Michael Bay signs on for ‘Transformers 4′

Action director Michael Bay just can't seem to quit those giant alien robots.

After a trilogy of "Transformers" films, more explosions than occurred in the entire Second World War, and nearly $2.7 billion dollars in box office receipts, Bay declared that he was likely finished with the bot-battling franchise. However, at this weekend's Toy Fair in New York, "Transformers" producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told MTV that Bay will indeed be returning for the fourth installment of the series -- and that the film might even be a reboot of sorts. Di Bonaventura's statement was made official on Monday when Bay himself announced that he had just signed a two picture deal with Paramount.

Currently set for a 2014 release, very few details are known about "Transformers 4" at this point, but it's a safe to assume that if Bay has anything to do with it, transforming robots, scantily clad women, and collapsing buildings will be involved. Because producers are looking for a fresh start, the fourth film is unlikely to involve actor Shia LaBeouf, who starred of the first three "Transformers" movies. Say it aint' so, Shia!

There have been rumours that action player Jason Statham ("The Expendables") would step in for the fourth outing, but maybe it's time for producers to reevaluate the reasons that people go to see these films. No one saw "Transformers" for Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox (well, maybe for Megan Fox). Audiences went to witness robot-on-robot violence of epic proportions and to enjoy Michael Bay's trademark unabashed destruction and mayhem.

Do they really need human actors in a movie about 50-foot tall robots who can turn into vehicles? It's something to consider.

Bay and the producers will have plenty of time to decide what "Transformers 4" will actually be about, since the director actually has another project in the works right now. His next project, "Pain and Gain," is a film about two Florida bodybuilders who become embroiled in a kidnapping and extortion scheme.

The movie, which is based on true events, stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as the two criminal meatheads. The film has only a $25 million budget, a shockingly low number by Michael Bay standards, especially when you consider that his last film, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," cost nearly $200 million dollars to produce. "Pain and Gain's" relatively small scale is the smallest film budget Bay has had to work with since 1995's "Bad Boys."

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