We’ve gotten used to Michael Bay using his website to introduce the shiny new cars and trucks that will end up part of the robotic cast for Transformers 4. So it’s almost a surprise when he uses it to reveal a piece of human casting. But yes, Han Geng is not a sporty new Nissan; he’s a huge star in China and will be appearing alongside Optimus and co.
Never one to miss a trick when it comes to canny decisions in appealing to worldwide audiences (and securing a bigger slice of the massive Chinese box office), Bay has included a decent chunk of filming in China as well as the States as he cranks the cameras on the fourth film, and included actors such as Bingbing Li. As for Geng, “He’s one of Asia’s top stars in the worlds of music, television and movies and has become one of the most influential entertainers in China,” according to Bay’s site.
The human focus of the movie will be Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor in the tale set after Dark Of The Moon’s devastating Battle Of Chicago, which sees new Transformer threats arriving. Bay is planning to kick off a fresh trilogy of films with this one, but plans to hand over directing duties to someone else in future.
With Stanley Tucci, Sophia Myles, Kelsey Grammer and T.J. Miller also aboard, Transformers 4 will flatten our screens on June 27 next year.