Set: Egypt, in front of Kheops Pyramid, stands an ancient 30’s palace built for King Faruk’s guests.

At “Action”, Shia runs through the yard, stops at the doorstep and hits the door with his shoulder. Megan Fox, John Turturro and Ramon Rodriguez come next and hurry inside the building.

Shia heads up, shout a few words at an imaginary Bumblebee, and gets in. Three cars, the Camaro, the red TRAX and the green BEAT, start quickly and stop a bit further away to look out. The three vehicles are driven by black-suited (and thereby “invisible”) stuntmen behind the smoked glass.

At the end of the day, the crew moves to the third and smallest pyramid, Mykerinos. John Turturro, back as always angry agent Simmons, has to climb up a few stones. This hasn’t been done for 30 years: Too many accident occurred and Egyptians had forbidden it. Turturro will try to run from an imaginary Decepticon.

Michael Bay says: “I had the idea of these two stupid Transformers, Skids and Mudflap. They’re twins who can’t stop bickering, but they do heroic things at the beginning of the movie.

Bumblebee, on his side, has become more serious. He doesn’t want to leave Sam’s parents’ garage. There is also an old Transformer, who loses screws and bolts at every move. And it’s John Turturro voicing him.”

The movie will start at Gyzeh, Egypt, long before pyramids were built, and will end at the same place nowadays, with a huge fight between Autobots and Decepticons.

It’s said that we’ll learn in the movie how pyramids were built. Does it involve any Transformer?

TFW: Have you been approached at all for any further work with the franchise, either with the movie (Soundwave?) or another incarnation, such as Transformers: Animated?
Welker: Well it is a little too early to be specific but I will say yes and no. No, I have not been approached by the movie folks but yes I am still involved in the franchise…more on that later.

Michael, I can understand your choice in terms of Megatron, and I know you’re probably ready to murder the next guy who brings up the topic of original voice actors…but please, please allow Frank a shot at Soundwave’s voice. I’m risking getting banned by Nelson (again) just to ask. His participation in the franchise really does mean that much to a load of fans out there.

I swear this is the last time I will ever bring this subject up until the movie’s release.

To which Michael Bay responded positively:

I think I’m going to pursue Frank on Soundwave.
Michael

For those not in the know, Frank Welker voiced both Megatron and Soundwave in the original animated series, he also reprized his role as Megatron for the recent video game.

TRANSFORMERS 2 EXTRAS:
Needed are union and Non-Union background men and women, ages 18-24 – must LOOK COLLEGE AGE, all ethnicities, for scenes set in Princeton NJ. Shooting will take place in June 2008.

No acting experience necessary; both SAG and non-union talent will be considered. All roles are paid positions.

Please submit a CURRENT picture of yourself to:

tr2princeton@gmail.com
Your photo must be in .jpg format.

NO phone calls please.

You know how Jonah Hill was attached to TRANSFORMERS 2, and then was suddenly and without explanation un-attached? Apparently, Jonah was more or less offered the part in the room, but then had to go into Bay’s office to read the script – because it’s so super top secret and the plot is so extra-specially complex, you know.

Jonah sits down, opens the script. The character of the chubby sidekick is named “Jonah.” How perfect. Jonah reads 20 pages of the script, puts it down, and silently walks out of the room. Wants no part of it. Next thing you know, his reps call Bay, he’s off the project.

I’m thinking this may be because the chubby sidekick character was just too stereotypical with a whole host of terrible one liners and very little depth. Last thing you want to do is get typecast.

Marsden has been cast in the role of “Graham,” a character who is part of the British Special Forces. Although the film’s plot is being kept under the tightest veils of secrecy, it is known that the flick will depict an even more worldly battle than the first “Transformers” film, and will shoot all over the globe. In the sequel, Graham teams with Duhamel and Tyrese’s military characters, joining their efforts as they do battle with the evil Decepticons.

“I play a college professor,” he told MTV before jokingly adding, “that turns into a robot, and turns into a car.”

Sounds like those robots-in-disguise might be chasing down some bikers?

A casting call just arrived in my inbox advertising for a “female motorcycle rider” to do a days work on “Transformers”.

This “Very Attractive Female Actor Under 30 Years Old” must “have extensive experience/training in riding motorcycles”.

The actress would be a day-player.

Via Heery Casting:

Little Person needed for “Transformers 2″
We are looking for a Male Little Person , age 30-65, any ethnicity, for a featured role in the Dreamworks production of “Transformers 2.”
Shooting will be in the Philadelphia area in the month of June.
This is a featured role, we will see both SAG and non-SAG for this. (We will waiver for this)

If interested and available, please send a CANDID picture of yourself (not a headshot) to:
tr2philadelphia@gmail.com
Please attach the picture as a .jpg and put “Little person” in the subject line.

No Phone calls please.
May 30 2008

TRANSFORMERS 2 EXTRAS
If you missed the open call for TRANSFORMERS 2, you may still submit a picture.

Needed are union and Non-Union background men and women, ages 18-70, all ethnicities, for scenes set in Philadelphia PA, and Princeton NJ. Shooting will take place in June 2008.

College age men and women are especially needed. No acting experience necessary; both SAG and non-union talent will be considered. All roles are paid positions.

Please submit a CURRENT picture of yourself to: tr2philadelphia@gmail.com
Your photo must be in .jpg format.
If your headshot is older than one year, do NOT send it. Instead, send a recent snapshot – that has you alone in the picture – a close-up is preferred (no party pictures holding a beer…)
Your picture must be attached as a “.jpeg” file.
Be sure to include all contact information, height and weight and SAG number (if you have one) in the body of the e-mail.

Please state if you are available for Philadelphia and/or Princeton.
NO phone calls please.
May 23 2008

‘I just talked to Shia a second ago, and left John Voight a message 15 minutes ago,’ he said, inadvertently letting slip that Voight’s Secretary of Defense character returns for the sequel.

‘Michael Bay is going to up the ante on round two and raise the level. I can’t go into any details , but it’s going to be some real one of a kind things in this movie that no one has seen visually in their life. Michael Bay is really fired up to try and outdo what he did on the first round.’

“I wasn’t contracted for a sequel anyway, but I also think it would be pretty ridiculous for my character just to show up and say ‘We’ve got some more computers to play with!’.

More importantly, I don’t think I’d wanna do it to be honest, and not for any particular reason other than the fact that I’ve done it. I’m just drawn to doing different things. It was the same when I went to the U.S, I didn’t want to do TV, because I’d done it. I want to be able to mix it up all the time.”

Well, that’s that.