Michael Bay Basically Confirms He'll Return To Direct TRANSFORMERS 5 Before Moving On

It's been rumored that Michael Bay would return to direct the fifth installment in Paramount's Transformers franchise and now he's come out and basically confirmed that he'll be back for one last ride.

By RohanPatel - Jan 04, 2016 04:01 PM EST

Filed Under: The Last Knight

Twice before, director Michael Bay has claimed that he was leaving Paramount Pictures' multi-billion dollar Transformers franchise in his rear-view mirror, only to later change his mind.

Well, third time's the charm, I suppose.

In his extensive profile with Rolling Stone, the immensely successful director/producer revealed that he's more likely than not directing Transformers 5, which will star Mark Wahlberg and hit theaters summer 2017. He also once again assured everyone that this next one will definitely be his last one and credits Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams for being the driving force behind convincing him to return for a fifth and final go-round.

Read an excerpt from Rolling Stone's conversation with Bay below:

Between his producing duties and directorial work, Bay usually has a half-dozen projects going at once. Right now, in addition to 13 Hours, he's doing post-production on the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which he's producing and which is due in 2016, and pre-production for the next Transformers, which he's directing for summer 2017. "I'm doing Transformers ... 5, is it?" Bay says, temporarily losing track. He shakes his head. "I've taken on a lot of work."

"The movie industry has really changed," Bay says, apropos of nothing. "The middle-[budget] movie is basically gone. They just want these big movies." (The irony of this statement goes unremarked-upon.) "Transformers, I still have a great time. It's fun to do a movie that 100 million people will see. But this is the last one. I have to pass the reins to someone else."

I remind Bay that he said the same thing before each of the last two Transformers movies. "I know," he says. "J.J. [Abrams] told me, 'You're the only guy that could do this.' But it's time to move on. One more."

Sounds like 2017 will be a year of farewells as it's also the year where we see X-Men star Hugh Jackman bid adieu to his fan-favorite role as Wolverine.

Bay's decision to return shouldn't come as a total surprise as star Mark Wahlberg had stated on numerous ocassions that he had a good feeling that Bay would return to direct the next installment. Also, with Paramount actively developing a larger cinematic unvierse around their Transformers franchise, it was probably in their best interest to bring back the director of the original films to help them build a bridge from the previous films to any future prequels, spin-offs, and/or sequels.

So, what do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below!

Transformers 5 hits theaters Summer 2017

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172 Comments

1 2 3 4 5

Highflyer - 1/4/2016, 4:35 PM

Greaaaaaaat. -_-

GiantNerd - 1/4/2016, 4:38 PM

Yay!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding

JSamueliaml8 - 1/4/2016, 4:40 PM

if Age of Extinction had been 20 mins shorter, It would have been better.

TheEpicJuicebox - 1/4/2016, 4:43 PM

Gross
He really messed up with the dinobots the only good thing to come out of those movies was how nice the cars where

Invictor - 1/4/2016, 4:47 PM

This film series sucks.

@Jollem
We know; it still doesn't have the excuse of being a shit movie.

Invictor - 1/4/2016, 4:48 PM

Why not writing, story, and directing.

BlackStar25 - 1/4/2016, 4:51 PM

Eh...I love the first 3...then 4 happened. Yeah...even though I love the first 3, I finally understood why people don't like Bayformers after that last one.

Hulksta - 1/4/2016, 4:54 PM

'Basically Confirms'

Invictor - 1/4/2016, 4:55 PM

@Inhuman
No one is complaining about how it's not serious; we just want a better movie. Guardians of the Galaxy had a lot of comedy, yet, it's praised as one of the best films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

SnapperCarr - 1/4/2016, 4:55 PM

If Snyder is busy with Justice League, Bay could do MOS 2.

SnapperCarr - 1/4/2016, 4:56 PM

Snyder is pretty much Bay with slightly better sensibilities.

Slightly.

BlackStar25 - 1/4/2016, 4:58 PM

It's funny how people can point out explosions in Bay movies but not in others...

TheBeard - 1/4/2016, 4:58 PM

Mrcool210 - 1/4/2016, 4:58 PM

Now we know never to believe him when he says he's leaving, since he's said it twice now. Ugh

CaptainObvious - 1/4/2016, 5:00 PM

"This movie wasn't made to be smart."

Translation: "This movie is terrible."

DeusExSponge - 1/4/2016, 5:01 PM

I just hope he brings it down a notch, make it more like the first Transformers movie. Also stop killing Autobots dammit! He killed Ironhide and then made Ratchet go out like a bitch!

ralfinader - 1/4/2016, 5:02 PM

Can't wait. Which one was the last one...I kind of remember a bunch of metal robots smashing other robots, and Megan Fox.

JorL5150 - 1/4/2016, 5:06 PM

THE HIGH-ART OF CINEMA IS SAVED!!!!

JorL5150 - 1/4/2016, 5:07 PM

"MORE BAYFORMERS???"

1 2 3 4 5

Michael Bay Basically Confirms He'll Return To Direct TRANSFORMERS 5 Before Moving On

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