TF Prime, TF3 Villian, Plot, Comic And Trilogy Updates

The Licensing International Expo held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas has shown off what could be the first TF3 poster which is pretty straight forward with Optimus Prime standing tall and words "TF3 July 1, 2011". Likely the poster nothing more then just a quick mock-up made for the Expo.

And the expo continues with a full body reveal of the CGI/cartoon version of Bumblebee for Transformers: Prime. The picture removes any doubt that Prime is at least based on the movie design for Transformers.
The Transformers: Prime comic book will be released around October 1st with a description that finally gives a clue on what the new cartoon series will be about when it debuts on The Hub network. The 88 page book will serve as a prequel to the cartoon, written by Transformers screenwriters and Prime consultants Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. This all-new graphic novel adventure leads directly into the all new Transformers: Prime animated series! In this epic first adventure, battles across Cybertron have left Bumblebee and his fellow Autobots in need of a new leader. But is there anyone who can step forward against the threat of Megatron and the evil Decepticons? So it seems that unlike cartoons series in the past,
Optimus Prime may be taking a back seat to Bumblebee as the lead Transformer in the series. It still remains unclear if the cartoon has any relationship to the movies beyond a source of design inspiration. Also, this TF3 promo hat give a new look at some possible branding we might see next June. Shown is a "TF3" logo with a smaller "3" as well as the TF font with small "3" to top right of symbol. So, is this hat official...we'll see next year?! I'm just wondering when the toy leaks will start?

And in other news, with shooting still underway on the third film and plans to debut next summer, Michael Bay and Co. acknowledge missteps with the last one and aim to upgrade the shape-shifting robot franchise with a more coherent story, less goofball humor and a pledge that characters who die will stay dead. It will also be in 3-D.

Don Murphy, producer for the Transformers films, has also provided a brief update on his forums for various projects including Transformers 3. Nothing specific revealed since the "movie is super top secret".

"TRANSFORMERS 3 is starting its second month of shooting. As you guys know, everything on this movie is super top secret., but it is going very well and I think you will all be stoked to see old favorites and new characters coming at ya.

You know I liked the second film a lot- that said the new screenplay brings back the sense of awe and wonder that made the 1st film so exciting and special. It’s a shame that Megan didn’t work out but with what Michael has planned you won’t miss her.

There is still a hell of a lot of shooting to go and you don’t need me the way you guys dig up clues and jive- suffice it to say NEXT Fourth of July you guys will be excited again. I personally can’t wait" Murphy adds.

"I'll take some of the criticism," says Bay, standing at a set built to resemble a dilapidated nuclear reactor. "It was very hard to put (the sequel) together that quickly after the writers' strike (of 2007-08)."

"This one really builds to a final crescendo. It's not three multiple endings," the director says.

Bay calls the second film's villain, The Fallen, "kind of a (expletive) character." The new movie's foe is certain to make fans of the original '80s incarnation smile: Shockwave, the robot cyclops-turned-laser-cannon, who became dictator of their home world of Cybertron after the other Autobots and Decepticons journeyed to Earth.

"One thing we're getting rid of is what I call the dorky comedy," Bay adds. So the twins, the two bumbling, slang-spewing robots? "They're basically gone," he says, though John Turturro returns for comic relief.

The new film features Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) taking his first tenuous steps into adulthood while remaining a reluctant human ally of Optimus Prime. "Shia has this great line: 'You know, I've saved the world twice, but I can't get a job,' " di Bonaventura says.

"I love Megan and I miss the girl," LaBeouf says, flecked with fake blood and dirt during a break between shooting. "But Sam and Mikaela became one character, and here ... you have discovery again from a new perspective."

Plot details are under wraps, but it delves into the space race between the U.S.S.R. and the USA, suggesting there was a hidden Transformers role in it all that remains one of the planet's most dangerous secrets. "The movie is more of a mystery," Bay says. "It ties in what we know as history growing up as kids with what really happened."

While Optimus Prime, Megatron and even Sam all have died and been resurrected, di Bonaventura says this film will have no do-overs: Die, and that's it.

Bay hints that there may be a lot of that. "As a trilogy, it really ends," he says. "It could be rebooted again, but I think it has a really killer ending."

TF3 will have shockwave being like a big villian but he's not the main threat, he will help to rebuild megatron much more like galvatron.

The plot is very clear, soundwave return to shockwave and give the details so shockwave return to earth with the very last decepticons alive while on earth Optimus knows that the end is near

"they runing out of energon and with out a source of energy alike they pretty much are facing death along with the decepticons" so this time humans are getting of the robots aliens and want them to leave the planet so they feel very tired because they know of the war and death that are on it's way,

TF3 will bring a very dark story which is good anyway, for at the end sadly every cybertronian life vanish and with it all universal life as well, ergo all spark dimenished. And ohhhhhhh...yeah before a forget, Rodimus, Magnus, Grimlock, Wheeljack, Silverbolt and many others from G1 will show up as well!!!

This new plot almost reminded me in the comic books in Dreamwave continuity. Shockwave rules Cybertron while everybody else left discovers that within the planet Lies the Autobot Matrix creator Vector Sigma along with it's Guardian; Alpha Trion!

Also Earth's involvement with Cybertronian history have pretty much have secrets that seen in DW Transformers ongoing while Sunstorm have barely open up what's inside it.


So to summarize the current information:
- The movie is in 3D, no official word if shot in 3D or converted but likely the latter
- Shockwave. Alt mode unknown, in TFG1 he was a laser gun and in later versions he was a Tank.
- John Turturro returns and Agent Simmons
- Twins "basically gone", which I read as they come and probably go violently from the movie early on
- Plot focuses on the "hidden" story behind the space race of the 60s through 80s.