…You read that right. Yahoo! reports that as part of a deal with a Chinese TV studio, Paramount is working on a show named Transformers 4 Chinese Actor Talent Search of which the four winners of the show (Two WITH acting experience and two without) will be given roles on the upcoming fourth film in the franchise.
HONG KONG – Having announced plans in early April for Transformers 4 to be a Chinese co-production involving the inclusion of some Chinese content, Paramount Pictures has now gone one step further in shaping the project along Chinese lines – by casting its Chinese roles through a reality television show, one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the country.
Launched at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, the Transformers 4 Chinese Actor Talent Search will be a new talent competition television show in which the four winners – two with professional acting experience, two without – will be granted roles in the next entry of the franchise.
The show is set to commence broadcast in China in June 2013, with a panel of judges comprising Sid Ganis, the former head of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the current chairman of Jiaflix; the film’s producer Lorenzo DiBonaventura and casting director Denise Chamian; Paramount’s marketing and distribution chief Megan Colligan.
The film’s Chinese backers will be represented by Jia Qi, deputy director of the film’s Chinese co-producers China Movie Channel; and Liang Longfei, vice-president of m1905, the channel’s portal through which contestants (who need to be over 18) can register for the show.
Producers said the four winning contestants will join “a number of talented Chinese actors and actresses” in Transformers 4. The third film in the franchise, Dark of the Moon, generated $165 million in China, and stands fourth in the country’s overall box-office rankings behind Avatar, Lost in Thailand and Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons.
Through pre-recorded video footage, Ganis told the Chinese press that the show will “give actors and fans of the Transformers franchise the opportunity to be appearing in a major motion picture, and it will provide the world audience yet another glimpse of the Chinese people, the Chinese culture and China itself.”
DiBonaventura added that his team “are looking forward to becoming more and more part of the Chinese audience’s experience by bringing the Chinese culture, Chinese traditions and Chinese talent into the movie”.
By hyping the production of the film with a reality show, the Transformers producers have certainly tapped into the demands of China’s vast television audiences. The country’s viewers have become increasingly transfixed in recent years by this format, and the most-viewed programs today are dating shows as well as one in which celebrities participate in an extended period of training in high-platform diving.
steelgravekaon
its idiocy at its finest.
steelgravekaon
are you fucking kidding?
so paramount does a deal for chinese production and casting, etc
and they come up with a reality show to get it done?
who's selling the really cool drugs…cause they just made a shit load of $$$.
This is
Autovolt 127
I don't think it is, too lose hope because they are picking actors because they won a reality show and only because of that, instead of oh i don't know. Acting Talent.
MindChamber
is it really that big of a leap of logic really? hes the director and someone is planing to put two no bodies in the movie, one of them a talking role, he has no say? on his film? really? interesting. Of course he has to sign off on it, Fliming and scheduling has to be laid out like a science,. To act like hes totally clueless about this, even more horrid logic. this isnt just some trailer publicity stunt. that he doesnt have to worry about, he has to place the camera on two people that are now part of the script and movie.
people are annoyed because Bay is allowing the movies to be more of a Joke than they already are. It pretty much has nothing to do if they're Chinese, or if its a reality show, or if the exposure is needed. this whole "calm down every movie does this" is complete BS.
Its dumb, garish, and just cheesy. everyone has a right to their opinion neagative or possive. Its pretty annoying when people like to call others, pissy or, whiny because they disagree.
Russian fan
I'll see you all next year wearing him on your hands, this "sh?tty director".
We (and many russians) watch some shows about searching talents with big interest. Michael Bay knows, that he will work in very big and "young", fast growing country. People in such countries often have a big potential in arts. It's not only advertisement, it's also like a "oil exploration" .
XIII
two words.
SELL OUT
KnightHawkke
Cool story I guess?
There is only one race… now there are many cultures for sure.
Nako
OK, As I understand it. Iron Man 3 and Transformers 4 will have additional scenes with Chinese Actors that will only appear in the Chinese release of those movies. So I guess were getting 4 slightly different movies. I'm kind of curious to see what they will add.
Omnius
Quoted, enlarged and bolded because some people in this thread really need to read the above.
Edit: Yes, you.
SpicyRichter
Maybe this makes me a racist, but I just lost any interest I may have had in this film.
PrimulArchangel
Reality shows kill more brain cells in one 30 min episode then weed kills in a lifetime.
So instead of having someone just come in an audition for a role, they are going to hang the bone from a string and have the people beg for it for the enjoyment of the viewers lol . I love Transformers but I would never do something so stupid to get a role in a movie .
Noideaforaname
"Signed off on" is utterly horrid logic to start blaming someone for something. It's still a giant leap of logic assuming this is something Bay had any real control over, and it's ridiculous to fault only him for this.
TheBigBad
Prizes!
They too can win a chance to get a piece of metal embedded in their heads.
Scorpio
Some of them are awesome though – they actually make their contestants work for their prizes – rather than just having them answer a few questions or add numbers together.
SPLIT LIP
I was hoping this was filming for a scene where Mark Wallboard goes on a chinese game show.
Could be worse.
Could be a Japanese game show. :/ (those guys are into WEIRD SHIT)
Scorpio
Its a publicity stunt – probably organised by the marketing department. I doubt Bay had any influence in this choice – so please stop randomly blaming him.
Given the Chinese market is currently one of the most untapped for action films we have films such as Iron Man 3 and Transformers 4 competing to try to get some of the audience – in this case Transformers 4 will be partially filmed in China and they'll use a reality tv show to get free extra's on set – while improving publicity for the film.
Here's some methods used by Iron man 3 to try to gain Chinese support;
[VIDEO] 'Iron Man 3' China Commercial — Rare Promotion
Chinese-Government Officials Were Apparently Given Special Access to Iron Man 3 Set | Vanity Fair
'Iron Man 3' will become the first 4DX release in Japan | Filmonic
China Looks to Iron Man 3, Hollywood as Gateway to US Living Rooms
I wouldn't be surprised if Transformers 4 has a Chinese actor for one of the supporting roles this time around…
People like you are what keep this forum so enjoyable and provide a good laugh – despite what happens with the movies
Raiju
Well, that didn't take long for this thread to devolve into anti-China rhetoric (China is only good enough to make our beloved Transformers toys but not for much else, eh?).
As for the Bay naysayers, I wonder how many of you guys are still going to pay to see TF4 in theaters?
It's an American Idol type show to cast 4 bit movie parts in a country with a lot of fellow Transformers fans. That's it. No more, no less. To make this political or racial or anything else leads me to believe some folks here have a lot of stupid hang-ups that needs to be checked, and hard.
ATLMYK
Hope you get one of the parts. It would be nice to have a insider.
Autovolt 127
What a way to cast someone.