Q: Hey Michael. Transformers: Age of Extinction is your fourth installment of the Transformers franchise. What should fans expect?
A: I think this one is the best. Its got a really fresh feel about it. The cast is amazing. We got Mark Wahlberg starring and Marks record speaks for itself. We had a great time working on Pain & Gain together. It’s the same on this. In fact, we have such a strong cast. Theres Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, Jack Reynor, BingBing Li, Nicola Peltz.
Q: There was talk after the last one, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, you step away from directing this movie. Shia LaBeouf walked away, but here you are. Were you contemplating handing over the directing reins of the franchise to somebody else?
A: I did think about it, but I came to the conclusion I didn’t want to hand it off to somebody else. The franchise has a big, loyal audience all around the world. We started working on the script and I worked with Mark on Pain & Gain and it was great fun. When Mark showed interest in doing a Transformers film it got me really excited. We redesigned the robots a little. That gives this film a totally different look and feel.
Q: Lets talk about Mark for a second. Can you describe his character and what Mark brings to the movie?
A: Sure. Mark plays a father who is struggling to protect his daughter. We all know Marks previous work so you know just what he will bring to that. Hes a devoted family man, a great father away from the set and he really brings that into this role. Marks always prepared. I just love working with the guy. Hes a pro. He knows his lines and all of the other actors lines. He knows where to stand.
Q: Its a shame you couldnt get Dwayne Johnson on this as well. Mark and The Rock had such great chemistry in Pain & Gain.
A: I did look into it (laughs). Dwayne was too busy. He had some other projects he was locked into. I love to pair them up in a Transformers movie. That would be great.
Q: Mark is obviously a lot older than Shia. Was there any talk of going with a teenage or early 20s actor as your lead instead of an older, established star like Mark Wahlberg?
A: Yes there was. The studio suggested that, but I liked the father-daughter story and my experience with Mark on Pain & Gain was so good it seemed like a natural fit. We also give this film some gravitas with Kelsey and Stanley. Kelsey plays the bad guy. They are just great actors.
Q: Transformer movies are known for their big action scenes. But, it seems like on this you really took it to another level and pulled off some really complex action scenes.
A: Yeah (laughs). We really pushed ourselves. We had some single 30 second shots with explosions, actors. That was great. It takes a lot of preparation and setting up, but it was definitely worth it. Our audience will appreciate it.
Q: Whats your favourite robot in this film.
A: I like them all. The Hound character makes me laugh.
Q: Yes, hes great.
A: Yeah. Hound is fearless. He has a major arsenal of weapons. He doesn’t stop until he runs out of ammo.
Q: Whats different about Transformers: Age of Extinction compared to the previous three.
A: This one is more grounded. It starts in Texas farm country among people living a simple, innocent life. It of course doesn’t stay that way. We go into outer space, to other parts of the US. We are in China and Hong Kong. While it is more cinematic than the previous, we have Marks character, a father, and we see the story through his eyes and his relationship with his daughter. Thats completely different. The previous films we saw it through his eyes and he was fantastic. Mark gives it a different feel.
Q: You were laughing about Hound and the fun things he does, but this Transformers, because it is grounded in family relationships, seems more serious. It’s not a kid battling robots. It seems like there’s more on the line here. It feels a little grittier.
A: Yes, that’s really it. There’s a reason Extinction is in the title of this film. This is our fourth film and the franchise has matured. We have to keep on improving, keep it fresh, keep the audience involved. That’s why this one has a more serious tone. It’s still fun, but definitely grittier and more grounded.
Q: It also seems like we get to know the personalities of the robots more this time around.
A: That’s true. We wanted the audience to know more about them and the Transformer world. Their personalities. Their characters. We mainly just focus on five robots this time. That creates more of a connection with the audience. We have also tinkered with their design a little so you’ll notice Optimus and Bumblebee still largely look the same, but there’s slight design changes.
Q: Why did you do that?
A: (Laughs) It’s like when Batman gets a new suit for each movie.
Q: The cars are also always an important part of the Transformers films. You are a renowned car lover. How do you select the cars that make it in the movie?
A: One of the coolest things about doing the Transformers movies is car companies see the value in having their new cars in the film. So, they’d literally fly their new cars from car shows in Europe or wherever to my office. Bugatti, Mercedes, Chevy, Lamborghini. They all wanted to be part of this franchise.
Læs Mark Hougaard’s anmeldelse af ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction‘ HER
