Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4

Thursday, April 18th, 2013 3:00PM CDT

Categories: Movie Related News, Digital Media News
Posted by: Autobot032 Views: 26,871

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Yes, you read that headline correctly. Paramount is using reality TV to cast people for the next film! This is the first time they've done something like this.

The Hollywood Reporter article located here at Yahoo! Movies states:

Co-produced by Paramount, China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises, Transformers 4 will be partly shot in China and is slated for an opening on June 27, 2014.
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.

Transformers 4, which hasn't been given an official title, yet, will see release on June 27th. 2014. Until then hit up the movie forums and discuss what's coming with the rest of us!

Credit(s): The Hollywood Reporter, Yahoo! Movies

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Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480146)
Posted by whacko on April 18th, 2013 @ 3:47pm CDT

So... basically this is confirming that Bay and/or the owners of the Transformers brand don't really care about the quality of the film. This movie is intended to be even more of a cash grab than earlier Transformers films to the point where they are hoping to gain money from advertisements placed on a reality show that will then help pick several inexperienced actors that will probably be poorly paid which will save even more money.

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480151)
Posted by Rushie on April 18th, 2013 @ 4:19pm CDT

Huh, weird. The previous films had contests and open castings for extras, including the Shanghai bit in RotF. But now they're actually looking for talented Chinese actors, as in actual characters, not crowd fillers. That, plus all the mentions of China being a shooting location, makes me think China will feature very prominently, perhaps as the climax set-piece like Egypt was in RotF.

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480172)
Posted by Capt.Failure on April 18th, 2013 @ 6:41pm CDT

whacko wrote:So... basically this is confirming that Bay and/or the owners of the Transformers brand don't really care about the quality of the film. This movie is intended to be even more of a cash grab than earlier Transformers films to the point where they are hoping to gain money from advertisements placed on a reality show that will then help pick several inexperienced actors that will probably be poorly paid which will save even more money.

I'd love to see how you extrapolated that the film is a "low quality cash grab" because they're holding a contest to get some extras. The logic of some people here astounds me.

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480217)
Posted by whacko on April 18th, 2013 @ 9:07pm CDT

Capt.Failure wrote:
whacko wrote:So... basically this is confirming that Bay and/or the owners of the Transformers brand don't really care about the quality of the film. This movie is intended to be even more of a cash grab than earlier Transformers films to the point where they are hoping to gain money from advertisements placed on a reality show that will then help pick several inexperienced actors that will probably be poorly paid which will save even more money.

I'd love to see how you extrapolated that the film is a "low quality cash grab" because they're holding a contest to get some extras. The logic of some people here astounds me.

Nothing in this article or the more detailed article found here: http://goo.gl/TtrO2 mention anything about these Chinese actors being Extras.

Also, as far as the quality of Transformer films? Hi, seen DoTM? The quality hasn't been increasing in each sequel...

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480219)
Posted by Capt.Failure on April 18th, 2013 @ 9:17pm CDT

whacko wrote:
Capt.Failure wrote:
whacko wrote:So... basically this is confirming that Bay and/or the owners of the Transformers brand don't really care about the quality of the film. This movie is intended to be even more of a cash grab than earlier Transformers films to the point where they are hoping to gain money from advertisements placed on a reality show that will then help pick several inexperienced actors that will probably be poorly paid which will save even more money.

I'd love to see how you extrapolated that the film is a "low quality cash grab" because they're holding a contest to get some extras. The logic of some people here astounds me.

Nothing in this article or this more detailed article ( http://goo.gl/TtrO2 ) mention anything about these Chinese actors being Extras.

Also, as far as the quality of Transformer films? Hi, seen DoTM? The quality hasn't been increasing in each sequel...

Yes I have seen it, and I enjoyed it thoroughly just like the vast majority of viewers. We're not derailing this thread though, so that's the final word.

On topic: I still fail to see how this is a big deal, enough to get so angry like you have. I know the Transformers fanbase is unreasonable and reactionary but this is taking the cake.

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480224)
Posted by Autobot032 on April 18th, 2013 @ 9:27pm CDT

Capt.Failure wrote:We're not derailing this thread though, so that's the final word.

Thank you for stating this, because it's true. This thread will not be derailed, we will step in if it needs to come to that.

Please watch your P's & Q's, folks.

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480226)
Posted by Transformado on April 18th, 2013 @ 9:31pm CDT

I read somewhere that the Transformers Movies are very popular in China, the fans love them, instead here....there dont get much love. I guess give your most loyal fans the best ride of their lives along with any exclusivities that comes with it.

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480230)
Posted by Capt.Failure on April 18th, 2013 @ 10:05pm CDT

Transformado wrote:I read somewhere that the Transformers Movies are very popular in China, the fans love them, instead here....there dont get much love. I guess give your most loyal fans the best ride of their lives along with any exclusivities that comes with it.

The idea that the Transformers films are hated over here at large is a misconception perpetuated by a vocal minority. Simple fact remains that the domestic gross of the Transformers films isn't attained when the film is hated by the general populous. Critics hate them, a decent chunk of the Transformers fanbase hates them, but the average moviegoer and an equally decent chunk of the Transformers fanbase loves them. When you foster a community of hate like on Transformers forums opinion myopia sets in and it becomes hard to imagine that others think differently. Statistics though speak differently, and statistics don't lie.

Re: Paramount Launches Reality TV Show to Cast Chinese Actors For Transformers 4 (1480487)
Posted by Autobot Megatron on April 20th, 2013 @ 3:24am CDT

Well, I'll hold my tounge right now on this one, since I can see an equal chance of this ending up fairly positive or apocalyptically negative.
So, um, yea. Let us just hope for the best.