Transformers 3 Is Given A Release Date And Thor Moves Around Again (Updated)

 



 

This week Paramount films has announced the release date for the third film in the Transformers franchise.  As of now it is only being called Transformers 3 and it will be released on July 1st, 2011.

 

It's the first official word of the project. Paramount insiders told the trade paper that the studio wanted to claim the date before another studio did, and that this isn't an official announcement that Transformers 3 is a go. No writer has been hired.

 

Dreamworks and Paramount executives weren't immediately available to confirm whether director Michael Bay and stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox are set to return for the third installment in the franchise.

 

So there's no official deal on the film yet?  No script has been written.  No writer has even been hired yet to write it.  There's no director, and stars Shia La Beef and Megan Fox haven't even signed on to be in it yet.  But they've set a release date?  Isn't this a little early?

 

Basically, Paramount just wanted to call dibs on the release date so that no other production companies will announce a release on that same date.  Wow.  When did the summer months become so cluttered with blockbuster films that you have to reserve your release dates two years in advance, before you even officially have a deal to make the film you've reserved a day for?  Isn't this starting to get just a little insane?

 

In related summer blockbuster news, Marvel studios has also announced this week that for the second time in less than a week they're moving around Thor's release date.  It is now coming out on May 20th, 2011 instead of the previously reported June 17th, 2011.

 

For those of you that are keeping track at home, this means that the summer of 2011 movie schedule currently looks like this:

 

• Iron Man 2 comes out on May 6th


• Thor comes out on May 20th


• Transformers 3 comes out on July 1st


• Captain America comes out on July 22nd

 

You'd better start saving up your pennies now folks.  It looks like that year is going to be a doozy.  And since movie tickets will probably cost $25 and the soul of your first born child by then, we're going to need as much time as possible to save up.

 

UPDATE:  Sorry folks, looks like this news was a bit premature.  I blame Variety, they're the first ones who reported this.  Michael Bay has officially responded to this announcement with the following post on his official blog:

 

"I said I was taking off a year from Transformers," Bay wrote on his official forum. "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."

 

So there you have it.  Michael Bay has officially announced he'll be directing Transformers 3, but it's not coming out until July 4th, 2012 by which time the world will have ended anyways if you believe the Aztecs and none of this news will matter anymore.