With the writers strike just finishing, another one may just be beginning. The SAG are currently in discussions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over a deal, which must be completed by 30th June.

This will of course affect Transformers 2 and with all things Hollywood, director Michael Bay has added his thoughts on the issue, by talking to Variety:

“If there is a strike, we shut down, but shutting down isn’t that big a deal,” Bay said. “You make accommodations, you make a deal with vending houses on equipment and on the stages where you are shooting. You hope for the best, but you can’t be incapacitated by the possibility that there will be a strike. We’ve got to get this town back to work. I can’t imagine anyone wants another strike, we’re all tired. Hopefully clearer heads will prevail.”

“They did a detailed outline before the writer’s strike, and now they are in Michael Bay jail, holed up in a hotel and working feverishly,” Bay said. “We’re paying for a beautiful suite and they are getting a lot of work done. Hiring three writers was unusual, but it has been a godsend in getting us to where we need to be. Somehow you find a way to get it done.

Transformers 2 writer Roberto Orci has posted on Don Murphy’s message board with a request from Starscream fans:

does anyone have any catch phrases of Starscream’s that they particularly remember and love?

This is mostly likely something to do with the Transformers sequel and the current revisions being made to the script. With Starscream being a very popular character, expect lots of suggestions.

At WonderCon 2008 in San Francisco last week, The Movie Reporter managed to get an interview with Transformers actrist Rachel Taylor. In it, she mentioned her role in the movie and how there is an unlikely chance that she will be back for the sequel.

“if they could find a way to write in another young Australian computer data analysist, I would be stunned!”

This is good news as one of the main problems in the first movie was the fact that there were too many unnessessary human characters.

Transformers and Transformers 2 writer Roberto Orci, who is now back to work, has posted an updates on Don Murphy’s message board and the progress of the script and the work Michael bay has been doing during the strike:

So we got back to work this week and we find out Bay and production has been prepping the entire movie off of our pre-strike outline! The very one we turned in the night before the strike.

Unfortunately, Michael Bay seems to want to add more humour to the film, which, based on the first film’s humour, will not work and even contradicts what Bay said about a serious movie on the Transformers DVD.

He essentially transferred our outline into screenplay format and came up with some really fun gags and a few descriptions of the kind of hardware he will need for production.

Michael Bay has responed to the rumours yesterday about no actual production having occured on Transformers 2 with a message on his forums. He is also confirming that he really wants to make the 26th June 2009 deadline.

Oh really???? Is that why 20 people in production are in my office right now, another 20 art designers another location, scouts in two countries, one back east??? Don’t ever bet against me in making my date – June 2009!

Michael

Empire Magazine have managed to sit Shia Labeouf down and try and get some information from him on Transformers 2. The good news is that there is going to be new characters on each side (hopefully not too many) and that there is more characterisation for the robots in disguise.

“I know of a few things I have to work on for the next one,” said LaBeouf. “I’ve seen pre-vizes of the action scenes and I just saw Michael yesterday. It’s going to be bad-ass. We’re not making another one unless it is, and Mike is definitely not resting on his laurels — he’s doing insane shit again. And the pre-vizes that I’ve seen… it’s just massive. If the first one was any indicator of how massive massive can be, this is going to blow that out of the water. It’s insane. Mike’s mind was just kind of made for this — it’s amazing. There’s going to be a lot more characterisation with the robots, which I’m excited about. I was a fan of Transformers before the movie came out. And there’s going to be a lot of action…That goes unsaid, I guess”.

Time for some confusing news. Dreamworks executives, who were speaking to MTV.com, have stated that no “production office” has been set up for Transformers 2. Thius means not work has been done on the sequel, which contradicts what director Michael Bay said earlier this week.

Be on the look out for confirmation from either or both parties.

In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Michael Bay has revealed some news that will make fans worried but also quite happy. Michael has apparently been writing the script for the sequel whilst the writers have been on strike. This may seem bad, but luckly the actual writers will be editing the script to make the whole thing more fluid.

The good news is that May seems keen to keep the release date of 26th June 2009, with no delays expected.