From the Morning Call:

Bay's last ''Transformers'' movie featured ''one heart-stopping scene after another,'' Callahan said. ''To have Bethlehem as a backdrop for all that is going to be spectacular.''

He also joked that he's lobbying to get into the film, even if that means playing a corpse in a crowd scene.

Many members of the Lehigh Valley's filmmaking community are eager to see a Dreamworks movie set spring up in their backyard.

''It doesn't get any bigger than that,'' said Kathy McAuley of the Lehigh Valley Film Office. ''This is undoubtedly the biggest thrill that I've had, working to bring filmmakers here.''

''Transformers 2,'' which is scheduled for a 2009 release, will also be filming in Philadelphia. The production is expected to spend more than $5 million between its operations in Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey, Callahan said.

Read the complete article here.

There are only 13 directors in film history who's films have grossed more than $1 billion at the box office (domestically). Michael Bay did it in seven. So did James Cameron. The list follows:

1 Steven Spielberg $3,447.9
2 Robert Zemeckis $1,802.9
3 George Lucas $1,700.5
4 Ron Howard $1,606.3
5 Chris Columbus $1,567.9
6 Gore Verbinski $1,308.5
7 Tim Burton $1,289.3
8 Peter Jackson $1,271.7
9 Sam Raimi $1,249.7
10 James Cameron $1,146.9
11 Michael Bay $1,093.7
12 Clint Eastwood $1,002.4
13 Andrew Adamson $1,000.6

Stats courtesy of Boxofficemojo.com.

Nelson here...

It appears that the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) negotiations with the AMPTP have resulted in no new contract.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood producers on Tuesday temporarily broke off contract talks with the Screen Actors Guild, calling its demands regarding DVD sales and online content "unreasonable." "With SAG's continued adherence to unreasonable demands in both new and traditional media, continuing negotiations at this time does not make sense," the producers said in a statement. The guild responded in a statement by saying the producers' decision to end talks after 18 days was unfortunate. Both sides have said they sought to avoid a repeat of the 100-day writers strike that ended in February. The union's contract for films and prime-time TV shows expires June 30.

Bay weighs in:

SAG wants more than Directors and Writers? That's a smart tactic I guess. When are people going to understand, most importantly actors - we are at war - we are facing a major recession - our country is in dire need of being fixed - our country also has no money because we have given trillions to the Iraq war and we have NOT even started to pay for it - it is just paid right now by printing more money on presses - China owns our ass in every way. Why not strike on a business in a down fall. Just like the writer's they made pennies on the four extra months striking - when you do the real math and they are paying the price for it still - so many writer's out of work still!!! I want this business to thrive - I know the studio heads and they will punish those that defy them. Okay, be an idealist - but you will never get a better deal then the writer's or directors - only the same - the studio's will never allow it, don't kid yourself. The working actors don't want a strike - they have said so. Too many non working actors have a say which is crazy - maybe there are just too many actors?? Gosh I'm even a member of SAG, but I don't feel I've earned the right to vote in this guild.

One hunch, the leaders of these guilds seem to like the limelight they get in the press, it becomes more about the ego in the room rather than something smart. Striking is not smart. Through the history in America, strikes in businesses have only gained the union worker 6% at the max - so take the emotion out of it and go for the 6%. A path to strike is not smart for the the hundreds of thousands of people in this business. Sanity needs to prevail here - talk real and talk the same talk as your union brothers - not more!

Nelson here...

Spoke to Michael today and I was informed that Transformers 2 is set to begin shooting principal photography on Wednesday, June 2, 2008.

Enjoy the weekend!

Click here to wish Michael a happy birthday.

From the NYTimes:

HD DVD, the beloved format of Toshiba and three Hollywood studios, died Friday after a brief illness. The cause of death was determined to be the decision by Wal-Mart to stock only high-definition DVDs and players using the Blu-ray format.

The announcement by Wal-Mart Stores, the nation’s largest retailer of DVDs, that it would stop selling the discs and machines in June when supplies are depleted comes after decisions this week by Best Buy, the largest electronics retailer, to promote Blu-ray as its preferred format and Netflix, the DVD-rental service, to stock only Blu-ray movies, phasing out HD DVD by the end of this year.Last year, Target, one of the top sellers of electronics, discontinued selling HD DVD players in its stores, but continued to sell them online.“The fat lady has sung,” said Rob Enderle, a technology industry analyst in Silicon Valley. “Wal-Mart is the biggest player in the DVD market. If it says HD DVD is done, you can take that as a fact.”

Michael at the beginning of this year:

Blu ray is just better. HD will die a slow death. It's what I predicted a year ago. Now with Warner's down for the count with Blu Ray. That makes it easier for Wal-Mart to push Blu Ray. And whatever Wal-Mart pushes - wins.

Check here to see if Verizon Fios is available in your area.

View FIOS pricing here.

NEW YORK, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrated filmmaker Michael Bay will be the first celebrity featured in a new advertising campaign for Verizon FiOS TV and FiOS Internet services. Themed "This is FiOS; This is Big," the new campaign -- created for Verizon by McCann Erickson, New York -- showcases the groundbreaking services delivered over Verizon's advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes.

"Michael Bay is a larger-than-life figure because he's a powerful game-changer," said John Wimsatt, senior vice president of marketing for Verizon Telecom. "Verizon FiOS is the best and first choice for home entertainment because the power of our fiber-optic network delivers the best picture quality, fastest Internet and most-innovative interactive services. Michael Bay is the perfect choice to help portray the big, powerful experiences that FiOS creates in home entertainment and broadband."

Bay -- who is famous for directing cutting-edge, high-octane blockbusters like "Transformers," "Pearl Harbor," "Bad Boys" and "Armageddon" -- stars in an action-packed, 30-second TV spot for Verizon FiOS Internet service that begins airing Sunday (Feb. 17). In the ad, Bay deftly spoofs his own super-charged Hollywood persona as he blows up things throughout a super-contemporary home to show how Verizon "blows away" cable Internet service with upload and download speeds that are up to 25 times faster. While a Verizon technician installs FiOS Internet service in the home, Bay uses a remote detonator to blow up a barbecue grill and swimming pool. He also shows off his pet cat -- a Bengal tiger -- and a 20-foot-tall Transformer to underscore how "awesome" -- a word he continuously repeats -- he finds the Verizon fiber-optic technology.

Source: PRNewswire.

View the ad here.