it's a challenge.  But with Michael the creative juices are continuously flowing. It's as though he is meditating in motion.” All of the actors were amazed by the secrecy surrounding the project. Most of them only received script pages with their own scenes rather than the entire script. “This is as tight as it's gotten for me,” says Voight. “I never know what I can say, so I just don't say much,” he laughs. “But when I walked onto some of the sets and saw how amazing they were, I understood why Michael and Steven wanted to keep it under wraps.” It became a joke with cast members how many people would ask them which Transformer they were playing when friends and family found out they were starring in the film. Next Page: Transformers - The Story