Source: USA Today

Not much has been revealed about the third Transformers movie, slated to be released July 1, 2011. We know which cast members are returning, and that Michael Bay is back to direct – but we know next to nothing about the story or who the next villain will be (other than Megatron).

Yesterday, USA Today published an article that reveals quite a bit about the upcoming third movie, including some plot details. It also goes into what director Micheal Bay and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura think went wrong with the last movie, and what they’re doing to fix it this time around. Check out some of the highlights from the article below!

Highlights from USA Today (Spoilers):

– The film will be in 3D (No word on whether the movie will be shot in 3D or converted in post-production).
– Characters who die will stay dead.
– “This one really builds to a final crescendo. It’s not three multiple endings,” says Michael Bay. He goes on to say, “As a trilogy, it really ends. It could be rebooted again, but I think it has a really killer ending.”
– Shockwave is the new villain.
– Michael Bay says that they are getting rid of what he calls “the dorky comedy,” meaning characters like the robot twins will basically not be present this time around.
– Jon Tuturro will be back.
– Shia Labouf’s character, Sam Witwicky, remains an ally to Optimus Prime, all the while trying to enter the world of adulthood.
– The plot suggests that, during the space race between the U.S.S.R. and the USA, Transformers had a hidden role to play that “remains one of the planet’s most dangerous secrets.”

It sounds like we’re in for a better film this time around, with less humor and more focus on the story and characters. I am all about Shockwave making his debut in the next one, and I think the whole mystery behind what really happened during the space race is a nice touch. Now that I know a little more about the movie, I’m starting to look forward to this a bit more.