Even though the trailer for his upcoming "small" movie "Pain & Gain" showed us the Michael Bay we forgot about — fun, ridiculous, over-the-top, funny — dude has sports cars to buy, so he's dully shooting "Transformers 4" next. Sigh. And Bay has been busy over the fall, testing various young things to take roles opposite Mark Wahlberg in the movie, and now he's found his new Shia LaBeouf.
The director announced on his website today that newcomer Jack Reynor has been cast. He's probably best known for his turn in the Irish film "What Richard Did," which opens in the UK this weekend (fortuitous). And yes, it's that film which convinced Bay he's the right man for the gig. We suppose this means the previous reports about Brenton Thwaites and Nicola Peltz being cast are erroneous, or perhaps unconfirmed at this point. Here's Bay's full statement. "Transformers 4" drops on June 27, 2014:
I just hired a great new actor for Transformers 4 to star against Mark Wahlberg. Jack Reynor, he is an Irish kid that came to America with 30 bucks in his pocket. Pretty ballsy. Seriously who does that? Anyway I spotted him in a great little Irish movie WHAT RICHARD DID. This kid is the real deal.
Transformers 4, is not a reboot. That word has been floating around on the net.
This movie takes place exactly 4 years after the war in Chicago. The story makes a very natural transition, and reason as to why we have a whole new cast. This Transformers will feel very different then the last three. We are embarking on a new trilogy.
Michael