Star dilemma

After the enormous success of «Transformers 2», which took in more than $400 million in one week, Paramount has given the green light to the third installment in the franchise. Although there is no news yet on a possible plot, there is gossip aplenty about the production: will Michael Bay still direct if Megan Fox stays?

While promoting the movie, Megan Fox spoke a little too spontaneously, announcing in a television interview that she didn't understand «Transformers 2: The Revenge of the Fallen», adding: «If you haven't read the script and you go and see the movie and you understand it, you may be a genius.»

That rather dumb remark sparked an acerbic response from Michael Bay: «Well, that's Megan Fox for you. She says some very ridiculous things because she's 23 years old and she still has a lot of growing to do.» Interpreting Fox's statement as arrogant, the director went on to claim she should be grateful he discovered her and gave her a chance at success. Bay also claimed he had done Nicolas Cage, Ben Affleck, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence the same favor, by making them bankable stars after they worked in his hard-core action movies. But while these actors, whose careers Bay did boost financially, went from respected actor to super blockbuster stars, Fox was completely unknown prior to «Transformers».

If Bay remains at the directorial reins of the third episode, the screenwriters will probably have to come up with a new girlfriend for Sam Witwicky. If he doesn't and Paramount takes the option of cashing in on Fox's media power, Bay could finally work on the project he's been talking about for years, but has set aside each time in favor of making big bucks: a quiet drama, without fireworks or special effects.