RUSSIA: Moscow hosts the world premiere of the third film in the 'Transformers' franchise
Record ID:
218708
RUSSIA: Moscow hosts the world premiere of the third film in the 'Transformers' franchise
- Title: RUSSIA: Moscow hosts the world premiere of the third film in the 'Transformers' franchise
- Date: 24th June 2011
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JUNE 23, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS MOSCOW FILM FESTIVAL VARIOUS ACTOR SHIA LABEOUF TALKING TO JOURNALIST VARIOUS ACTRESS ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY TALKING TO JOURNALIST LABEOUF SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR MICHAEL BAY, SAYING: "I think, you know, this is a big emerging market. And then we were invited to the festival and it was a great tie-in. I think it's, you know, important to support markets like this where the film market is becoming very important to the American market."
- Embargoed: 9th July 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Russian Federation
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVABZCWGWBQQIXYDOW7MUJR8U0UE
- Story Text: Russian film-goers will be the first to see the third sequel of the Transformers saga, which premieres in Moscow on Thursday, as Hollywood increasingly turns its attention to audiences in emerging markets.
Stars from the 200-million U.S dollar, 3D blockbuster "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" graced the red carpet on Thursday (June 23) at the 33rd Moscow International Film Festival -- a rare world premiere in the Russian capital, which is increasingly beating Western rivals for the honour of hosting such openings.
"I think, you know, this is a big emerging market. And then we were invited to the festival and it was a great tie-in. I think it's, you know, important to support markets like this where the film market is becoming very important to the American market," director Michael Bay told reporters in Moscow, where a crowd of fans waiting for autographs near the red carpet attested to the Russian film audience's growing appetite for Hollywood movies.
Russian box offices hit record earnings of $1 billion last year riding the success of foreign blockbusters, which raked in 1.5 times more than Russian movies, according to the independent industry tracker Movie Research.
As the weakening dollar increasingly pushes Hollywood to look to emerging markets for profits, Bay said he planned to take the movie to Brazil and China following its Russian launch.
Bay is well-known for his action films, and has directed international hits such as "Armageddon", "Pearl Harbour" and two "Transformers" films. In talking about his work as a director, Bay talked about the amount of work that went into making the third "Transformers" installment, which was filmed in 3D.
"We go through every shot, every detail, its almost ad nauseam. This dust, this rock here, this thing, this light. And you know, its just uhh...But I've got a great team, and, um, they love what they do. They're very good at what they do, and they're as passionate about it as me," Bay said.
The Transformers trilogy stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager who first encounters the 'robots in disguise' in the first film in 2007, after they come looking for the Allspark, a mystical talisman that would grant unlimited power to whoever possessed it.
Witwicky becomes an unlikely young hero in the war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, two factions of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery.
Transformers' star Shia LaBoeuf touted "Dark of the Moon" -- whose action plays out against the backdrop of the U.S.-Russian space race -- as the best yet in the saga.
"The third one's the best one because this is the strongest script we have ever had, its the best character development we had in all of the films. Its the best arc for Sam that I ever had, selfishly. Um, its paced well, its shot incredibly, it's technologically, this is the most advanced ILM (visual effects) has ever been, so its the best special effects we ever devised, the scope of the movie's outrageous," LaBeouf said.
In the latest film, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle.
LaBeouf talked about what it was like to work in a film with a digitally-created cast.
"You know, you feel silly, talking to something that's not there really - at first - and then you get into it, and its almost a different art form really, it's not like anything else I've ever done before really, and to make in natural, seem like there is a, like there's a banter and a rhythm with something that's not there is really, has been the most fun I've had on these movies, sort of like, you know usually you have, you know, you have an actor to play off of - so, really I've been doing monologues for four years, you know, at a high level, which has been really fun for me," he said.
Transformers 3 is the debut film for actress-turned-model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who plays opposite LaBeouf in the film, and talked about the learning curve in stepping into acting.
"It feels like, um, like a natural progression I think for a lot of women, and for a lot of people to move from still to film and I think with technology now we are seeing a lot more of, you know, fashion turning into film, but it, it was, it was interesting, a lot of things I was able to take from modelling and put onto film, but a lot of it wasn't, I mean what makes you a great supermodel is being very self-conscious, being very aware of what you are selling, kind of being cold and closed off and sort of powerful. And, uh, and then you sort of move onto film and its so important to be open, and show that you are vulnerable, and you know, film sees everything. And uh, and so that was an interesting transition...and learning that as well," Huntington-Whiteley said.
"Transformers" is based on the toy line of the same name, and combines computer animation with live action. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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