If this is indeed true, the I’ll be one happy happy geek. It appears Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from the Matrix series, Lord Elrond from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and most recently “V”) has been cast to be the voice of Megatron in the upcoming Transformers movie.
I’ve been saying on The Movie Blog for months now that THIS is the guy I’ve wanted for the voice of the head Decepticon. Don’t get me wrong, as a kid I loved the voice of Frank Welker, but I’ve said repeatedly that his voice would sound way too out of place in a live action film. His voice was perfect for the cartoon… but really… on the big screen in a love action environment it would have sounded silly. Sorry 80’s cartoon purists… but it’s 100% true.
Weaving has a terrific voice, and KNOWS how to use it. The passion and intensity he’s able to bring to a voice character is amazing and he’s also experienced in doing voice work. This makes him perfect for Megatron (in my opinion).
Peter Cullen being brought back as Optimus Prime works. I think his is a voice that translates well in both animated and live environments, and it should be enough to satisfy our desire for nostalgia of the 80’s. This is a good day. I can’t wait to hear Transformers detractors come up with reasons to cry about this. :P
Do you hear that?
That’s not the fireworks, that’s the sound of Transformers kicking ass!
Hugo as Megatron is [bleep][bleep] great casting, IMHO!
The Mars trailer was actually reffered to as an announcment trailer and the second was, in fact, a teaser.
Look it up on the official site.
The next one will be the first full trailer.
Not trying to split hairs, but those are the facts.
I am not saying it is an insult……
I am just saying i was surprised how average it was….i am not saying it was the worst trailer ever….a laughable load of shit…i am not trying to insult it jay…..Will said it was amazing and I just questioned him on it as i just thought it was very run of the mill…..
i was just questioning wills claim that it was amazing……even though i am not exactly on this films side putting all that aside i was surprised how unamazing the trailer was….it was very “average”
that wasn’t a teaser either…..the first one on mars or wherever thats a teaser…
once you get into long montages of the actual film – thats trailer time….there is no tease going on they are showing you multiple scenes from ther film…. that was trailer A..next will come trailer B…
*The usual cussing/swearing I would say over good news*
This just in, GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS ATTACKING US (on Independence Day)! Hugo should do Megatron justice.
Btw, what movie will be released near July 4th. The Transformers will eat those poor bastards!
alfie,
you could be right, but i’ll tell you what the teaaser did do. it got everyone out there who didnt know anything about the movie and who maybe and probably are not huge transformers fans excited about this movie. the trailer certainly made someone who wouldnt be interested because of the name and its relation to a cartoon and toy line very interested because clearly this movie is not about that and its not for kids. kids will eat it up though obviously.
and only time and advertising will tell how huge the opening will be, but nothing will beat pirates 2 because that appealed to everyone.
trailer did its job, it got people talking, and people are definatly interested now, even more so than before the trailer. at least with the mainstream population.
I thought it was a good teaser.
I dont think average action trailer is an insult.
Casino Royale had a great trailer, but it was just an action trailer. I just dont see how that’s an insult. If you say it was a bad trailer because of A, B, and C, then I get that, but to call it an average action trailer is not insulting as far as I’m concerned. It’s an action movie. It should have your standard action trailer. You’ve hated everything so far, so of course you’re going to find something wrong with the trailer too. No surprise there.
It was just a teaser, after all. The final trailer will be better.
I actually appreciate the fact that they’re not going to show any of the money shots in the trailer. I think that let’s the experience in the theatre be that much more exciting. That being said, I still got a chill watching for the first couple of times. The idea is enough to give me a chill, and then to actually get a glimpse… what can I say? It worked for me. The sound. The way it was cut together. The shots that were chosen. It really worked for me… sorry.
It wasnt mind-blowingly good like the Casino Royale trailer, but it was just a teaser, for God’s sake.
you see will I saw the trailer totally differently…I do not believe that someone on the fence or unsure whether they are interested in seeing this film would have seen that trailer and thought they had to see it…it just looked like a run of the mill action film…..
What I want to know is whether or not john still holds firm to his belief that it will break every opening weekend box office record???
i thought they made an amazing trailer, especially since they hardly showed us anything.
at the very least, it definitly got everyone, probably even you alfie, very curious and anxious to see more. they have all kinds of people very interested in the movie now, and i thought it was great.
How about we have the discussion on how good/bad the movie actually is when it comes out and weve all seen it.
As ar as how it looks? As a childhood fan of transformers, Id say it looks to be going about as well as you could hope for a live action transformers movie.
I can sleep happy waiting for see this movie!
All my dreams, as a Fan of transformers movie and cartoon, are become true!
Thanks Michael! thanks Spilver Thanks Cybertron!!
king regards
The trailer …. was…amazing???
really…I am not being condescending to will here jay before you come at me with one of your “why do you think you arer better than everyone” attacks…
I am seriously surprised to hear anyone call the trailer amazing..even you jay must admit it was nothing special…even I was hoping the trailer migth be one of those chills down the spine holy fuck trailers but it was fairly generic….
alfie
of course bay is getting defensive. i mean, no one has seen shit from his movie, and everyone is talking like its the worst movie of all time already. “hes raping my childhood” all of that nonesense.
he knows what hes made, and he knows its going to blow people away. no one else knows that but him, so of course its frustrating for him since the movie isnt out yet and its getting judged like crazy. thats the way he sees it.
i think its fairly clear and understandable why he would be defensive. the movie is going to deliver in all ways that a transformers movie in live action should deliver. if i were bay, even if my movie sucked, i would be pissed.
hell, its even anoying for me that people are shitting all over this even though the trailer was amazing.
the defensive mr bay…..
that is really funny……I mean woah…38 hours to render a frame!!!!
holy cow I take back everything I have said – it must be amazing..only the best films take those kind of times to have their shots rendered….
I haven’t read the supposed script that is floating out there only heard about it…..as I have always said the action has never been in question for me – its everything else that surrounds the action..you know the little things..like story, and acting….dialogue…just the little things. someone needs to remind bay it isn’t a lack of action that worries people – it is his complete lack of coherent decent storytelling and the fact he is soulless hack. thats what worries us…..I have always maintained that it will have tons of pretty pictures….
jesus that is really funny though that he has gone on a “my cock aint small – my cock is massive” type defense mode. I find thet hilarious….mind due I don;t just dislike bay – that producer don murphy is a complete waste of fucking space to. A complete fucking idiot…..and if the harry he is referring too is knowles then the film must be good – I mean harry doesn’t like anything..he is SOOO hard to please…..
Poor Alfie, he hardly ever likes anything. :( I bet he drives his friends crazy all the time.
Anyway, this is awsome news. I think he’ll make a great Megatron too. Although not my first choice for the voice of one of the best villains ever, still would of been one of my top 5 choices though.
And so glad Weaving is being used more in films of late. He was one of the best things about the Matrix series, who just did such an excellent job of bringing Agent Smith to life. It’s just a shame they don’t always use his talent right in the films he does. Just hope this is one of those times they do.
Just thought I’d share this with you guys.
I know it will only add fuel to Alfie’s fire (still tweaking the script means it still sucks, all action and nothing else good, blah blah blah. we all know his rant), but I just had to post about it.
This is from Michael Bay – http://tinyurl.com/2xj3xc
“Almost a 100 days left. I guess I should start posting every week? I’ve been working my ass off – the cut is really coming along -the shots —awesome. Some of the most difficult renders in ILM history. Sometimes up to 38 hours per frame. The Show West thing was fun to see the scenes play in a 1000 person house. But they just saw 25 minutes so it is hard to feel engaged because they are not seeing the full run of a movie. Harry called me to tell me how he loved it. I see all the dickwad talk back people who claim they have read a finished script. Impossible – I kept the only draft for the last two months before shooting. That’s where did major retooling to the script – yes the scene beats are similar but a very different script. We are still writing the robot voices. They talk about just 20 minutes of action at the end – yeah right. This is by far the most action I have ever put into a movie – I have 12 huge set pieces. Boy I get tired of these lame cry babies on the net.”
“Dickwad talk back people” – fucking hilarious
Tear him a new one Alfie and break down everything he said. You know you wanna.
I liked the Island too.
I thought it was really underrated.
hahaha oops.
ok well i liked the island. whatever. damn sarcasmn not working in print. haha whatever
That last line was a little confusing.
I wasnt saying Bay is boring, I was sayings it’s a safe bet that Bay will make the movie that I want to see. I got a bit lost on how to wrap things up. Sue me, I’ve had a long day.
Hey Will,
He was being sarcastic about watching the Island. He hates it too.
Alfie, how’s this: if you’re wrong about this movie, you have to fuck a squash.
Oh dont get mad Alfie,
I was just eggin’ ya on a little bit.
To be honest, I actually thought most of the performances in “V” were pretty good, but I still felt the movie as a whole was lacking. I enjoyed it, but I wanted to like it more than I did.
And,
I have to agree with Will.
Hiring Cullen was the boring safe choice made to try to please the whining fanboys. I hope it works out, but it was done for that reason alone. As long as we’re being honest, Cullen’s aging voice and his ability to pull this role off has become my biggest worry. I have complete confidence in Bay. I know the action and effects are going to be top notch. And I’ve read the script, so I pretty much know I’m gonna be satisfied with the story. Shia’s fine and I’m Ok with Josh Duhamel. Megan Fox… I think it goes without saying that I’ll enjoy her “performance”, so all in all I’m happy with the cast. As for Tyrese, I liked him in Four Brothers so I’m gonna give him a chance.
But like I said, I may have a little doubt about Cullen. I know Cullen is the ONLY thing you like about this movie but I’m worried that his voice may have aged a little too much. I was excited at first and after I heard him say all those lines I got a bit of a geek rush, but after listening to it a few times, I just kept thinking “cartoon voice actor”.
…Of course you know I’m just pulling your chain, because as I’ve stated a hundred times, nothing has dampened my enthusiasm for this flick so far. Not Bay. Not the designs, which I adore. Not the cast. Not the reviews of the scenes shown at Sho-West. And certainly not Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. I wanted to make you feel like I was worried about something, but I just couldnt keep it going. Oh well… I do think it was the safe, boring choice though. Hiring Cyndi Lauper… Now that would have been exciting and dangerous. So you see, sometimes safe, although it may be a tad boring, is the best way to go.
Michael Bay… Safe, but still the best guy for the job.
alfie
i hope you enjoy the island, its pretty good and actually thought provoking a little bit. im interested to hear what you think about it.
and just in general, im having a hard time imagining this medium between the cartoon and this movie that we are going to have. basically thats refering to designs and other changes, including the plot because theres no way they could make a movie with plot like the cartoon. itd be too expensive and not enough human point of view. i just dont see anything like that working, or any robot designs that are halfway between what we have now and what the cartoons were.
and that was me just rambling.
oh and jay I use the phrase “one of the worst movies” repeatedly but if you look at see it always about the same films…I don’t just throw it onto to any old film……mostly on this site it has been for pearl harbor and v for vendatta….I believe for 300 I said one of the most RIDICULOUS movies of all time…I am not so flippant with my use of that phrase…it is generally the same films…..fairly consistant….but I repeatedly use the phrase when referring to these films because I sincerely believe they are 2 of the most shocking wastes of time and money I have ever seen…
now excuse me I have to go watch the island
sorry jay i jumped all over that post above…the first paragraph is addressing will the rest is for you about my screening of bad boys 2……
Will, trust me if anything I have played down how much I hated v for vendetta….as hard as you find it to believe someone could hate it that much I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone could enjoy that wretched load of garbage. It didn’t make sense due to plot holes the size of fucking texas….it contradicted its own logic within the film…..every single performance was terrible…weavings voice was so disembodied from the v character that it was obvious that it was not him all of the time…portman proved again she is one of the worst actors around…..and the fight scenes were so badly staged and boring that even the action failed…so yeah – i fucking hated it.
it will take a lot more than hiring some old guys voice to make up for the other million things that sound awful about this film – things like squiggletrons fucked up design
we were hanging out not doing anything…he had it there…he swore to me it wasn’t as bad as it turned out to be….so we put it on…again jay i am open to anything – sure I fucking hate bays style and pretty much all of his films (aside from the rock) but I am willing to give anything a chance…I am not close minded about anything..I certainly was not going to pay to see it in the cinema but he had it and said fuck it put it on..what do I care…..
I will give most films a chance….I generally see everything eventually…..and what a surprise – it was fucking terrible…
outside of trying to make some weird point that I watched a michael bay film at my friends house like that proves I am a liar or that I am exaggerating how bad i think he is can you seriously defend bad boys 2 as anything close to a good film???
it is fucking dreadful….again I go back to my old point – yes he can direct action but it is at the expense of everything else.
I remember saying I definitely won’t see transformers in the theatres…and to be totally honest if it wasn’t for this site I probably would still feel that way but I have to have
ammo for the message boards…I want to have my facts ready…and I want to have a good laugh at what I am sure will be a fucking hilarious film.
and again since I am open minded perhaps I will love it….
anyway I read somewhere today megatron only has about 6 lines in the entire film so weavings voice won’t be too much of a problem
alfie,
several things. michael bay is a boring safe film maker? i can think of zero things boring in any of his movies, even if you didnt like them.
second, theres no way i can beleive someone hated V for Vendetta so much. but ok i’ll accept your opinion.
oh yeah, and a boring safe choice that the film makers of transformers was their selection of Peter Cullen to voice. i dont care about that decision, but the only reason they did it was to be safe and try and please bitching fans. obviously it didnt work. oh well.
you dont like the way the movie is coming along, i think i love the way its shaping up. fair enough.
It just might, Alfie… it just might…
Just out of curiosity,
Why did you watch Bad Boys 2 at your friends house.
The way you talk, I would have assumed you would have cut his head off for even suggesting it. It just doesnt make any sense. Why would you sit down for 2 hours and watch that movie if you really feel the way you so adamantly say you feel about his movies. And dont say it’s because he was watching it. That’s bull****. If I hated something as much as you profess to hate Bay, I would’ve went home and re-caulked my shower stall rather than watch that movie. I mean, the way you go on and on about how much you despise him and his movies, how they are the “worst films ever made”, How they’re ridiculous crap and you’d rather gouge your eyes out than watch them again, and yet there you were… watching Bad Boys 2. A movie which even I admit could have been a lot better.
Could it be that you like to exaggerate for effect here on the internet, but in person you are much more tolerant of certain things. Could it be that you dont hate things as much as you try to act like you do. Could it be that you like to try to convince people of your distaste for something by going to extremes to prove it.
For instance, “I guarantee I wont see it in the theatre”. Sound familiar…
And to a lesser degree,
You use the phrase “It’s one of the worst movies ever made” to descibe every single film you say dont like. Do they all really rate that phrase? Or are you using it for the effect you think it has.
Just speculating, no offense intended.
Besides, the questions are mostly rhetorical, I already know the answers.
Hell, We ALL know you use the extreme phrasing that you use for effect. It’s cool. It’s actually one of the things I like about you. I find it funny.
And I’m sure to you it’s no different than hearing us gush about how “perfect” or “awesome” we think things look. Opposing sides of a coin… that’s all it is.
this is going to be sweet. :) perfect.
I thought every single part of v for vendetta was bad…including weavings awful awful voice work. the film was so bad my eyes stung while watching it. it is one of the worst movies ever made and everyone involved is dead to me….
I don’t think weaving has a good voice for megatron at all. I find it uninspired and unoriginal…
it is boring safe choice made by a boring safe film maker….
sorry to bring up old discussions that we have gone over a billion times but I saw Bad Boys 2 last week at a friends house….
now the guy who made that fucking load of shit is the guy who you are all so happy about making this? because he knows how to shoot a car exploding….it still astounds me….
As I have said before though I am glad that every single piece of news about this film pleases you all so much…..sounds like the film is going to be perfect in every single way and quite possibly cure aids
Alfie,
Thank you for sparing us. We all know you hate everything having to do with this movie.
I find it amazing that you can somehow find this news to be horrible too. It truly bumfuddles me that you see this as a bad idea.
I dont want to get into it, because we’ll both just end up saying the same things we always say, but Hugo Weaving has a spectacular voice. The way he used it in V was the highlight of that movie for me. And I wasnt as impressed with that flick as some people were, but I dont see how you can deny that his voice work was superb.
I think this is inspired voice casting.
He’s the perfect guy for Megatron (in my opinion) and I absolutely cant wait to hear him do his thing.
I can hear “StarScream!” now, and it sounds like a geek wet dream come true.
That’s all.
Like I said, I dont want to keep saying the same things over and over so I’ll just state my opinion on the specific topic.
Hugo Weaving, I think, will make one helluva Megatron.
Hey Will,
You and me both, brother.
wow.
they could announce that prime is no longer going to be a truck but that he is now a transforming colostomy bag and you guys would be happy……
So not only does Megatron look like a squiggly laughable mess he is now going to sound like that fucking ridiculous V character from the last piece of shit he did a voice for…..
I am very interested in seeing this “mouth” that prime has when his face guard comes down…he has lips and a mouth that speaks…really interested in seeing what that looks like….
but other than that you can add this to my list of things that sound bad…weaving??…blarggggghhhh….I will leave it there. I won’t go on – just had to say my piece
Hug it out, bitches!
Hugo is the fucking man. He’s starred in 6 of the biggest movies in the last decade [3 Matrix, 3 LOTR] and now Transformers. Who’s his agent…Ari Gold?
GOD YES!
“WHY PRIME, WHY, WHY DO YOU PERSSSSSSIST?”
I can’t wait.
i’m a big tf fan and i freakin’ love it that hugo weaving is doing it, and i’m pretty curious to hear those ‘bots talk, but i can wait untill it comes out!! i don’t want to be too spoiled!! but as far as the transformers not being shown enough in the trailer, if you look around on the net, you can find a picture of every single one that’s gonna be in the movie!! so keep it together for a few more months and i’ll see you guys at the movie!!
“Where is this info coming from? I see no quotes….”
It came from the Transformers viral site SectorSeven.org. I copied all the info and translated the intials for folk who don’t follow the site…
http://powet.tv/2007/03/24/transformers-2007-hugo-weaving-is-megatron-100-days-until-release/
Yay!
great, great news.
and they are not going to give us any good glimpses at robots in any advertising as far as ive read. they want to do the anti-king kong advertising, which i really think is brilliant.
just think about how bad you want to see these things right now, and how crazy your mind is going trying to imagine these things fighting each other. me at least.
Awesome news! Though I still think Christopher Walken would be even better =)
Where is this info coming from? I see no quotes….
This is fine. But if they don’t show some of the transformers clearly, talking in the next trailer, I’m losing faith in it. At this point I’m pretty convinced it will look ridiculous, so if they can’t prove otherwise I have zero faith in this.
That Peter Cullen line they tacked on to the last trailer was pathetic.
Best fucking news all week!
I still couldn’t give a fuck to find out exactly what the big deal that Tranformers is, but if Hugo’s in it, I’m watchin’ it.
I couldn’t be happier! Hugo Weaving is a brilliant choice!
Back when you made the first post about him as a possibility, I voted for him too.
So I am very happy with this news.